Route 66: From Chicago to Los Angeles along the Mother of All Highways
Sixteen days driving the legendary Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica: ghost towns, vintage motels, deserts, mountains, and the most authentic heartland America.
Description
Route 66 is the most iconic road trip in the United States: 3,940 kilometers of history, nostalgia and ever-changing landscapes from the Great Lakes to the Pacific. This 16-day itinerary follows the most authentic surviving stretches of the Mother Road. It begins in Chicago with breakfast at Lou Mitchell's, a classic since 1923. It crosses Illinois and Missouri through towns that time forgot, reaches Oklahoma with its sections of original 1926 pavement, and traverses the Texas Panhandle past the Cadillac Ranch. New Mexico offers Santa Fe and Albuquerque, colonial and Pueblo gems. Arizona dazzles with the Petrified Forest, Meteor Crater and the longest stretches of original road between Seligman and Kingman. The journey culminates at the Grand Canyon and the final leg through the Mojave Desert to the Santa Monica Pier. Lodging alternates between restored 1950s motels, their neon signs still flickering, and lodges in historic towns. Meals at classic diners: pancakes, cherry pie and milkshakes.
Health & safety
- Extreme hydration in the desert: 4 liters of water a day
- Watch out for snakes on desert stretches
- International medical insurance is essential in the US
Day-by-day itinerary
Chicago: the start of the Mother Road
Chicago
Chicago: the start of the Mother Road
Breakfast at Lou Mitchell's. Photo at the Begin Route 66 sign.
Breakfast at Lou Mitchell's
gastronomy1hPhoto at the Begin Route 66 sign
Culture1hIllinois: Pontiac and Springfield
Springfield
Illinois: Pontiac and Springfield
Route 66 Museum in Pontiac. Lincoln's Tomb in Springfield.
Rte 66 Hall of Fame Museum
Culture2hCozy Dog Drive In
gastronomy1hMissouri: St. Louis to Meramec
Meramec Caverns
Missouri: St. Louis to Meramec
Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Meramec Caverns, a Route 66 classic.
Gateway Arch
Culture2hMeramec Caverns
Nature2hOklahoma: the original route
Tulsa
Oklahoma: the original route
Blue Whale of Catoosa. Stretches of original 1926 pavement in Arcadia.
Blue Whale of Catoosa
Entertainment1hArcadia Round Barn
Culture1hTexas: Cadillac Ranch
Amarillo
Texas: Cadillac Ranch
Cadillac Ranch: 10 Cadillacs buried nose-down. 72oz steak at the Big Texan.
Cadillac Ranch
Culture1hBig Texan Steak Ranch
gastronomy1hNew Mexico: Tucumcari and Santa Fe
Santa Fe
New Mexico: Tucumcari and Santa Fe
Tucumcari's vintage motels. Colonial Santa Fe with its adobe plaza.
Tucumcari's neon motels
Culture1hSanta Fe Plaza
Culture2hAlbuquerque: Breaking Bad
Albuquerque
Albuquerque: Breaking Bad
Old Town and the Pueblo Cultural Center. Breaking Bad filming locations.
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Culture2hBreaking Bad Route
Culture2hArizona: Petrified Forest
Petrified Forest NP
Arizona: Petrified Forest
Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. Fossilized logs 225 million years old.
Petrified Forest National Park
Nature3hWigwam Motel in Holbrook
Culture1hMeteor Crater and Flagstaff
Flagstaff
Meteor Crater and Flagstaff
Meteor Crater: 1.2 km in diameter. Flagstaff, a college town among the pines.
Meteor Crater
Nature2hLowell Observatory
Culture1hGrand Canyon: South Rim
Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon: South Rim
First encounter with the Grand Canyon. Sunset at Mather Point.
Grand Canyon South Rim
Nature3hSunset at Mather Point
Nature1hGrand Canyon: sunrise and hiking
Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon: sunrise and hiking
Sunrise in the canyon. Partial descent via the Bright Angel Trail.
Bright Angel Trail descent
Sports4hSeligman and Kingman (original)
Kingman
Seligman and Kingman (original)
The longest stretch of original Route 66 between Seligman and Kingman. Hackberry Store.
Seligman: Route 66 at its purest
Culture2hHackberry General Store
Culture1hOatman and wild burros
Oatman
Oatman and wild burros
Ghost mining town with wild burros roaming the streets.
Oatman's wild burros
Nature2hOatman Hotel
Culture1hMojave Desert
Needles
Mojave Desert
Crossing the Mojave. Roy's Café in Amboy. The last desert stretch.
Roy's Motel and Café in Amboy
Culture1hLos Angeles: end of the road
Santa Monica
Los Angeles: end of the road
Arrival at the Pacific. Photo at the Santa Monica Pier, the official end of Route 66.
Santa Monica Pier
Culture1hCelebration dinner in Venice Beach
gastronomy1hReturn from Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Return from Los Angeles
Morning on the Venice Boardwalk. Return flight.
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