After picking up a Pontiac Sunfire, we head for the remains of 66’s most famous auto court, The Coral Court, today so trendy that Revell sells a ready-to-be-assembled replica. Too bad they couldn’t save the real thing.

The Coral Court’s owner, John Car, conceived of it as the best motel in St. Louis. He and his architect would pace the 8 ½ acres of grounds in the late afternoon, studying how shadows fell. Art deco bungalows with yellow and black glazed bricks were surrounded by mature pin oaks. Their canopy shaded the bungalows from the fierce Midwestern summers and added to its hideaway feel.

Nobody cares more about the Coral Court than Shellee Graham, a photographer who has written a book about it. Short, trim, with a dancer’s body, Graham has a bounce. Her presence is crackly and kinetic: you want to touch her hair to feel the spark. She greets me as eagerly as a missionary come upon a new tribe. Not that she is trying to convert anyone. She, like the lay preacher, is convinced the text alone will suffice.

"Everything happened at the Coral Court, whether it was happy tourist families on vacation, or businessmen getting lucky for the night, or somebody going there after the prom."

Shelly’s head bobs along with her words. She’s arranged for us to meet at a Route 66 brew pub, and like any new author, she’s eager to dish the goods on her favorite lodging, the Coral Court. When she pronounces its name, she gives it a regal turn.

"There were two check-ins. Most of the tourists would go to the office and sign the register and get a room. But those in the know--interested in shorter, local vacations--would pull up in this horseshoe drive, and the maid would meet them out there, and tell them which rooms were available. Drivers would pull their large car into very narrow garages, and the maid would close the door behind. From there, they walked in through the living room, so no one ever had to see them. The maid would knock on the door and give you your towels, your glasses, your ice, and take your money. ‘Would that be for 4 hours or 2?’ she would ask.

"It’s so important for us not to forget our past. The place affected everybody in St. Louis, whether they will admit it or not. Either you heard about it or you went there, you know, after your prom, or whatever. Some just snicker when you talk about it."

"It was on the national register of historic places, but as we know, that’s not a shield against the wishes of its owners, and it only protects you against federally funded projects, such as a highway. It could have been saved; it should have been saved. People with money didn’t have the foresight to see that there could have been a Route 66 Museum and a high-class hotel and gift shops."