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.
Whether you call it the starting or ending point of the Mother Road, the Santa Monica Pier is the perfect spot to stretch your legs or snap photos of the ocean before embarking on a 2,000-mile trip east. Sure it’s touristy, but that shouldn’t stop you from taking a ride on the 1922 carousel or grabbing something sweet from the soda fountain. From the roller coaster and Ferris wheel to the arcade and the sign noting that it is the official end of Route 66, there's tons of fun to be had here.
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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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.
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.
