Read Erin's winning essay below:

Imagine cruising down Route 66, your mom belting out the lyrics to Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" ("Head out on the highway/Lookin' for adventure!"), your dad doing a steady 70 miles per hour as you and your younger sister sing backup with Mom. That's my dream vacation.

I've always wanted to take a vacation through the states along "America's Main Street" because it's a great historic landmark. The highway also has it's own song. "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," written in 1946 by Bobby Troup (1918-1999). Almost 150 singers and bands, including Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry, and the Rolling Stones, have recorded the song.

Route 66 starts in Chicago, Illinois and ends in Los Angeles, California. The highway goes through six other states: Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. It travels through many cities besides Chicago and L.A., including St. Louis in Missouri, Tucumcari in New Mexico and Tulsa in Oklahoma. And there are so many things to see!

I wonder if the Lumberjack Café in Flagstaff, Arizona, still serves their "Heavenly Fried Chicken." Wouldn't it be great if my family could see the Big Blue Whale in Catoosa, Oklahoma? And it would be neat to see the Jackalope Trading Post in Fort Worth, Texas. There are so many cool places to go on the "Mother Road," and so many interesting people to meet on the way.

I look forward to my trip on Route 66, the Main Street of America!!