Two Illinois natives helped preserve an old general store in Hackberry, Arizona. We spent a rainy day there — and tried not to wake the mayor as he slept on a the couch.

"I want to see America the way it used to be," said transportation reporter Jerry Carnes of his road trip along Route 66, from Chicago to Santa Monica, California.

Situated along Route 66, Amboy, Calif. once boasted 200 residents, three gas stations, three motels, two cafes, a post office ...