{"podcast":{"title":"Plain English","slug":"plain-english-227674","podcast_index_feed_id":227674,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/plain-english/","website_url":"http://www.plainenglish.com/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/1be30c3a-462f-40a7-883f-935113d5f17f/pe-podcast-main-show.png","author":"Jeff at Plain English","episode_count":904,"summary":"Improve your English and learn about the world at the same time. Plain English brings you short, modern stories about culture, science, travel, business, and everyday life, all told in clear, natural English designed for learners. You’ll grow your vocabulary, improve your listening skills, and build your confidence one episode at a time. Like the show? Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com and get a personalized learning path.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-13T22:20:04.466794+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/plain-english-227674"},"episode":{"title":"Route 66 and the classic American road trip","slug":"route-66-and-the-classic-american-road-trip","published_at":"2026-05-25T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/plain-english-227674/route-66-and-the-classic-american-road-trip","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/plain-english-227674","url":"https://plainenglish.com/867","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/a5903cc7-593a-4b90-b45c-a9761e1c28fc.mp3","summary":"Today's story: Route 66 was created in 1926 as part of America’s new national highway system and soon became a symbol of freedom, migration, and adventure. The highway helped farmers transport goods, guided Dust Bowl migrants west to California, and later became famous for family road trips, roadside attractions, and American car culture. As Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary, towns along the historic road are honoring its lasting influence on travel and tourism. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/867 Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/867 -- Plain English helps you improve your English: Learn about the world and improve your English Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand New stories every week Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com Mentioned in this episode: Hard words? No problem Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com","meta_description":"Today's story: Route 66 was created in 1926 as part of America’s new national highway system and soon became a symbol of freedom, migration, and adventure…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1027,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/plain-english-227674/episodes/route-66-and-the-classic-american-road-trip/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/plain-english-227674/route-66-and-the-classic-american-road-trip.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}