Trikes can also be rented. Updated on 16.Aug.2020 V.25 Arguably the most famous road trip in the world, driving across the country on Route 66 is as embedded in U.S. culture as the American Dream. Fuel up on monster omelets and bottomless coffee at local favorite Lou Mitchell’s (you might just meet fellow Route 66 road-trippers in a neighboring booth). It’s day one: You’re going to need a good breakfast. Dozens of old gas stations were located along Route 66 ... like this one. Opened the same year (1939) that the “The Wizard of Oz” came out, Blue Swallow Motel is everything Americana lovers could want in a place to stay. First Name: Last Name: Texas has one, complete with the recreation of a diner serving 20-cent pie. If you missed the tepee experience at the Wigwam Motel in Arizona, its San Bernardino outpost offers you one more shot. The early Philliips stations, like the one in McLean, were designed in the "Cottage Look" to blend with local residential neighborhoods. Shown here is a vintage Phillips 66 Service Station in McLean, Texas. - 317 Following Route 66 through Arizona. The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. A long list of well-known actors and actresses appeared on the series. Drive to the Blue Mesa trail for a one-mile loop through hilly badlands. In time, the dusty flatlands of the Panhandle give way to the unreal landscape of the American West. You certainly can spend the night at big-chain hotels, but half the fun of a Route 66 road trip is staying at quirky, old-school motels off the highway. Established in 1926, Route 66 is one of the original highways in the United States, built before the interstate road system was a thing. The song "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" was composed by songwriter Bobby Troup in 1946. A Classic USA Road Trip Itinerary – 1 Week on Route 66 Day 1: Chicago – St. Louis. Drink up the city life; outside of St. Louis, the drive slips through quaint small towns and rolling green hills. We hope that this site will help planning your next vacation or holiday, and get Route 66 checked off your bucket list of destinations! In 1938, Route 66 became the first completely paved highway in the United States. Whether gas stations, motels, or restaurants, those businesses and their employees owe their livelihoods to Route 66. The popularity stuck, and continues to grow today! Back on 66, glide through a wide-open expanse of prairie and red rock, checking out time-capsule towns like Seligman, Peach Springs, and Kingman along the way. The museum is a repository for thousands of pieces of historic memorabilia from the glory days of the Mother Road. The detailed day-by-day Route 66 itinerary covers all the basic details (mileage, general route) and sightseeing highlights along the 2,400 mile route. You probably never thought you’d visit a museum dedicated to barbed wire, but here we are — the Devil’s Rope and Route 66 Museum tips its rancher hat to the spiky fencing material, as well as other artifacts from the state’s ranching heritage, like the cattle brand used at Lyndon B. Johnson’s Texas ranch. Get out on the highway! The fabled “Mother Road” is a bucket-list trip for millions of people. Gearheads and Marvel fans adore Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum, a former gas station now wall to wall with bikes, from a 1909 Triumph to a custom-built ride used in Captain America film shoots. Route 66 was replaced by five Interstates: I-55 southbound from Chicago, I-44 across Missouri and Oklahoma, I-40 in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, I-15 and finally I-10 into Los Angeles. The North Coast 500 is Scotland’s answer to route 66 and one of the most beautiful coastal touring routes in the world (well, we think so, anyway!). During July and August—peak travel months—expect sometimes sweltering temperatures, over-crowded attractions, and higher rates for lodging. travel my way, take the highway that is best. A Route 66 road trip is a must for any lover of mid-20th Century Americana. Passersby can still see relics of the old farming town, notably a one-cell cinder-block jail all alone in an overgrown field. The Golden Driller statue was plonked at the entrance of the Tulsa Expo Center in the 1960s, where he stands to this day on concrete work boots the size of cars. Over time the route was formalized as a Federal Highway numbered as "U.S. 66". The move "Thelma and Louise" also featured Route 66 references and scenes. The district emcompasses the Route 66 roadbed and 17 abandoned structures. Learn how to create your own. Swing by historic sites dotting the road, like Ambler’s Texaco Gas Station and Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup, where you can buy maple candies for the console. more than two thousand miles all the way. Let's get on the Road ... starting in Chicago, Illinois, and heading west through eight states to Santa Monica, California. Access is from the service road on the south side of the interstate. The road is also a major tourist attraction, so many states openly market attractions and lodging along the old route. They’re not wrong: The general and farm store has a giant rocking chair for photo ops and popcorn and glass-bottle soda for snack-stocking the car. Peek inside the Coleman Theater, a Spanish Revival gem from the vaudeville days, and see the ghost of the abandoned Chelsea Motel. Different people choose different modes of transportation to tour the Mother Road. Here are the travel guides and reviews by state... Tucumcari thru The romance of Route 66 