A Route 66 road trip is all about the people you'll meet. Start with these legends.

Ian Bowen is manager of the “66 to Cali” shop/kiosk connected the Santa Monica Pier. Many travelers spell to the kiosk for the Route 66 “passports” and certificates of completion.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Beyond the merry-go-round and earlier the Ferris instrumentality connected Santa Monica Pier, Ian Bowen does concern successful a snug kiosk overstuffed with souvenirs, guidebooks and replica road signs. The full operation measures astir 77 quadrate feet. But the thought down it sprawls for miles and keeps Bowen talking for hours connected end: Route 66.

The 66 to Cali kiosk is owned by Dan Rice, who started the concern successful 2009 aft years of travels connected the Mother Road. But Bowen, 35, has been managing it for 10 years, making sales, offering proposal and proceeding travelers’ tales, which astir ever travel with surprises. He calls himself “a bona fide nerd astir Route 66.”

“It took maine six years to bash the full roadworthy and decorativeness my past agelong successful Arcadia, Oklahoma,” Bowen said betwixt customers 1 caller night. Rather than screen much than 2,400 miles successful a azygous trip, helium has done what galore American “roadies” do: biting disconnected 1 chunk astatine a time. Before you cognize it, helium said, “you go portion of the community.”

That became evident arsenic Bowen flipped done the photograph albums helium keeps successful the kiosk. There’s Harley Russell, ribald proprietor and performer astatine the Sandhills Curiosity Shop successful Erick, Okla. There’s Fran Houser, the late, wide beloved proprietor of the Midpoint Cafe successful Adrian, Texas. And there’s Bowen getting a haircut from Angel Delgadillo, the Seligman, Ariz., barber, present 99, who kicked disconnected a resurgence of involvement successful Route 66 successful 1987 with a telephone for humanities recognition.

This is not the vocation Bowen planned for; helium studied to beryllium an concern designer. But present that he’s successful the concern of celebrating Route 66, helium sees it, and different highways similar it, arsenic a launching pad for autarkic businesses, a lifeline for tiny towns and an antidote to the isolation of modern society.

“The aged roads aren’t conscionable astir nostalgia,” Bowen says connected his website. “They’re astir creativity, honorable work, investing successful ourselves and our communities, and the conception that effort is rewarded.”

For those considering a Route 66 trip, Bowen has proposal of each kinds.

Want an old-school repast on the way successful Santa Monica? Bowen volition constituent you toward Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery, which opened successful 1925.

A luncheon spot adjacent Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch successful Oro Grande? Cross-Eyed Cow Pizza, said Bowen, is conscionable down the road.

The backstory connected Bobby Troup’s opus “Route 66?” Bowen tin archer you that Nat King Cole recorded it successful aboriginal 1946 successful a workplace astatine 7000 Santa Monica Blvd. And that address, present occupied by the Jeffrey Deitch creation gallery, is really connected Route 66.

Whatever your itinerary, Bowen urges a escaped schedule, leaving plentifulness of country for discoveries and unplanned conversations. Otherwise, “it’s truthful casual to usage up each your clip and extremity up moving behind,” helium said.

One caller Friday, Leonidas Georgiou, 36, stepped up to the kiosk, brimming with enthusiasm.

Georgiou, who lives successful Athens, lone learned astir Route 66 past twelvemonth “from an influencer connected Greek TikTok.” But erstwhile helium heard astir it, helium acted fast. Georgiou plotted a U.S. trip, recruited his ma to thrust shotgun and picked up a rented Mazda SUV successful Chicago. They made the thrust successful 23 days, with detours to Las Vegas and Monument Valley and a halt astatine the Walter White location (from “Breaking Bad”) successful Albuquerque.

The varying upwind and landscape, Georgiou said, made it consciousness similar a four-season trip. Several times, successful cities wherever hotels seemed excessively pricey oregon excessively sketchy, helium and his ma slept successful their SUV. Before Bowen could talk up, Georgiou added that he’s a constabulary serviceman successful Athens, and that helium chose their spots carefully. Georgiou’s mother, who didn’t talk overmuch English, nodded successful affirmation.

“Instead of spending $40 each and getting bedbugs, it’s amended to slumber successful the car,” Georgiou said. And successful the larger picture, helium said, it was important to springiness the travel each the clip it needed.

“This is simply a beingness journey,” Georgiou said.

Bowen nodded and smiled. Another 66 traveler, different acceptable of surprises.