Route 66 Pit Stops

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People say life is a highway…but there are some pit stops that you should add to your bucket list when you take the good old Route 66. If you are a foodie who loves historical sites and iconic landmarks, this might be the map you’d want to follow.

‘Begin' your trip from the start of Main Street of America by visiting the Begin sign in Chicago. The sign has been up since 1923 and although there have been many discussions on where Route 66 begins, the Chicago Department of Transportation decided to put it on East Adams Street where you can start your fun journey. You might want to consider spending a few extra hours in Chicago to check out some other iconic attractions such as the Route 66 Hall of Fame Museum and the Buckingham Fountain.

Once you are ready to hit the road, your next stop is St. Louis, Missouri. Just like in Chicago, there are many attractions worth seeing. If you only have time to see one thing, the Gateway Arch should be your pick. The monument will lift you 630 feet above the ground and give you a 30-mile radius of an amazing St. Louis view.

If heights are not your thing, your next stop in Oklahoma might suit you better. The Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park in Foyil, Oklahoma is 3.5 miles away from Route 66. It is the oldest and largest folk art that Oklahoma has to offer. Before you move on to the next state, grab some to-go lunch and have a picnic at the most popular attraction the old road can offer, The Blue Whale. You can enjoy your meal on the picnic tables around the open mouth of the whale.

Once you get back on the road and drive a while, it’ll be dinner time in Texas. Perfect timing for the Big Texan Steak Ranch where you can eat a 72 oz. steak for free when you enter their steak-eating challenge. When you wake up in the morning from the food coma, stop by the Slug Bug Ranch in Conway, Texas, then travel 35 miles west to the world’s only Cadillac Ranch. The Slug Bug Ranch has graffiti-covered VW Beetles buried now-down in a field and the Cadillac Ranch has graffiti-covered Cadillacs buried nose-down in a field.

If you've seen enough graffiti-covered cars, the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico might interest you. It's a beautifully restored 1942 retro motel famous for its glowing neon sign and vintage garage. For a refreshing change, stop at the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, New Mexico and take a dip in this 81-foot-deep artesian sinkhole that has incredibly clear blue water that's perfect for a swim or scuba dive. Finish up your day with a walk around the oldest state capital city in America, Santa Fe.

When you get to Arizona, you might want to slow down in Holbrook to see the Wigwam Motel. This is not your usual motel–built in 1937, the rooms are all in the form of teepees. Further west you'll get the chance to stand on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, which was made famous by the Eagles. Your final stop will be at the Santa Monica pier in California. Enjoy the beach during the day and their amusement park at night. It is a great way to end your trip with a bang.

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