continues to captivate people around the world. From its beginning in Chicago, Route 66 headed south through Illinois and Missouri, and a small section of southeast Kansas. Route 66 officially starts in Chicago. The 15 guest rooms are modeled after tepees (not wigwams), and the 1950s cars parked outside add to the vibe. For heartier fare, head to Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop in Springfield for beef sandwiches and shakes. It winds from Chicago to LA, The roadside whimsy continues at the Blue Whale of Catoosa, an adorable whale whose smiling mouth you can walk right through. As with many roads, Route 66 changed over the years, and there are a number of different versions of the road, which are referred to as alignments. (Detour 60 miles north at Williams, Arizona, to reach the national park’s South Rim.) ... '57 Chevys, and James Dean," says Michael Wallis, a Route 66 lifer and author of Route 66: The Mother Road, which helped spark a 66 renaissance in the '90s. The scenery is a thrill, but it’s the stops and sights along the way — each seemingly more mind-blowing than the last — that make the Route 66 road trip. The best time to take a road trip on Route 66 is from late April to early October. The Association was located in Angel's Barber Shop & Pool Hall. - 13 Dial the nostalgia factor to an 11 by catching a double feature at the 66 Drive-In, then crash at Boots Court Motel, complete with period furniture and radios piping out big-band music. Today, several states recognize the historical significance of the road, and have it marked with "66" in the state highway number. California "The Mother Road" was established on November 11, 1926, and ultimately stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. A huge variety of stores and companies sprouted up along Route 66. Alignments of the road changed often over the years, as improved sections of highway were constructed. However, I sincerely hope it offers a starting point to anyone planning their own Route 66 vacation. Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. Editor’s Note: Travel might be complicated right now, but use our inspirational trip ideas to plan ahead for your next bucket list adventure. All the information you will need on the best travel destinations, attractions, hotels, motels and restaurants on U.S. Route 66. The symbolic start of Route 66 is the Buckingham Fountain in Chicago’s Millennium Park, but it’s not really a road trip until you’re headed southwest out of the city. Get your kicks on Route sixty-six. There are lengthier road trips, there are shorter road trips, and there are even slightly more scenic road trips out there, but there still isn’t a more iconic all-American road trip than Route 66. In fact, its popularity originally grew from migrants looking for a better life and traveling west during the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, when it was one of the main arteries connecting the west coast to the heartland. The symbolic start of Route 66 is the Buckingham Fountain in Chicago’s Millennium Park, but it’s not really a road trip until you’re headed southwest out of the city. The most celebrated stretch of asphalt in America rolls out from the heart of downtown Chicago and begins its epic journey west toward the Pacific. And for those that don't own an RV yet, companies like Cruise America, El Monte RV Rentals, Road Bear RV Rentals, and Camping World offer a variety of RV sizes and rental plans. Cars on the Route is located in a restored Kan-O-Tex service station at 119 North Main Street in Galena. Now you go through Saint Looey In 1972, Angel Delgadillo moved his barber shop so that he could take advantage of the traffic on the new alignment of Route 66 through Seligman. Businesses saw this opportunity, too. In Amarillo, stroll the city’s antique-shop-filled Route 66 Historic District and kick back at down-home burger joint Coyote Bluff Cafe. Right before the Oklahoma-Texas border, stop by eerie little Texola, with a population of 34. Lucille's Service Station, a classic gas station built in 1929 along Route 66 near Hydro, is one of only two upper-story, out-thrust porch style stations left on Oklahoma's stretch of Route 66. The roadside attraction recreates its California Silver Rush heyday with pioneer-style restaurants, shops, and a narrow-gauge train through the bone-dry terrain. TheRoute-66.com Online Travel Guide TheRoute-66.com is the ultimate Travel Guide for planning the road trip of your life driving along Route 66. Gimas/ Shutterstock /Country Magazine Set foot inside the 20-feet-high walls and explore the creepy grounds. Amazon offers a commission on … But here are a few favorites! Since this locale can be disappointing after the long journey from Chicago, the Route 66 Alliance partnered with the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation in 2009 to mount an unofficial “End of the Trail” sign on the pier, seen below in 2020. Veering south of the highway, the Mark Twain National Forest is a lovely place for a picnic; its easy Stone Mill Spring hike has pretty views over Big Piney River. - 186 - 314. During the mid-20th century, when American families were heading west en masse, Route 66 served as an expressway to vacationland. This is a great place to learn the history of Route 66 in Illinois, see images of the road's wonderful history, and hear a few great stories about life in America when Route 66 was the most important highway in the nation. From its beginning in Chicago, Route 66 headed south through Illinois and Missouri, and