This was tightly packed, but two of the best weeks of our lives. Not only did we manage to drive most of the sections of Route 66 that still remain, we also managed to fit in some detours!

The map above details our route from east to west along Route 66 in red, and our detours to some of the most breathtaking scenery and not-to-be-missed stops are in blue.

Along the route are more stops and attractions than I can list below. This is guide to all the bits we found most interesting, but you may find even more gems of places to note. This trip is truly amazing!

Day 1 - Chicago

We arrived in Chicago late afternoon two days before setting off on our road trip. We wanted to recover from our long haul flight, and see some of Chicago's sights first.

That evening we made the most of the Magnificent Mile - taking in some of Chicago's most famous architecture - Starting at the Michigan Avenue Bridge (now called DuSable Bridge I believe) and working north, we saw The Trump International Hotel & Tower to our right, worth a mention for the shear shininess of it, and the large T R U M P lettering.

Moving swiftly on, on North Michigan Avenue, the Wrigley Building, built in 1920 has two towers and is glazed in terra-cotta.

The Tribune Tower, on the other side of the road, is a good place to pause and check out the different rocks and bricks from all over the world that have been incorporated into the building. We were particularly interested in the piece of Edinburgh Castle. In more recent times, tiles form the Sydney Opera House, and some steel from the World Trade Center have been added.

We walked up North Michigan Avenue as far as the Water Tower and John Hancock Center. The distance from the bridge to the John Hancock Center is just over a mile, so it's perfect for a stroll, and felt very safe in the early evening. There is a 360 degree observation deck at the top of the John Hancock Center open until 11pm. You have to pay to enter, and can either just take in the view in the CloudBar, or if you are brave enough get a ticket for the TILT - which is one of those windows that leans out at something like 45 degrees to tip you over the city. We didn't go up the tower in the end as we had reservations for dinner at a jazz club. Incidentally, Andy's Jazz Club was amazing!

We stayed at the Radisson Blu Aqua, Chicago, in a King Room with a corner balcony.

Day 2 - Chicago

In the morning we went on a Chicago River and Lake Michigan cruise. We got to see the city from the river, then out through Chicago Lock on to Lake Michigan. The weather was fine, so we got a good view of the Chicago Skyline.

In the afternoon, we rounded off our whistle stop tour of Chicago at Millennium Park. One thing that we didn't realise, and something that I always check before planning our trips now, is that we were in Chicago during Labor Day weekend. It didn't occur to me to check if we were visiting during a public holiday! For this reason, and because the weather was so nice, the park was incredibly busy. We saw Cloud Gate AKA the Bean and Crown Fountain, and just generally chilled, with the bright idea that we would come back early the following morning to see the park properly when it was empty, before picking up our hire car.

Chicago Skyline

Day 3 - Chicago to St Louis

We got up early and went back to Millennium Park. We do this a lot now, we'll go to see sights, or tourist attractions early in the morning when there is no one else there - it's a top tip!

We were right, hardly anyone was at Cloud Gate, and Crown Fountain was deserted, meaning we could mess about in the water being "spat" out from the video faces on the enormous glass columns.

We wanted to have breakfast at the traditional starting point for those about to embark on the Mother Road, but alas Lou Mitchell's Diner on West Jackson Street was closed for Labor Day. The lesson learned, was now reinforced!

We grabbed something to eat and then went on foot to search for the official starting point of Route 66.

Route 66 begins at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and East Adams Street, and is marked by a brown Route 66 sign, with a separate "Begin" sign underneath.

We went back to our hotel, checked-out, picked up the hire car, and went straight back there to officially set off.

Today's leg was Chicago to St Louis - 298 miles

❗️ I highly recommend buying a paper map specialising in the route as Google Maps will keep you on the highways ❗️

We drove out of Chicago, through Joliet, and Elwood, with our first stop of the day being Wilmington to see the Gemini Giant.

UPDATE: The statue was moved in 2024 from outside the Launching Pad Restaurant to the entrance to South Island Park. At the time of writing, the restaurant is closed, as it was when we visited.

Starting Point for Route 66

Next, we drove to Dwight, and then on to Odell. There are pretty, restored gas stations in these locations.

Then through Pontiac, Lexington, Normal (there's an art deco theatre here), Bloomington, Springfield, and Collinsville. Look out for neon signs, and period billboards on the road, as well as those all important brown Route 66 signs so that you know you are on the right road. Oh, and in Collinsville, look out for the largest catsup bottle in the world!

Also, if you aren't American, it's worth noting that there are 93 Springfields in the US, and Route 66 goes through two of them.

After Collinsville, it was time to leave Illinois and into Missouri. Just one more stop before finishing for the day in St Louis - Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

You aren't able to drive over the bridge now, but you can drive up to it. We were the only people there when we went, and it was a little eerie.

