Traveling Route 66 is not an experience recommended for anyone who wants to move quickly from point A to point B in the shortest possible time, but is ideal for those who want to make the journey itself a central point of their travel experience. The sensations you experience along the route will therefore become the central part of your vacation.
Traveling Route 66 is many things at once; first of all, it is a real journey through the history of the United States. As you travel from Chicago to Los Angeles, you’ll be able to experience first-hand the stages of American expansion westward, and as you stop to look at the motels, family-run restaurants and old gas stations, you’ll be able to see for yourself what it meant to be an American in the ’50s and ’60s.
A road trip on Route 66 is also a synonym of freedom; you won’t be hemmed in on all the same roads, forced to follow an endless stream of cars as usually happens on Interstates. Instead, you will be the master of your journey. You can take your time, enjoying every detail of the surrounding environment, and if something catches your eye, you just make a detour and follow your instinct and curiosity.
If you decide to enjoy this experience, then the most important thing to bring with you will be your spirit of adventure, since our advice is not to plan the trip in detail but to let the trip itself dictate timing.
As mentioned, Route 66 crosses eight different states, so there are hundreds of things to see and towns to visit along your route, and in our posts, we talk about the most significant: see the Route 66 itinerary state by state.
Whether you want to travel the whole route or just part of it, you will not be disappointed, and you will be immersed in a unique atmosphere that is second to none.
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Why Route 66 is So Famous? Highlights
As we said, in the posts below we provided you with details of the route state by state, but in the meantime here is a summary of the highlights you can encounter along the Mother Road, making it so popular!
Family-run Diners and Quaint Motels
After a long U.S. road trip, what could be better than a meal in one of the many restaurants you find along the way? Of course, as you drive through all eight states along the Route, you can sample the local specialties or just rely on the ubiquitous hamburger.
If you’re feeling particularly intrepid, you can try the famous calf fries, or fried calf’s testicles, or if you’re more of a traditionalist, go for the classic corn dogs (a hot dog entirely covered in a batter of cornmeal and served on a stick), or the juicy steaks in characteristic Old West-style steakhouses.
While we’re on the subject of steaks, we must mention the legendary Big Texan Steak Ranch, which you’ll find in Amarillo, the place made famous by its famous 4-pound steak competition. If you can eat it (with sides) in an hour you won’t pay for it!
Speaking of family-owned businesses, we can’t leave out those who have owned a business on the Historic Route 66 for decades and continue to do so today despite the many difficulties; to give an example of the most famous businesses, we must mention the famous Funk family maple syrup, that has been produced for more than 100 years.
Drive-Ins, Old gas Pumps and Advertising Signs
Yes, while driving along Route 66 you will have the chance to watch a movie inside your car and I don’t think there can be anyone who hasn’t wanted to do that.
Although many of the historic Drive Ins of the past have been abandoned, some continue to be in business. Of course, considering their function, they are only open during the spring and summer seasons.
One of the most famous and recently restored of the drive-ins is the Carthage in Missouri, but you can go looking for all the ones waiting for you along Route 66!
For some people, it might seem a bit to much to count old gas pumps and billboards as one of the things worth taking this trip for, but pictures count more than words, and once you can see these testimonies of a famous past for yourself, one that seems to have been part of our lives forever, you will realize that it was worth it.
US History and Natural Wonders
Traveling along the Mother Road, you will not only cross America but you will take a trip along the path of its past (as well as into the history of Route 66). Moving from the East to the West Coast, you will retrace the various stages of the expansion of the frontier and you will see some places that are symbolic for Americans and non-Americans alike.
Starting from Illinois, you will not be able to avoid talking about Lincoln, who, after Washington and Ronald Reagan, is perhaps one of the most famous and beloved U.S. presidents, who in recent times has returned to the limelight fame thanks to the film by Steven Spielberg. The place that hold the most evidence of his presidency is Springfield, the state capital where Lincoln lived and worked for many years and where he was laid to rest. While staying in Illinois you can visit Bloomington, the city that saw the birth of the Republican Party, which held its first convention there in 1856.
Following the Historic Route 66, you will find yourself on some parts of the sadly known Trails of Tears, where you can learn about the tragedies and the history of the march of five Indian tribes who were forced to travel to the Indian territory that today is Oklahoma.
There will be countless museums along your route dedicated to the road itself (almost every medium-sized city has one), but the largest and best known is the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, which traces the Mother Road’s years of life and splendor.
The Route has not only known spotlight and splendor. It has has also experienced a long period of decline, and you will pass through many ghost towns, including the famous Oatman.
Nature lovers will find many things to see along Route 66 to: once you arrive in the area of Flagstaff, Arizona, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Horseshoe Bend will all be easily accessible via a short detour, as well as all the most famous parks in the area. This is of course only the tip of the iceberg, as there are also Petrified Forest and Painted Desert, and Meramec Caverns, to name but a few of the most famous attractions.
Kitsch to the Max
If you have always dreamed of photographing the most famous muffler men starting with the huge fiberglass statue almost 30-feet high of an astronaut with a rocket in his hand, or of visiting the remains of a water park where only a huge papier-mâché whale remains emerging from a pond, or you want to leave your graffiti on one of the cars at Cadillac Ranch, but above all, you have always wanted to visit the barbed wire museum, I would say that this is definitely the trip for you!
Take a look at Route 66 Travel Guide and at our article on the best stops on Route 66.