a small section of southeast Kansas. Look for the restored neon sign — so retro you’ll half-expect to see chrome-stripped Bel Airs parked below it. "Historic Route 66 Associations" are active in several states. The Route 66 Road Trip website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Every Route 66 road trip is unique, and this site is in no way intended to be a definitive guide to the old road. Dig into country-fried steak or a stack of pancakes at Southwest Diner before braving a tram to the arch’s peak, touring the 19th-century Anheuser-Busch brewery, or walking high above the Mississippi on famous Chain of Rocks Bridge, whose span jauntily crooks to the north. Route 66’s interstate system. Park and walk across the field ... free admission. A Route 66 road trip is the ideal cross-country travel experience. Historic Route 66 spans over 2,400 miles and crosses 8 states, starting in Chicago, Illinois and terminating at the Pacific Coast in Santa Monica, California. Not far is the original McDonald’s, now a free museum and quirky shrine to the fast-food giant’s humble midcentury beginnings. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Read more about the Route 66 TV series ... and those Corvettes! It was first recorded by Nat King Cole, and sung by other singers over the years including Chuck Berry, Perry Como, and the Rolling Stones. The largest freestanding cross in the U.S. shoots 190 feet in the air here, while the Britten Leaning Water Tower has been grabbing roadsters’ attention for decades. The must-see, kitschy-cool landmark features a group of vintage Caddies buried nose down in the ground, their tail ends poking skyward and covered in graffiti. If you have it in you, drive on till you see the looming Gateway Arch of St. Louis. Map of Historic Route 66 from Illinois to California. The End of the Trail ... Santa Monica, California (Staff Photo), Copyright © 2020 RoadTravelAmerica.com & Route66RoadTrip.com • All Rights Reserved, The Architecture ... and the start of Route 66 west, Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum, Route 66 Gateway Sign & Historic District, Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza: East Meets West, Standing on the Corner & the LaPosada Historic District, Angel & Vilma Delgadillo's Gift Shop & Visitor's Center, Powerhouse Route 66 Museum and Visitors Center, End of the Trail ... the westward end of Route 66. However, over the years, and decades, Route 66 has had several “official” and “unofficial" ending points. Gallup, New Mexico, A Nostalgic (if Isolating) Road Trip Along Route 66. Out West, your motorcycle can be picked up at a number of rental locations in Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. The nearby Fanning 66 Outpost is required stopping for many Route 66 veterans. Kingman, Barstow, San Bernandino. Snap a selfie — you’re officially on your way. Remains can still be seen of an old motel, cafe, service station, the post office, and a few other buildings, as well as the old Route 66 roadbed. Route 66 doesn’t always surface on Google Maps, but it’s there. Subsequently, U.S. Route 66 was officially removed from the United States Highway System on June 27, 1985. Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Stand up straight — you might reach the knee of the Gemini Giant, a 30-foot Muffler Man statue patrolling the Launching Pad Drive-In, now a gift shop. Model options are plentiful, and cycles from manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson and Indian are available. From there it turned in a more westward direction through Oklahoma and Texas, with the final stretches in New Mexico and Arizona before its termination point in Los Angeles. It is located at 115 W. Howard Street in Pontiac. The kitsch flag soars at Wigwam Motel, considered an essential stopover by many road-trippers.  Lucille, who quickly became known for her friendly assistance to motorists, earned the nickname "Mother of the Mother Road."Â. 10 Mistakes to Avoid on a Road Trip, According to Experts. and Oklahoma City is mighty pretty. It has connections with the movie "Cars" featuring the rusted tow truck "Tow Tater" and other restored vehicles on display. Running between Chicago and Los Angeles, “over two thousand miles all the way” in the words of the popular R&B anthem, this legendary old road passes through the heart of the United States on a diagonal trip that takes in some of the country’s most archetypal roadside scenes.   In 1941, the Hamons family took over the operation of the station and Lucille Hamons, ran the business for 60 years. Won't you get hip to this timely tip: If you’re not yet a die-hard Route 66 fan, traveling historic Route 66 through Arizona is bound to convert you. A barbed wire museum? In the early years many sections connected only one small town to the next, and had no official federal route number. The "Dodge and Cowboy" mural in Tucumcari, New Mexico. The cheery yellow Cucamonga Service Station serves as a tiny Route 66 museum, its mint-condition Richfield pumps from 1915 still advertising 18-cent gallons of gas. Shelves at the landmark Pops in Arcadia hold sodas — 60-some kinds of ginger ales, more than 130 types of root beers — your taste buds have never dreamed of. From there, it’s just one block to the Historic Route 66 Begin Sign. And be sure to bring a can of spray paint! Bringing together just over 500 miles of stunning coastal scenery, the route follows the main roads along the coastal edges of the North Highlands. New Mexico Joplin, Missouri, The legendary highway