If you’re the road trip planner in charge of doling out the time you’ll spend at each stop when you drive Route 66 start to finish, here are the major cities you’ll find … It is located at 115 W. Howard Street in Pontiac. Let's get on the Road ... starting in Chicago, Illinois, and heading west through eight states to Santa Monica, California. Arizona. The popularity stuck, and continues to grow today! The Association was located in Angel's Barber Shop & Pool Hall. Route 66 Guides When you book your Route 66 holiday with us, you will receive the EZ66 Guide (left) in your road trip pack. Route 66 Road Trip Itinerary. 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. This site uses cookies in part to offer a better browsing experience and analyze site traffic. 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. Detouring from the main highway at Seligman allows you to travel along the original Route 66, which is peppered with abandoned motels, derelict gas stations, and the outdoor Route 66 Car Museum. US 66 was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. Map of Historic Route 66 from Illinois to California. Beginning in the late 1950s and continuing gradually over the next 25 years, old Route 66 was bypassed section by section as the high-speed Interstate highways were completed. The townsite still has noticeable traces of Route 66 and the motels and restaurants that used to thrive there before the arrival of I-40. 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. While some elect guided bus tours, or drive their own vehicles, others seek new destinations in their RV or motor home. Plan your Route 66 Road Trip online with us. Along the length of Route 66, there are hundreds, probably thousands of attractions. From its beginning in Chicago, Route 66 headed south through Illinois and Missouri, and a small section of southeast Kansas. 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. A popular television show during the early 1960s bore the road's name: "Route 66". Professional traveler Jamie Jensen traveled more than 400,000 miles to bring you the best-selling guide Road Trip USA.In this expanded tour of Route 66, Jamie covers the kitschy "Main Street of America", one of the country's first transcontinental highways. Perhaps the most compelling reason to follow Route 66 is to experience the road’s ingrained time line of contemporary America. The moniker “The Mother Road,” was coined by John Steinbeck in his 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning book The... Route 66 history.   In 1941, the Hamons family took over the operation of the station and Lucille Hamons, ran the business for 60 years. USATours’ travel consultants can help you plan your trip to Route 66, whether you want to take the chronological trip, or whether you want a few detours. Route 66 was one of the United State's first continuous stretches of paved highway, and served as a major path for those who migrated west. Los Angeles, otherwise known as the City of Angels, is home to Old Route 66, which runs from Olvera Street and El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument to West Hollywood. And it was here on Route 66 that the great American driving vacation first flourished. If you ever plan to motor west, A variety of motorcycle rental plans are available, such as those from Eaglerider Motorcycle Rentals. There is no road trip more iconic than the Route 66. 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. There’s also a link to buy them if you wish! This map was created by a user. Though it is no longer a main route across the country, Route 66 has retained its mystique in part due to the very same effective hype, hucksterism, and boosterism that animated it through its half-century heyday. MORE INFO For more insight into each stop along the route, our content is arranged by state. The highway, which became one of the most famous roads in the United States, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through 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. All the information you will need on the best travel destinations, attractions, hotels, motels and restaurants on U.S. Route 66. travel my way, take the highway that is best. Planning a road trip on Route 66? Gallup, New Mexico, 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. And there are dozens of cities and towns. Don't forget Winona, when you make that California trip "The Mother Road" was established on November 11, 1926, and ultimately stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. Route 66 dates back to 1926, long before the Interstates were conceived and built. Shown here is one of those, the Cadillac Ranch, just west of Amarillo, on present-day I-40. For a classic American road trip, nothing beats good ol’ Route 66. Perhaps the most compelling reason to follow Route 66 is to experience the road’s ingrained time line of contemporary America. Route 66 is about suspending real life and your disbelief and jumping headlong into 2,400 miles of natural beauty contradicted by absolute nonsense. In fact, of all the roads covered in this book, Route 66 has perhaps felt the greatest impact from the modern Interstate world; for many stretches you’ll be forced to leave the old two-lane and follow the super slabs that have been built right on top of the old road. Die Route 66 zählt zu den legendärsten Straßen der USA. Out West, your motorcycle can be picked up at a number of rental locations in Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. - 301 Here are some major cities along Route 66 where travelers aiming to follow only a section of the full cross-country route may wish to use to plan their drive: By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. 