Route 66 in 30 days
From Chicago to Los Angeles with a few stops at sites near the route: a total of 6,800 km.
Total trip cost: 8,600 € all-inclusive—flights, car rental, gas, meals (raw veggies and fruit for lunch, fast food in the evening), hotels, and little knick-knacks picked up here and there.
British Airways flights from Basel-Mulhouse
Midsize car from Dollar via AutoEurope. No issues on return.
Accommodations booked through Booking
First off, we met really friendly people all along the way. Most attractions are free, and you can easily walk into bars, hotels, and gas stations without buying anything—though you might get kicked out.
The original Route 66 no longer exists in its entirety. Only sections remain, and signage varies by state. Plus, the route has changed over time. But with a good map or GPS, you can figure it out. I used the CoPilot app, which lets you download all the world’s maps for a small fee—so no data issues abroad. I’d noted the GPS coordinates of places to visit during my trip prep, which came in handy.
Along the route, you’ll find old gas stations, vintage motels (some renovated, some not) with their retro signs. The most famous is Bagdad Café. There are also tons of beautiful murals and the Muffler Men.
Chicago is an amazing city. We stayed for 2 days. The best move is to pick a hotel near a Blues Line metro station—it takes you straight from the airport to your hotel, then to downtown. At the end of the trip, the metro takes you back to the airport to pick up your rental car. The 72-hour pass is super convenient.
Must-sees in Chicago: John Hancock Center (skip the Tilt option—it’s a rip-off), the Chicago Riverwalk all the way to Merchandise Mart, Picasso and Calder statues, The Bean and its reflections, and don’t miss the signs marking the start/end of Route 66.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of things that surprised or delighted us (aside from major sites like Petrified Forest):
- Joliet and its prison tied to the *Blues Brothers* story
- Gardner and its jail cells
- Abraham Lincoln’s tomb in Springfield
- Country Classic Cars in Staunton (39.03066, -89.75145): a used car lot with everything from Ford Model Ts to classic American cars. You can walk freely through the three hangars
- Old Chain of Rocks Bridge (38.76062, -90.47978)
- St. Louis with its Gateway Arch and City Garden (full of sculptures and free to enter)
- Philipsburg and its candy factory
- Springfield: Bass Pro Shop outdoor store (37.179, -93.296)
- Carthage: The Precious Moments Chapel (37.113, -94.345)
- Foyil: Ed Galloway’s Totem Park
- Tulsa: Harley Davidson dealership (36.111, -95.885)
- Oklahoma City: Stockyards City—one of the trip’s highlights. Cattle auctions are wild; plan ahead for open days/hours (35.456, -97.552)
- Centennial Land Run Monument (35.461, -97.504)
- Amarillo: VW Slug Bug Ranch (35.191, -101.985)
- Cadillac Ranch (35.191, -101.985)
- Palo Duro Canyon State Park
- Bandelier
- El Morro, NM
- Canyon de Chelly (detour)
- Little Painted Desert (35.157608, -110.47105)
- Winslow: *Standin’ on the Corner* (Eagles)
- Oatman and its burros
- Las Vegas: two days, one spent at Valley of the Fire and Red Rock Canyon. Pick a hotel near Fremont Avenue for nightlife
- Rainbow Basin Area (35.012369, -117.03858)
- The Bottle Tree Ranch (34.69113, -117.34206)
- The Justice Private Automotive Collection in Duarte (34.13830, -117.94591)
- Los Angeles: 4 days. Start at Griffith Observatory for a city overview and the Hollywood sign. Don’t forget to see the end of Route 66 in Santa Monica. Venice is worth a visit for a more authentic vibe. Check out the Walt Disney Concert Hall and surrounding buildings for the architecture.
Distances are huge. We mixed driving with the metro. Avoid the Interstates—they’re packed with traffic and frequent jams. Stick to parallel roads
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Bernard