was known far and wide for its variety of "mom and pop" motels, neon lights, drive-ins, quirky roadside attractions, flat tires, cars with no air conditioning, dangerous curves, steep hills, and narrow lanes. Imagine hitting the pavement on this 13-day trip of a lifetime with zero planning required. If you are starting your Route 66 trip further north, motorcycle pickup locations in Illinois are available. Dip into Meramec Caverns, a dramatic cave complex (and alleged Jesse James hideout) with guided tours. Today it includes the Glenrio Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Many travelers on Route 66 rent motorcycles to seek new open-air adventures on their USA road trip! This map was created by a user. A remote Panhandle location doesn’t stop the tiny town of Groom from having its share of bizarre sights. Oklahoma Route 66 goes from downtown Chicago, Illinois to the pier in Santa Monica, California. Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2020. If you don't want to ride independently, choose from one of many guided motorcycle tours. It is popular lore in movies, songs, books like "The Grapes of Wrath", and TV shows. Its final demise was the completion of the Interstate Highway System. TheRoute-66.com Online Travel Guide TheRoute-66.com is the ultimate Travel Guide for planning the road trip of your life driving along Route 66. The original terminus of U.S. Route 66 was at 7th and Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. Walk the rim at Meteor Crater Natural Landmark and see the chilling, prehistoric footprint of an asteroid that smashed into Earth. Flip back the roof, throw on the Ray Bans and enjoy the desert sunshine as you cruise into California! The gloriously Art Deco Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Cafe give travelers an old-school Texas welcome. Missouri We've had the pleasure of driving in all eight states along Route 66, The Main Street of America! There’s the infamous 1858 penitentiary from Beat literature and Prison Break. Serious planners who book far in advance might score an edge-facing cabin at Bright Angel Lodge, or a spot in Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon. Arizona So-called “Mother Road” slides through endless farmland, forgotten towns, and the spectacular desert of the American West. - 301 Route 66 has more claim than any other highway to the title of “America’s Road Trip.” Born on April 30, 1926, when the number 66 was officially assigned to this long stretch of road, Route 66 stands as a symbol of 20th century Americana you can still traverse today. Santa Rosa to Santa Fe, Illinois A popular television show during the early 1960s bore the road's name: "Route 66". Read on for a state-by-state, Chicago-to-L.A. guide for the ultimate American road trip. Route 66 became one of the most famous roads in the United States, outdistancing others such as the Lincoln Highway. The glass-bottle “forest” Elmer Long's Bottle Tree Ranch is a funky oasis in the dusty wilderness. Be prepared for remnants of ice and snow during the early spring and thunderstorms in late spring and early summer. All the information you will need on the best travel destinations, attractions, hotels, motels and restaurants on U.S. Route 66. Included on this website are photographs, personal experiences, commentary and travel recommendations on the various segments of the Mother Road. To stimulate tourism, Angel, his wife Vilma, and other shop owners in northwest Arizona established the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. Related: 10 Mistakes to Avoid on a Road Trip, According to Experts. And there are dozens of cities and towns. Shown here is one of those, the Cadillac Ranch, just west of Amarillo, on present-day I-40. Sitting directly on the Texas - New Mexico border at Exit 0 is the abandoned ghost town of Glenrio. Welcome to St. Louis, the Gateway to the West. What began as an artist’s hobby of carving tiny figures has sprouted into the Tinkertown Museum, a rambling warren with detailed Old West dioramas and walls made from concrete and 55,000 glass bottles. Road Trip: Route 66. - 487 At Totem Pole Park, gaze up at the largest totem pole outside of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Follow this six-day itinerary complete with hotels and motels along the way. Route 66 Road Trip: Chicago to Los Angeles Through 8 States If you have a couple of weeks at your disposal, a Route 66 road trip is a rewarding way to spend them. The 1930s gas station/lunch counter is now a Route 66 icon for its superlative fried chicken. If you ever plan to motor west, This is often referred to as the official ending point of Route 66. His  work helped make Seligman "The Birthplace of Historic Route 66". Grab a pic in front of the wall of vintage tin signs at 66 Diner, and might as well order a Frito pie and banana split while you’re there. The old road still traverses dozens of small towns with vintage gas stations, quirky tourist attractions, diners, "Mop & Pop" motels, historic sites & museums, stunning vistas, and gift shops. The route was later extended to the intersection of Lincoln and Olympic boulevards in Santa Monica, about one mile from the Pacific Ocean. A Route 66 road trip is a driving adventure along what is probably the most famous road in the world. Getty Images. A landmark “soda ranch” is the pick-me-up pit stop you didn’t know you needed in the Oklahoma plains. Planning a road trip on Route 66? Route 66 cuts through the stunning red mesas and eerie moonscape of the Petrified Forest National Park.