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Route 66 Leg Two: St. Louis to Tulsa

Haunted motels, caverns, wineries, wax museums, and one very big blue whale

  • 77
  • 23:57
  • 1,288 mi
  • $206
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Created by rhshealy - April 7th 2023

Next up is St. Louis, Missouri, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, a stretch that some travelers consider the heart of Route 66. It’s where east meets west, linking up the Midwest with the West Coast. Much of this stretch is on I-44, which means lots of exits and county roads, but the scenery is often beautiful. When possible, we’ll point out places where you can hop on and off the original parts of Route 66.

Peachtree City, Georgia, United States

Photo of Tennessee Aquarium
4.5

201 Chestnut St, Chattanooga, TN, US

Tennessee Aquarium

Photo of Rock City
4.5

1400 Patten Rd, Lookout Mountain, GA, US

Rock City

Photo of Hampton Inn Nashville-I-24 Hickory Hollow
4.5

210 Crossings Place, Antioch, TN, US

Hampton Inn Nashville-I-24 Hickory Hollow

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702 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville, TN, US

Lane Motor Museum

119 3rd Ave S, Nashville, TN, US

Johnny Cash Museum

Photo of The Parthenon
4.0

Centennial Park, West End Avenue, Nashville, TN, US

The Parthenon

Photo of Apple Valley Hillbilly Garden and Toyland
4.6

9351 US HWY 68 W, Calvert City, KY, US

Apple Valley Hillbilly Garden and Toyland

215 Jefferson St, Paducah, KY, US

The National Quilt Museum

12 Hancock Ave, St. Louis, MO, US

Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum

222 Worth Ave, St. Louis, MO, US

Missouri Civil War Museum

Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park
4.5

120 North Ballas Road, Kirkwood, MO, US

Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park

2933 Barrett Station Rd, St. Louis, MO, US

The National Museum of Transportation

1135 Highway W, Stanton, MO, US

Meramec Caverns

If you’re traveling during the summer months, this nice, cool detour will help you escape the heat. The 4.6-mile-long cave system is one of the Ozarks’ coolest (literally and figuratively) natural wonders, as well as an archaeological hotbed of Native American artifacts.

I-44 - Exit 230, Sullivan, MO, US

Jesse James Wax Museum

The Jesse James Wax Museum in Stanton is an interactive walking museum that takes visitors through the life and mysterious death of the notorious outlaw. The gift shop is loaded with kitschy James memorabilia. The nearby Riverside Wildlife Center, full of snakes and alligators, is also worth a visit.

Photo of Route 66 State Park
4.5

97 North Outer Road (Visitor Center & Museum), Eureka, MO, US

Route 66 State Park

1
612mi 09h 47m

Historic Route 66, Eureka, United States

1
2
8mi 00h 10m
Photo of Shaw Nature Reserve
4.5

Hwy 100 & I 44 Po Box 38, Gray Summit, MO, US

Shaw Nature Reserve

2

145 S Main St, MO, US

Lewis Cafe

17352 Manchester Rd, Wildwood, MO, US

Big Chief Roadhouse

Ending this leg at the Blue Whale makes for a Route 66 highlight, but you’ve still got plenty of attractions—and more than half of the Mother Road—ahead of you. No longer the road of desperation as described by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, you’ll nonetheless be following in the footsteps (or rather, wheel ruts) of thousands of Okies who once traveled West along Route 66 in search of greener pastures. There are more driveable portions of the old Mother Road in Oklahoma than in any other state, so get comfortable and don’t forget to stick your hand (or head) out the window to enjoy the wind as it comes sweeping down the plain.

Banner Photo Credit: Flickr/Nicolas Henderson