I only see one.

I get your point... and agree. However, I was thinking of an article I read once (unfortunately, I cannot find it now) about the history of Route 66. The article stated that as the road became popular, many small businesses popped up along the route -- those same establishments that we are so fond of photographing today. (The same thing happened, BTW, with the Natchez Trace a hundred years earlier.) It didn't take long for those opportunists to start creating little tricks to get people to stop -- two-headed calves, ice water, etc. Barnum would have been envious.

Anyway, my recall of the article (in my mind) was that described the very definition of "Tourist Traps" and I went with that idea when I wrote the earlier post..

I agree, The portion from Chicago to St. Louis is every bit as interesting as that in the Southwestern U.S. From historical significance (Lincoln's Tomb) to the unique (world's largest catsup bottle).

Well, maybe a couple more. This is a view of St. Louis from the top of the Cahokia Pyramid and Lou Mitchell's (claims to be the start point of Route 66).:

As it turns out (thanks to Lightroom for keeping track), I have over a thousand photographs I kept of Route 66.

I agree. I found plenty of photographic subjects when I was there... as, I suppose, is true of anywhere.

Dodge City? A long ways from Route 66.

Besides, isn't Route 66 itself a "tourist trap"? (And has been from the beginning.)

Since Route 66 only grazes Kansas, the sites are few. The two more important ones are the Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge outside of Riverton (the sole surviving bridge of this type on the entire length of Route 66) and the Baxter Springs Heritage Center & Museum as a starting point for learning about Quantill's murderous attack and directions.

My favorite (from memory), is nowhere to be found:

Don't lose your head
To save a minute.
You need your head,
Your brain is in it.

(These taken "on the fly" through the car window)

Very true. Even worse was our experience. We arrived on the afternoon of May 5th (for the unaware, like we were, that is Cinco de Maya). Traffic was at a crawl, every park was wal-to-wall people, and there was nary a parking space anywhere. A local guide would have been a Godsend.

The two most important places are the beginning and the end of the "Mother Road."

Once you leave Chicago, an important stop would be the "Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum" to get your bearings -- https://www.visitpontiac.org/2192/Route-66-Museum

Before you start, however, you should avail yourself of these two resources:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/831180.Route_66 (available many places)
and
https://www.amazon.com/Here-Route-Ross-Jerry-McClanahan/dp/0983935904/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GQFSG0MARFYAJYNKFAJY

Nevertheless, there is nowhere along the way that doesn't provide ample opportunities to take memorable photographs.

I do the same and for the same reasons (except I include Camera name instead of my initials and leave the original name) but also because if you have more than one Canon camera, you will have one camera's image file overwriting another camera's file (this from bitter experience). I am unsure why Canon uses the same file names for all of its cameras but it is very irritating.

Doesn't Lightroom do this... with the added benefit of opening a Google map? Or am I missing something?

This is a good idea in any event... at least, until cameras automatically change time when crossing time zones.

Yeah HULU is the only streaming service that carries that program. However, it is available for purchase with several others.

https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/homicide-hunter-lt-joe-kenda