External LinkRead TEN magazine's interactive article on Route 66 and The Byways Report.
The Blue Whale of Catoosa. Miami’s last-of-its-kind hamburger bird. The bright neon lasso flashing atop the Western Motel’s vintage-style sign in Vinita.
These aren’t just quirky sights along Oklahoma’s stretch of the legendary Route 66. For the business owners lovingly tending to them, they’re important tourism assets. And for Jennifer Wilding, who traversed the storied corridor to write The Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity, they’re marvels—mini destinations that link each community’s charming past to future promise.
“It’s not just about the buildings or the diners. It’s about the people,” she said. “You can’t tell the story without the people.”
Published by the Kansas City Fed in early 2026, The Byways Report shows how Americans’ ongoing love of the open road can help small towns build their economies through route-based tourism. By highlighting data alongside the experiences of people who live on those routes, the report illustrates the economic capacity of existing byways.
The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City or the Federal Reserve System.