The Mother Road: 100 Years of Route 66

We chose to experience the Mother Road through a different lens, starting our journey backwards from Los Angeles and heading East. While we had a skeletal list of must-see stops and a few key hotels secured, we intentionally left wide stretches of our itinerary blank. This commitment to spontaneity was the secret to our success. It allowed us to move at our own pace, lingering at a quirky museum or pulling over for a roadside photo op whenever the spirit moved us.

Our first significant culinary discovery was CV BBQ in Indio, California, receiving two thumbs up from my North Carolinian former pit master husband. While it’s a legendary local haunt during the valley’s famous music festivals, it serves as the perfect fuel stop for a cross-country trek, offering authentic, slow-smoked flavors that set a high bar for the thousands of miles ahead.

Crossing into Arizona, we found the quintessential Route 66 spirit alive and well in Seligman. This tiny town is a technicolor dream of vintage storefronts and neon signs—an absolute necessity for family photos. However, our most delightful serendipitous moment happened in Winslow. We originally pulled into the historic La Posada Hotel just for a quick bathroom break, thinking it was a train stop, but the sheer beauty of the “last great railroad hotel” stopped us in our tracks. We ended up slowing down completely, wandering through the lush sunken gardens and admiring the aesthetic space. It was a poignant reminder that sometimes the best parts of a road trip are the stops you didn’t plan to make.

As we pushed into New Mexico, we embraced the kitsch that makes this highway so iconic. The El Rancho Hotel in Gallup felt like stepping onto a 1940s film set. Once the basecamp for Hollywood stars like John Wayne and Katherine Hepburn, its rustic, lodge-style lobby is a masterclass in Western charm. Further East in Texas, we leaned into roadside art at Cadillac Ranch. Standing in a field with spray paint cans in hand, the kids (and our dog) loved the freedom to leave our own colorful marks on the half-buried cars. It’s a messy, loud, and utterly unique piece of American folk art with decades of literal paint layers of stories.

No Route 66 trip is complete without the legendary hospitality of the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo. Known worldwide for its 72-ounce steak challenge, the atmosphere is electric, and the service is some of the friendliest we encountered on the entire trip. Whether you’re there to watch a brave soul attempt the food challenge or just to enjoy a solid meal, it embodies the “bigger is better” Texas spirit. For those looking to fully immerse themselves in the 100-year history of the road, I highly recommend booking stays at the classic neon-lit motels like the Wigwam Motel in Arizona or the Blue Swallow in New Mexico—just be sure to check their pet policies in advance, as these historic gems are popular and can fill up fast!

Beyond the vast plains of Texas, the Mother Road continues its eastward crawl through a landscape of rolling hills and dense forests. In Oklahoma, the road is punctuated by whimsical giants like the Blue Whale of Catoosa and the towering, neon-lit Pops 66 Soda Ranch in Arcadia, where over 700 varieties of soda await thirsty travelers. Missouri claims the title of the Birthplace of Route 66, and it’s here you’ll find the subterranean wonders of Meramec Caverns and the gravity-defying Gateway Arch in St. Louis. As you reach the final stretch in Illinois, the spirit of the road is preserved in places like the Cozy Dog Drive-In in Springfield—the legendary home of the original corn dog on a stick—and the kitschy Gemini Giant in Wilmington. The journey finally culminates in the heart of Chicago, where a simple “End Route 66” sign marks the conclusion of a century-old path that has shaped the very soul of American travel.

To truly conquer the 2,448 miles of Route 66, your vehicle choice is just as important as your destination. For our family, the minivan was the undisputed hero of the trip. It provided the literal and figurative breathing room needed for two kids, and a mini-schnauzer to coexist peacefully over long stretches. To maximize our interior comfort, we added a hardshell cargo box to the roof, which stowed our luggage and left plenty of space for the vintage treasures and souvenirs we procured along the way. Our best investment was a 12V portable refrigerator tucked into the back. Having chilled refreshments and healthy snacks at our fingertips saved us countless hours (and dollars) at gas station convenience stores and kept us moving at our own pace.

Beyond the hardware, the heart of a successful road trip lies in the atmosphere you create inside the cabin. We found that a mix of curated song playlists and immersive audiobooks acted as the glue for our daily drives. Our family favorites, like the magical world of Harry Potter and the touching wilderness of The Wild Robot, turned the vast landscapes outside our windows into a living cinema. These shared stories didn’t just pass the time—they sparked conversations and created a collective soundtrack to our journey.

While your GPS can tell you where the next turn is, it can’t tell you which diner just pulled a fresh peach pie out of the oven or which closed roadside attraction has a owner who will let you in if you’re polite. Some of the best stories on Route 66 aren’t found in guidebooks—they’re told over a cup of coffee at a Formica counter. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with the shopkeepers, fellow travelers, and locals you meet along the way. These brief encounters often turn into the most enduring memories of the trip, transforming a simple drive into a shared human experience.

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