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Finocchiaro Roadtrip

The ultimate guide to seeing the best of the Mother Road from Illinois to California in one week

  • 46
  • 53:56
  • 2,956 mi
  • $1302
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Created by roadtripper8231401 - July 9th 2021

Route 66, and its 2,500 miles, is known affectionately as "The Mother Road." It's the quintessential cross-country road trip experience. From Chicago through the beating heart of America, the route officially ends at the Santa Monica Pier. The road reached peak popularity in the late 1940s and early '50s before being officially removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985. After a few years, travelers from around the country and beyond started feeling tinges of nostalgia, and by the end of the 1980s it was once again becoming one of the most popular road trip routes.

Looking for more tips for your Route 66 trip? We've got you covered.

6911 Lemmon Ave, Dallas, TX, US

Frontiers of Flight Museum

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267mi 04h 13m

3000 E Logan Rd, Weatherford, OK, US

Stafford Air & Space Museum

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5mi 00h 08m
Photo of Lucille's Famous Rt. 66 Gas Station
3.6

Old Route 66, Hydro, OK, US

Lucille's Famous Rt. 66 Gas Station

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Lucille's Service Station—also known as Provine Station—is a classic Route 66 gas station known for its unusual design. Built by Carl Ditmore in 1929, there are only a few of these upper-story, porch-style stations left in the U.S. Ditmore sold his station to the Hamons family, and Lucille Hamons ran it for 60 years, earning it its current name.

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103mi 01h 34m
Photo of Tower Conoco Station & U-Drop Inn
4.8

1242 N Main St, Shamrock, TX, US

Tower Conoco Station & U-Drop Inn

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You may recognize Tower Station from the movie Cars. One of many locations in the animated movie based on real-life Route 66 icons, Ramone’s House of Body Art (an auto body shop) is heavily inspired by the U-Drop Inn. Built in 1936, the U-Drop Inn was inspired by a drawing John Nunn made in the dirt with a nail. The gas station and cafe would become an enduring example of fine Route 66 architecture for roughly 60 years before closing in the 1990s. The First National Bank of Shamrock purchased the building in 1999 and donated it to the City of Shamrock, which restored it with help from a $1.7 million federal grant. Today you can “drop inn” to the gift shop and small museum.

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20mi 00h 20m
Photo of Phillips 66 on the Route
3.4

219 Gray St, McLean, TX, US

Phillips 66 on the Route

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Another great little Texas town to visit is McLean. Here you can stop at Phillips 66 on the Route, a vintage 1928 gas service station that was designed to resemble a little country cottage.

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68mi 01h 01m

7701 I-40 East, Amarillo, TX, US

The Big Texan Steak Ranch

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13mi 00h 16m
Photo of Cadillac Ranch
4.0

12601 W Interstate 40, Amarillo, TX, US

Cadillac Ranch

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99mi 01h 33m
Photo of Tucumcari KOA Journey
3.5

6299 Quay Road Al, Tucumcari, NM, US

Tucumcari KOA Journey

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3mi 00h 06m

924 E Tucumcari Blvd, Tucumcari, NM, US

Tee Pee Curios

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One of the last remaining curio shops in Tucumcari, Tee Pee Curios is not only awesome from the outside, but the inside is packed with all the Route 66 souvenirs, pottery, shirts, and jewelry you could ever want. Stop by after dark to check out the beautiful neon sign, one of only a few along this stretch that still lights up at night.

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56mi 00h 55m

2545 Historic Route 66, Santa Rosa, NM, US

Silver Moon Cafe

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2mi 00h 07m
Photo of Blue Hole of Santa Rosa
4.0

Route 66, Santa Rosa, NM, US

Blue Hole of Santa Rosa

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Santa Rosa is probably best known for being home to the 80-foot-deep Blue Hole, a lush oasis in the middle of the desert. With crystal clear water that remains at a perfect 62 degrees Fahrenheit all year round, it’s a popular place to dive, or for Route 66 travelers to cool off with a dip.

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179mi 03h 11m

212 East 11th Street, Alamogordo, United States

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3mi 00h 09m
Photo of New Mexico Museum Of Space History
4.0

Hwy 2001, Alamogordo, NM, US

New Mexico Museum Of Space History

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19mi 00h 27m
Photo of White Sands National Park
5.0

Highway US-70, Alamogordo, NM, US

White Sands National Park

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18mi 00h 23m
Photo of Alamogordo / White Sands KOA Journey
4.1

412 24th St, Alamogordo, NM, US

Alamogordo / White Sands KOA Journey

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15
210mi 03h 18m

Albuquerque, NM, United States

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2mi 00h 05m

4730 Pan American E Fwy NE, Albuquerque, NM, US

Nexus Brewery and Restuarant

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66mi 00h 59m
Photo of Santa Fe KOA Journey
4.8

934 Old Las Vegas Hwy Exit 290 or 294 off 1-25, Santa Fe, NM, US

Santa Fe KOA Journey

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18mi 00h 20m

4801 Beckner Road, Santa Fe, NM, United States

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52mi 00h 54m

6909 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM, US

Sunnyside Up Breakfast and Lunch Cafe

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