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.
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Atlanta is also home to the Route 66 Arcade Museum, a fantastic hidden gem. It features a collection of vintage arcade machines (made between 1934 and 1982) that you can still play for just a quarter.
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Six miles south of Mount Olive, take a slight detour to Henry's Rabbit Ranch in Staunton. The ranch is full of Rabbits—both the Volkswagen kind (some stick out of the ground in a Stonehenge-like fashion) and the fluffy kind. If you’re lucky, you might get to meet the owner and pet the real-life rabbits that spend their days hopping around the store. A short drive away is the St. Paul Lutheran Church and its large blue neon cross.
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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.
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There are so many Route 66 icons to see and experience while in Cuba, but it’s absolutely essential to take a tour of the famous Route 66 Viva Cuba Murals. Take a journey through the town’s history via 12 outdoor murals. For a more in-depth look, a narrated bus tour departs from the Cuba Visitor Center. A self-guided map is available at Cubamomurals.com.
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If you need a break from driving, pull over at the Fantastic Caverns in Springfield and explore an underground world. North America's only completely ride-through cave tour is absolutely worth the 55-minute tram ride.
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Your last Missouri stop should be at Gary's Gay Parita in Ash Grove, a verifiable Route 66 icon. As Gary says, “Folks from all over the world say it’s the dream of their life to travel Historic Route 66. It’s the dream of my life to meet those folks.” Owner Gary Turner loves the Mother Road and the people on it so much that he recreated a little retro Sinclair gas station and spends his days welcoming travelers with a soda and great conversation.
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Your first stop in Galena should be Cars on the Route, a restored Kan-O-Tex service station formerly known as 4 Women on the Route. Along with snacks and sandwiches, here you can shop for antiques and Route 66 memorabilia made by local artists. Outside is a lineup of old trucks on display, including one that inspired the Tow Mater character in Disney’s Cars.
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Clanton’s Cafe is an iconic Route 66 restaurant, best-known for its breakfast and local cuisine. Menu highlights include the world-famous chicken fried steak and calf fries (also known as Rocky Mountain oysters)—home-cooked comfort food at its best.
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The Blue Whale of Catoosa was built by Hugh Davis in the early 1970s as a surprise anniversary gift for his wife Zelta, who loved whales and collected whale figurines. Take time to wander around the remnants of this famed roadside wonder, and have a snack at one of the picnic tables.
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The historic Rock Cafe is a classic Route 66 stop. Named for the sandstone rocks used in its construction, the cafe opened in 1939. Crews from Pixar stopped here while they were researching the movie Cars, and the popular eatery was also featured on the "TV show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." The cafe may be famous for its mouthwateringly golden-brown chicken-fried steak, but if you're in the mood for something sweet, try the Diet Doctor Pepper float.
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Chandler’s Lincoln Motel was built in 1939 and has one of those motor courts you see in old movies. The cottage-style rooms are clean and comfortable. Even if you don’t spend the night, it’s worth pulling over to take a photo of the 1950s neon sign.
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After all that driving, you're probably thirsty. If carbonated refreshment is your jam, prepare to worship at the altar of the Pops Soda Ranch. Located just off Route 66 in Arcadia, POPS offers more than 700 sodas, sparkling waters, and shakes. Some of the more bizarre soda flavors include mustard, buffalo wing, ranch dressing, and sweet corn. There's a 66-foot-tall soda bottle out front, which lights up at night for a great photo op. This diner, gas station, and gift shop offers visitors several ways to “fill up.”
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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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If you've had your fill of chicken-fried steak and are in the mood for some good barbecue, head to Jigg’s Smokehouse in Clinton, one of the most famous BBQ joints on the entire Mother Road. Established by Jiggs Botchlett, the Smokehouse has been serving its signature “secret” BBQ from a little hole-in-the-wall shack since the late 1970s.
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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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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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Get your nature kicks on Route 66 at Palo Duro Canyon State Park. This is the second largest canyon in the U.S. and admission is only $8. You can easily drive the length of the park and pull over for the scenic overlooks. There's a sizable campground in the park (perfect for stargazing), and several trails that traverse the bottom of the canyon offer a beautiful place to stretch your legs.
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Everything is bigger in Texas, so you may as well try your luck with the 72-ounce steak challenge at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo. Just a few years after owner Bob Lee opened his steakhouse, he noticed an influx of hungry cowboys on payday looking to down some hearty steaks. One Friday in 1962, Lee set up an eating contest to see who could eat the most one-pound steaks in an hour. After one cowboy downed 72 ounces of steak (along with a salad, a shrimp cocktail, a roll, and a baked potato), Lee declared that anyone who could eat that much steak in an hour should get it for free. The current record-holder is Molly Schuyler, who devoured three steaks (plus sides) in just 20 minutes in 2015. The restaurant also features a shooting gallery, arcade games, a huge gift shop, and a bull statue out front.
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When you're ready for a cold beer and some good tunes, visit the Golden Light Cantina in Amarillo. It's a fantastic little roadhouse serving up burgers and beers.
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Once you reach Adrian, pat yourself on the back: You've made it to the midpoint of Route 66. You'll know you've arrived once you see the MidPoint Cafe, a vintage-style roadside diner with lots of photo ops to commemorate your journey down (half of) the Mother Road. The restaurant and gift shop claims to be located at the geographic midpoint between Los Angeles and Chicago.
