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Route 66: The Mother Road
Hey! You’re about to tackle the "Mother Road." Since we've got 14 days, we can actually breathe and see the kitschy, neon-soaked soul of Route 66 without rushing. I've mapped this out to keep the driving chunks manageable while hitting the legendary spots from Chicago to the Pacific. A 14-day odyssey through the neon signs, soda shops, and ghost towns that defined the American Dream.
14days
52stops
Day 1: The Windy City Send-off
4 stops
Chicago O'Hare International Airport
09:00
Historic Route 66 Begin Sign
11:00
Lou Mitchell's
13:00
Willis Tower
16:00
Day 2: Cornfields & Giants
4 stops
Gemini Giant
09:00
Pontiac
12:00
Cozy Dog Drive In
15:00
Shea’s Gas Station Museum
17:30
Day 3: The Gateway to the West
4 stops
Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
10:00
Gateway Arch
13:00
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
15:30
St. Louis
18:00
Day 4: Caverns & Elbow Grease
4 stops
Meramec Caverns
09:00
Cuba, Missouri
12:11
Elbow Inn
15:21
Springfield, MO
18:00
Day 5: Kansas Shortcut & Whale Tales
4 stops
Galena
09:30
Blue Whale of Catoosa
12:00
Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios
15:00
Tulsa
18:00
Day 6: Red Dirt & Round Barns
4 stops
Arcadia Round Barn
09:00
Oklahoma City National Memorial
12:11
Lucile’s Service Station
15:21
Clinton
18:00
Day 7: Cadillacs & Steaks
4 stops
U-Drop Inn
09:00
Cadillac Ranch
12:00
Midpoint Café
15:00
The Big Texan Steak Ranch
18:00
Day 8: Into the Land of Enchantment
3 stops
Tucumcari
10:00
Santa Rosa Blue Hole
14:00
Santa Fe
17:00
Day 9: The High Desert
3 stops
Meow Wolf
10:00
Albuquerque Old Town
13:00
66 Diner
16:00
Day 10: Painted Deserts & Petrifactions
4 stops
El Rancho Hotel
09:00
Petrified Forest & Painted Desert
12:00
Wigwam Motel
15:30
Standin' on the Corner Park
18:00
Day 11: The Grand Detour
3 stops
Walnut Canyon
09:00
Williams
12:00
Grand Canyon South Rim
15:00
Day 12: Burros & Switchbacks
4 stops
Seligman
09:00
Hackberry General Store
12:00
Oatman
15:00
Laughlin / Needles
18:00
Day 13: The Mojave Crossing
4 stops
Roy’s Motel & Café
09:00
Bagdad Cafe
12:11
Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch
15:21
San Bernardino
18:00
Day 14: The End of the Trail
3 stops
Wigwam Motel No. 7
10:00
Santa Monica Pier
13:00
Los Angeles International Airport
17:00
Heads Up
- 1. Buy a "Route 66 EZ66 Guide" by Jerry McClanahan. The road is poorly marked in spots, and this book is the gold standard for staying on the historic pavement.
- 2. Day 4: last activity ends 18:30 — aim to wrap by ~18:00 or drop a stop
- 3. Day 6: last activity ends 18:30 — aim to wrap by ~18:00 or drop a stop
- 4. Day 7: last activity ends 19:00 — aim to wrap by ~18:00 or drop a stop
- 5. Day 10: last activity ends 19:00 — aim to wrap by ~18:00 or drop a stop
- 6. Day 13: last activity ends 18:30 — aim to wrap by ~18:00 or drop a stop
- 7. 🛫 Route includes 0 flight + 1 rail segments. Map shows them as dashed lines (connection only, not real road).
- 8. Day 4: 6h 32m driving — plan rest stops
- 9. Day 6: 11h 9m driving — plan rest stops
- 10. Day 10: 5h 41m driving — plan rest stops
- 11. Day 13: 5h 24m driving — plan rest stops