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. If you don't want to ride independently, choose from one of many guided motorcycle tours. In the early years many sections connected only one small town to the next, and had no official federal route number. Business was good until September of 1978, when I-40 bypassed Seligman. Trip - 2 days Cruising Missouri’s Route 66: Classic Sites and Family Adventure. A Classic USA Road Trip Itinerary – 1 Week on Route 66 Day 1: Chicago – St. Louis. Learn how to create your own. Trip - 5 … Route 66 is known for its quirky and unusual attractions. In those days it was possible to journey from the Midwest to the California Coast by one road - Route 66 - right through small town America and the heart and soul of the USA. RouteTrip USA - Tailor Made American Road Trip Holidays throughout the United States and Canada including Route 66, California, Florida, the Rockies and others … Diners and motels play up their Route 66 connections, and many bona fide Route 66 landmarks are kept in business by nostalgic travelers intent on experiencing a taste of this endlessly endangered American experience. The old route is now designated Historic Route 66. Shown here is a vintage Phillips 66 Service Station in McLean, Texas. Self-drive tours often include rental of the motorcycle, hotel reservations and detailed tour route information. Excerpted from Road Trip USA Mile-by-mile highlights celebrating the best of Route 66… This is often referred to as the official ending point of Route 66. Trikes can also be rented. Santa Rosa to Santa Fe, Illinois For three decades before and after World War II, Route 66 earned the title “Main Street of Am… Route 66 was one of the United State's first continuous stretches of paved highway, and served as a major path for those who migrated 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. For more information: Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Cahokia Mounds and the Chain of Rocks Bridge. - 13 Access is from the service road on the south side of the interstate. Finish your road trip at the Santa Monica Pier, in Los Angeles, California, the official end of Route 66. Joplin, Missouri, Road Trip USA Route 66 gives an overview of the route, the towns on the route and a little history about the route. - 432 Auf den 3.940 km zwischen Chicago, Illinois, und Los Angeles, Kalifornien, gibt es berühmte Wahrzeichen und traumhafte Nationalparks zu entdecken. This Route 66 holiday is an all-time classic road trip that’s been etched into American folklore by those migrating west along “The Mother Road” during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Elvis and friend take a break along Route 66 in Seligman, Arizona, Roy's Motel and Cafe in Amboy, California. During the Great Depression, hundreds of thousands of farm families, displaced from the Dust Bowl, made their way west along Route 66 to California, following what John Steinbeck called “The Mother Road” in his vivid portrait, The Grapes of Wrath. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66, also known as the Will Rogers Highway, the Main Street of America or the Mother Road, was one of … The route was later extended to the intersection of Lincoln and Olympic boulevards in Santa Monica, about one mile from the Pacific Ocean. - 186 Read more about the Route 66 TV series ... and those Corvettes! The early Philliips stations, like the one in McLean, were designed in the "Cottage Look" to blend with local residential neighborhoods. Route 66 was anointed on November 11, 1926, but it would take until 1938 before the entire route was... Illinois. Just long the song says, “it winds from Chicago to LA” — which means you’ve got a lot of stuff to see and do along the way! Arizona View more. Route 66, affectionately known as “The Mother Road”, spans across three time zones, starting from Chicago, Illinois and travelling all the way down to the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, California.A journey across Route 66 takes you back to the time when many families drove across the country in the 1930s to put … From its beginning in Chicago, Route 66 headed south through Illinois and Missouri, and a small section of southeast Kansas. Known as the 'Mother Road', it stretched from the Great Lakes to the shores of California’s Pacific Coast. For three decades before and after World War II, Route 66 earned the title “Main Street of America” because it wound through small towns across the Midwest and Southwest, lined by hundreds of cafés, motels, gas stations, and tourist attractions. ‎ The Road Awaits! View more. From its beginning in Chicago, Route 66 headed south … That said, many quirky old motels and cafés hang on by a thread of hope, sit vacant, or survive in memory only—all for want of an Interstate exit. 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. Park and walk across the field ... free admission. "The Mother Road" was established on November 11, 1926, and ultimately stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. Reserve accommodations. Model options are plentiful, and cycles from manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson and Indian are available. Established in 1926, Route 66 is one of the original highways in the United States, built before the interstate road system was a thing. Before it was called Route 66, and long before it was even paved in 1926, this corridor was traversed by the National Old Trails Highway, one of the country’s first transcontinental highways. To stimulate tourism, Angel, his wife Vilma, and other shop owners in northwest Arizona established the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. Here are the travel guides and reviews by state... Tucumcari thru All the information you will need on the best travel destinations, attractions, hotels, motels and restaurants on U.S. Route 66. A variety of motorcycle rental plans are available, such as those from Eaglerider Motorcycle Rentals. Mehr Amerika geht nicht. The mural at Pearl Brothers Hardware in downtown Joplin, Missouri. View more. The song "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" was composed by songwriter Bobby Troup in 1946. The "Dodge and Cowboy" mural in Tucumcari, New Mexico. The movie "Easy Rider" was filmed at several locations along Route 66. View more. Route 66 underwent many improvements and realignments during its lifetime. Check out these top USA travel experiences "Historic Route 66 Associations" are active in several states. Its final demise was the completion of the Interstate Highway System. A road-trip on Route 66 is an experience you cannot get elsewhere. In 1938, Route 66 became the first completely paved highway in the United States. It is popular lore in movies, songs, books like "The Grapes of Wrath", and TV shows. Nicknamed the nation’s ‘Mother Road’ by novelist John Steinbeck, this string of small-town main streets and country byways first connected big-shouldered Chicago with the waving palm trees of Los Angeles in 1926. Billboards and giant statues along the highway still hawk a baffling array of roadside attractions, tempting passing travelers to view giant blue whales, to see live rattlesnakes and other wild creatures on display in roadside menageries, or to stay at “Tucumcari Tonite.”