10-Day Route 66 Itinerary

Photo at the Route 66 Begin sign

Start at Adams Street and Michigan Avenue for the classic photo, then have breakfast at Lou Mitchell's on Jackson Boulevard.

Joliet and the Gemini Giant

Drive southwest about 60 miles (1.5 hours with city traffic) via Joliet to Wilmington's towering Gemini Giant spaceman statue.

Pontiac museum and Atlanta's giant

See the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac and the Paul Bunyon giant in Atlanta, then drive about 140 miles (2.5-3 hours) to Springfield.

Corn dogs in Springfield

Eat at the Cozy Dog Drive In, a Route 66 landmark since 1949 that claims to have invented the corn dog on a stick.

Chain of Rocks Bridge

Drive about 100 miles (1.5-2 hours) to the bridge and walk to its famous 22-degree bend over the Mississippi.

Gateway Arch and frozen custard

Ride the tram up the 630-foot Gateway Arch (book timed tickets), then stop at Ted Drewes for a concrete of frozen custard.

Ozarks drive via Cuba

Follow I-44 and old 66 about 215 miles (3.5-4 hours), stopping for the murals in Cuba and the giant rocking chair near Fanning.

Cashew chicken in Springfield, Missouri

Try Springfield-style cashew chicken, the city's unique fried-chicken take on a Chinese-American classic.

Carthage, Galena and Kansas

Drive through Carthage, Missouri, then Galena, Kansas, where a rusty tow truck inspired a character in the movie Cars.

Blue Whale of Catoosa

Photograph the smiling blue whale on its pond near Tulsa, one of the road's most beloved roadside attractions.

Arcadia's Round Barn and POPS

Continue on the old road to Arcadia's 1898 Round Barn and POPS, with its 66-foot neon soda bottle and hundreds of sodas.

Steak in Stockyards City

Have dinner at Cattlemen's Steakhouse, an Oklahoma City institution since 1910 in the historic Stockyards City district.

Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton

Drive about 85 miles (1.5 hours) west to Clinton for this excellent museum of the road's decades.

U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas

Cross into the Texas Panhandle to see this 1936 Art Deco gas station and cafe, an inspiration for the movie Cars.

Panhandle drive to Amarillo

Drive about 100 miles past Groom's leaning water tower and giant cross to Amarillo, then check in.

Cadillac Ranch at sunset

Bring spray paint to the ten buried Cadillacs west of town and add your mark as the sun goes down.

Amarillo's Sixth Street

Stroll the historic Route 66 district on Sixth Street for antique shops, cafes and vintage storefronts.

The Midpoint in Adrian, Texas

Stop at the sign marking halfway between Chicago and Los Angeles, and try a slice of pie at the long-running Midpoint Cafe.

Tucumcari murals and motels

Cross into New Mexico (and Mountain Time, gaining an hour) and wander Tucumcari's colorful Route 66 murals.

Neon night at the Blue Swallow

Check in to the 1939 Blue Swallow Motel and walk the strip as its famous neon sign glows after dark.

Blue Hole of Santa Rosa

Drive about 60 miles to this clear, spring-fed pool, popular with divers and brave swimmers year-round.

Green chile lunch in Albuquerque

Drive about 115 miles to Albuquerque for a green chile cheeseburger or enchiladas at a local diner.

Old Town and Central Avenue neon

Walk Albuquerque's Old Town plaza and drive Central Avenue's restored neon signs, then continue about 140 miles to Gallup.

El Rancho Hotel in Gallup

Spend the night at the 1937 El Rancho Hotel, where Hollywood stars stayed while filming Westerns.

Petrified Forest National Park

Drive about 70 miles to the park and take the 28-mile road past the Painted Desert, Blue Mesa and Crystal Forest.

Wigwam Motel in Holbrook

Photograph the concrete teepees and vintage cars at Holbrook's 1950 Wigwam Motel.

Winslow and Flagstaff

Stand on the corner in Winslow, then climb into the pines at Flagstaff, about 7,000 feet up, before driving 30 miles to Williams.

Route 66 main street in Williams

Have dinner and a stroll on Williams' neon-lit main street, the last Route 66 town bypassed by I-40, in 1984.

Drive or ride the train to the South Rim

Drive about 60 miles (1 hour) north, or ride the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams; check current park entrance fees.

Mather Point and the Rim Trail

Get your first look at the canyon from Mather Point, then walk the paved Rim Trail toward Grand Canyon Village.

Hermit Road or Desert View Drive

Ride the free shuttle along Hermit Road to viewpoints like Hopi Point, or drive east on Desert View Drive to the Watchtower.

Sunset over the canyon

Watch sunset from Hopi Point or Yavapai Point, then drive back to Williams in the dark, watching for elk on the road.

Seligman, birthplace of the revival

Drive 45 miles to Seligman, where local barber Angel Delgadillo helped spark the 1980s campaign to save Route 66.

Hackberry and Kingman

Follow old 66 past the Hackberry General Store to Kingman's Route 66 museum in the historic Powerhouse.

Sitgreaves Pass to Oatman

Climb the twisting road over the Black Mountains to Oatman, a mining town where wild burros roam the street.

Across the Mojave to Barstow

Drive via Needles about 145 miles across the Mojave to Barstow; fill up first, carry water and note California is on Pacific Time.

Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch

Drive old 66 through Oro Grande to this quirky forest of bottle-covered metal trees, a free roadside folk-art stop.

Wigwam Motel and the Los Angeles basin

Photograph the Wigwam Motel in the San Bernardino area, then follow Foothill Boulevard and the freeways west; LA traffic is heavy.

Santa Monica Pier finish

Reach the End of the Trail sign on Santa Monica Pier and celebrate with a ride on the Ferris wheel.

Sunset toast and car drop-off

Watch the sun set over the Pacific, then return your one-way rental at LAX or a nearby location before flying home.