On the drive in to St Louis, we encountered the biggest thunderstorm I had ever witnessed. This was nothing like the storms we get in the UK. The rain was torrential, and the lightning was like someone turning light switches on and off for literally hours.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency at the Gateway Arch in St Louis.

The Gemini Giant

Chain of Rocks Bridge

Day 4 - St Louis to Springfield (MO)

We spent a couple of hours in the morning in St Louis, visiting the Gateway Arch, Kiener Plaza, and walking down to the Mississippi River, before setting off for the next leg of the trip.

Today's leg was St Louis to Springfield (Missouri) - 216 miles

Today's main locations were - Eureka, Stanton, Cuba, Fanning, Devil's Elbow and Lebanon. Again, lots of things to see on the side of the road - Route 66 gas stations, neon signs etc, and not least the world's largest rocking chair, the Route 66 Outpost Shop in Fanning, and the Munger Moss Motel sign in Lebanon.

Biggest Rocking Chair in the World at Fanning

Route 66 Outpost at Fanning

Munger Moss Motel Sign

We stayed at the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven Hotel in Springfield, which was pretty cool. It's been renovated since we went as well.

Day 5 - Springfield (MO) to Oklahoma

Today's leg - Springfield (Missouri) to Oklahoma City - 286 miles

Today's drive took us through the Paris Springs, with its 1950's gas station, and the deserted towns of Spencer, Heatonville, Albatross and Phelps. Then on through Carthage, where there is the 66 Drive-in theatre which opened in 1949.

Soon after this, you will cross into Kansas, and through Galena, Riverton, and Baxter Springs, where there is a Route 66 visitor centre. The route then takes you south into Oklahoma, and through small towns such as Quapaw, Commerce, Miami, Vinta and Claremore.

After Claremore, and before Tulsa, don't miss the Blue Whale of Catoosa. Moving on through more towns such as Bristow, Depew, Stroud, Davenport, and Chandler - all with their own Route 66 curiosities, you come to Arcadia and Pops 66 restaurant with it's 66 feet tall neon pop bottle.

We stayed at the Homewood Suites in Bricktown.

Route 66 Drive-In

Blue Whale of Catoosa

Pops 66 Restaurant

Day 6 - Oklamhoma to Amarillo

Before leaving Oklahoma City, we paid a visit to Bricktown and Chicksaw Baseball Park.

Today's leg was Oklahoma City to Amarillo - 260 miles

We drove out through Yukon, and then El Reno. El Reno has has a Big 8 Motel sign advertising itself as Amarillo's finest, despite being miles away from Amarillo. The sign is from the film Rain Man which was shot at this hotel.

Then on through Clinton, which has a Route 66 museum. After this, you will find yourself in Texas. Driving through Shamrock, and then into Mclean, you will come across the Devil's Rope Museum. If you are into all things barbed wire, this is for you!

In Groom, there is a leaning water tower, and a gigantic stainless steel cross.

After this, you come to Conway and the Bug Ranch. This is a spoof of the Cadillac Ranch west of Amarillo (which we will visit the following day), but instead of Cadillacs, VW Beetles are buried nose down in the ground.

We had dinner at The Big Texan this evening - the restaurant even sends out limos to the local hotels to pick people up! The Big Texan is the home of the 72oz steak. If you can eat the whole thing along with the sides in under an hour, you get it for free.

That night's hotel was the Holiday Inn Amarillo West Medical Center

Devil's Rope Museum

Leaning Water Tower outside Groom

Bug Ranch

Day 7 - Amarillo to Albuquerque

This day was one of my favourite days of the trip, with both Cadillac Ranch and the halfway point today.

Today's drive was from Amarillo to Albuquerque - 285 miles

The first stop today was Cadillac Ranch after going to a hardware store to get some spray paint. Not only is it ok to to graffiti the cars, it is actively encouraged as part of the art installation. We added our names, and while we were there, someone was spray painting "Greenock Morton" on to one of the cars. Greenock Morton is a football (soccer) team not far from where we live in the UK. Just shows you what a small world it is!

The Midpoint Cafe in Adrian is the half way mark between Chicago and Los Angeles. This is a fantastic retro diner and gift shop, and is a must.

The cafe is actually the inspiration for Flo's V8 Cafe in the Pixar film Cars.

There is a large sign on a very tall pole in the carpark so you can't miss it. The menus and signage around the diner tell people to be careful when backing out of their car parking spaces, so as not to hit it. We laughed at all the written reminders, wondering who wouldn't miss such a big object...

Anyway, setting off again, although our reversing sensors on the hire car no longer worked after hitting the pole, we crossed into New Mexico.

It's worth noting here that the clocks change from Central Standard/Daylight Time, to Mountain Standard/Daylight Time here.

Through San Jon, then Tucumcari, with its teepee curios. Through the abandoned and eerie town of Cuervo, through Santa Rosa, Pecos, Glorieta, Santa Fe, and finally into Alburquerque.

