In a candid conversation conducted from behind the wheel, Jason Spiess sat down with John Wise — creator of the popular YouTube channel Travel with a Wiseguy — for a wide-ranging discussion about the Mother Road, its history, its ghosts, and why it continues to captivate travelers nearly a century after its birth.
Wise, a 51-year-old track coach at Wichita State University from Kansas, never set out to become a Route 66 documentarian. But as he tells it, the road had other plans.
A Pandemic Road Trip That Changed Everything
When Wise launched his YouTube channel in 2020, he was searching for direction. With his track season canceled due to COVID, he decided to film a simple goal: one video per week for a year. His first major journey — flying to Chicago, driving the entire length of Route 66 to California, and flying home — became the spark.
“I went to every town along the way,” Wise recalls. “I made it a mission to show each community for at least a few seconds.”
What started as a straightforward road trip video series caught fire. Those early videos, filmed during a quiet pandemic summer with minimal traffic, marked the beginning of his channel’s growth.
Today, Travel with a Wiseguy sits at roughly 75,000 subscribers, with a dedicated playlist of 34 Route 66 videos. Wise has returned repeatedly to the road, shifting from quick drive-bys to deeper, more historical explorations of individual towns, museums, and forgotten places.
The Allure of the Forgotten
One of the most compelling themes in Wise’s work — and in the conversation — is his fascination with places the interstate system left behind. Growing up in Ohio, he had no deep prior connection to Route 66. But driving it end-to-end changed his perspective.
“Route 66 taught me that not only are there touristy places... but there’s also totally forgotten places there to explore,” he explains. “Places that had maybe some ruins left, or there was some history that still needed to be told.”
This philosophy has led him to ghost towns, abandoned buildings, and quiet corners of the Southwest. He highlights favorites from the western half of the route — from western Oklahoma through eastern California — where the landscape opens up and the sense of solitude deepens. Standout spots include the eerie roadside ruins of Two Guns and Twin Arrows in Arizona, the border-straddling ghost town of Glen Rio, and Jericho, Texas, where a couple bought an abandoned settlement and began reviving it.
Wise’s video on Jericho became particularly meaningful. The new owners credited it with helping spread the word about their efforts, which now include tours, a 5K run on the historic Jericho Gap, and ongoing historical preservation.
A Road That Inspires
For Spiess, a cancer survivor, he’s planning an ambitious 75-day, county-by-county Route 66 journey, connected deeply with Wise’s observations. Both men see the road as far more than pavement.
“It’s a road. You know what I mean? It’s just a freakin’ road,” Spiess reflected. “And you’ve got a television series on it, you got a song on it... It just really inspires people. I live 500 yards from Highway 59 and there ain’t nothing about that Highway anywhere.”
The conversation touched on how the interstate system bypassed countless small towns in the 1950s and ’60s, turning vibrant communities into ghost towns. Yet that very abandonment, combined with the road’s colorful history of roadside architecture, murals, giant statues, and mom-and-pop businesses, has created a uniquely American canvas that continues to draw artists, historians, adventurers, and everyday travelers.
As the route approaches its 100th anniversary, both men noted renewed energy — restored service stations, community efforts, and fresh attention being paid to preservation.
Looking Ahead
Wise continues balancing his coaching career with content creation. He recently launched a second channel, Wise Guy 2, to separate his road trip and ghost town videos from museum tours and interviews. His main channel features a membership program where supporters get behind-the-scenes access and occasional group Zooms.
For travelers planning their own Route 66 adventures, Wise offers simple but powerful advice: slow down. Look beyond the famous stops. Drive a few miles north or south of the route. Talk to locals. Explore the forgotten corners.
Spiess, preparing for his own deep dive, plans broadcasts from locations like Galena, Kansas (Cars on the Route), Kingman (AZ) and the NM/TX ghost town of Glen Rio, among many others.
In the end, John Wise’s journey reminds us why the Mother Road still matters. It’s not just about where the road goes — it’s about what it reveals about America, about history, and about ourselves when we take the time to really look.
Click here for Travel with a Wiseguy YouTube Channel
For other Route 66 Americana Archive features and interviews, click here
Follow Route 66 Americana Archive on LinkedIn or YouTube
If you have Route 66 Stories, Photos, Videos or Idea, email: hello(at)route66turns100(dot)com
Route 66 Americana Archive is overseen by Jason Spiess. Follow/Connect with him on LinkedIn or Substack.