. Get out on the highway! 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. Route 66 offers over 2000 miles of nostalgic Americana, ever-changing scenery and some of America’s best cities. Dozens of old gas stations were located along Route 66 ... like this one. Finally, after the last stretch of freeway was completed in 1984, Route 66 was officially decommissioned. - 314. Accommodations. 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 … 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. The interest in the show continues today by "Baby Boomers" who remember the original showings, and new generations of viewers fascinated by the show who watch it on DVD. If you have a couple of weeks at your disposal, a Route 66 road trip is a rewarding way to spend them. The district emcompasses the Route 66 roadbed and 17 abandoned structures. Different people choose different modes of transportation to tour the Mother Road. Oklahoma Explore these eleven incredible cross-country road trip routes across the U.S.! Flagstaff, Arizona. It is a trip through the American self-understanding and a trip where friends for life are made. New Mexico There, it turns into Santa Monica Boulevard. You see Amarillo, Out West, your motorcycle can be picked up at a number of rental locations in Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Get your kicks on Route sixty-six. 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. Are you ready for a Road Trip? 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. Click the button below for more information on three of our favourite Route 66 guides to help you along your way. Today it includes the Glenrio Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. 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. Alignments of the road changed often over the years, as improved sections of highway were constructed. Get your kicks on Route sixty-six. I cannot recommend it enough. Many travelers on Route 66 rent motorcycles to seek new open-air adventures on their USA road trip! Kingman, Barstow, San Bernandino. Before it was called Route 66, and long before it was even paved in 1926, this corridor was traversed by the National Old Trails Highway, one of the country’s first transcontinental highways. A long list of well-known actors and actresses appeared on the series. And be sure to bring a can of spray paint! Join us as we take the road well-traveled, leave the cities behind and head towards the ‘dust bowls’ to show you the non-city sights along Route 66… Historic Route 66 is still considered a treasure of USA 1. Get your motor running! Today, several states recognize the historical significance of the road, and have it marked with "66" in the state highway number. We hope that this site will help planning your next vacation or holiday, and get Route 66 checked off your bucket list of destinations! The show was filmed mostly on location, and became known for its cinematography. 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. Subsequently, U.S. Route 66 was officially removed from the United States Highway System on June 27, 1985. Over time the route was formalized as a Federal Highway numbered as "U.S. 66". If you are starting your Route 66 trip further north, motorcycle pickup locations in Illinois are available. The route winds through 8 states and covers 2,451 miles. Experience a Classic USA Road Trip Through Montana. Venturing deeper into the desert, you'll have the opportunity to stop at the Hoover Dam, which is located around 56 km (35 miles) … The move "Thelma and Louise" also featured Route 66 references and scenes. - 487 Route 66 passes through a marvelous cross-section of American scenes, from the cornfields of Illinois all the way to the golden sands and sunshine of Los Angeles, passing by such diverse environs as the Grand Canyon, the Native American communities of the desert Southwest, the small-town Midwest heartlands of Oklahoma and the Ozarks, and the city streets of St. Louis and Chicago. But here are a few favorites! The passage of the Federal Highway Act of 1956 sounded the death knell for the old road, and gradually segments were replaced with new, safer and faster superhighways. California The same commercial know-how and shameless self-promotion has helped the towns along the old route stay alive. Missouri Texas The museum is a repository for thousands of pieces of historic memorabilia from the glory days of the Mother Road. Route 66 officially starts in Chicago. Much of the original road can be re-traced today, so you can follow in … Now you go through Saint Looey Despite the name of the series, most episodes did NOT take place on the historic road, but in 25 different U.S. states. Stretching across the USA from Chicago to Los Angeles, this epic road was established in 1926, originally spanned 2400 miles and was responsible for some of the best examples of classic North American roadside architecture – yes, we’re talking retro ‘50s diners … more than two thousand miles all the way. Won't you get hip to this timely tip: "The Mother Road" was established on November 11, 1926, and ultimately stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. Different travelers have different interests, so we can't list everything. Going from east to west, Route 66 starts in downtown Chicago and ends at Santa Monica Pier in Los... Time On the Road. The romance of Route 66 continues to captivate people around the world. Kansas What a way to start our 3,940km journey to Illinois; our first stop is the wonder that is the Grand … Your Guide to a Route 66 Road Trip Fast facts. Day one starts in Chicago. Starring George Maharis as Buz, and Martin Milner as Tod, the two young adventurers drove the road in their Chevrolet Corvette for 116 episodes. However, over the years, and decades, Route 66 has had several “official” and “unofficial" ending points.