In Alburquerque, we took the Peak Tramway up in the Sandia Mountains for the evening. There were stunning views on the way up in the cable car as we ascended before it got dark. We had a dinner reservation at the restaurant at the top called High Finance. UPDATE: the restaurant is now called Ten3, and has been completely refurbished since our visit.

We stayed at the Sheraton Albuquerque, Uptown.

Colourfully painted cars standing upright in a desert landscape under a cloudy sky.

Cadillac Ranch

Midway Point

Day 8 - Albuquerque to Chinle via Gallup

This day took us on the first of our detours from Route 66.

Albuquerque to Chinle via Gallup - 231 miles

Staying on Route 66 for the first half of the day, we set off for Gallup.

Approximately 27 miles before you get to Gallup, you come across the Continental Divide. The location is marked by a gas station, a couple of souvenir shops and the Indian Market. From this point on, the water flows into the Pacific Ocean instead of the Atlantic (as the sign outside the Indian Market says).

Continental Divide

After spending a some time in Gallup, we embarked on our first detour north on Highway 191 to Chinle, where we spent the night at the Best Western Canyon de Chelly Inn. It's important to note that Chinle is on the Navajo Indian Reservation, and therefore a dry town, i.e. the sale and possession of alcohol is prohibited. Luckily we realised this before we embarrassed ourselves. We hadn't realised this before we got there.

We stayed overnight at the Best Western Canyon de Chelly Inn.

Day 9 - Chinle to Flagstaff via Monument Valley

Today was one of our longer driving days - Chinle to Flagstaff via Monument Valley - 281 miles

We got up before sunrise on this day to drive to Canyon de Chelly to watch the sunrise. It turned out to be a brilliant idea. We were the only people in the visitor car park, and there was nobody for miles. We watched the sunrise, and as the sun rose, we were treated to the most amazing views of the canyon.

Canyon De Chelly at Sunrise

From here, and with it still being early, we set off for Monument Valley. We made good time and took a jeep tour around all of the most famous vistas. Choose your tour carefully, ours prioritised taking us to a few small stalls set up to sell souvenirs, and the guide was very grumpy when we didn't buy anything. The rest of the tour was great though. The place is like nothing on earth, and really not to be missed. Also, beware if you aren't from a country accustomed to tipping. We did tip, but by the look on the guide's face, it wasn't enough, even though it was a pretty generous tip. It wasn't a cheap tour either.

Monument Valley

After spending as much time as we could in this awesome, otherworldly place, we got back on the road for the 4 hour drive back down south to join up with Route 66 again at Flagstaff. We stayed the night as the Twin Arrows Casino Resort for two nights.

Day 10 - Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon South Rim, and back

Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon South Rim, and back - 160 miles in total

For the first time since setting off, we were spending two nights in the same place. Today, was our second detour from Route 66. This time to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and back.

Most tours of the Grand Canyon originate in Las Vegas and go to the West Rim. This is where the Sky Bridge is. However, having been there before, we chose to visit the South Rim instead. It was closer to our route, and It's a little quieter. There is a road along the edge that you can drive and stop at various pull-ins and look-outs for the jaw-dropping scenery.

The South Rim is operated by the National Park Service, and at the time of writing, no reservation is needed, but entry is $35 per car.

We spent the evening at the Twin Arrow Casino.

Twin Arrows

Grand Canyon South Rim

Day 11 - Flagstaff to Las Vegas

The final detour of our trip was to Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam

Flagstaff to Las Vegas - 249 miles

The first stop of the day was Williams. This was a lovely town on the route, heavily themed to Route 66. Our only regret was that we hadn't planned to stay there longer.

From there, we continued along route 66 through Seligman, and to Kingman. Here. we detoured north for 75 miles to the Hoover Dam.

There's another time zone shift here from Mountain Standard/Daylight Time, to Pacific Standard/Daylight Time.

On the day we went, the temperature was in excess of 40 degrees (over 100F), and the roads and dam were almost too hot to walk on. Nevertheless, the dam is a spectacle of of engineering, and well worth the stop. If you ever visit Las Vegas, and want to take a day tour to the Grand Canyon, chances are that it will include a stop at Hoover Dam too.

Route 66 Sign in Arizona

Days 12 and 13 - Las Vegas

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas....

This guide isn't really about Las Vegas, but what I will say is that it was a welcome break from the travelling for a couple of days.

Day 14 - Las Vegas to Los Angeles

The final day of driving took us from Las Vegas, south west to join up with Route 66 again, skirting the north end of the Mojave Desert, all the way through Los Angeles to finish the trail in Santa Monica on the pier.

Las Vegas to Los Angeles - 286 miles

End of Route 66 Sign

Santa Monica

Hopefully this guide has given you a flavour of all the experiences on offer along Route 66. I could have added so much more, but then the guide would have turned in to a full on guide book. I hope this has inspired you to take the trip!

We got to the pier in time to watch the sun go down over the Pacific Ocean. A brilliant end to an awesome road trip.