The Mother Road: A Journey through Time
Why I chose Route 66?
When I learned last fall that the Mother Road, aka Historic Route 66, was turning 100 years old on the 250th anniversary of the USA, I decided I needed to take that trip. I also knew it would be the perfect journey to share as I launched How Big Is the USA. I also manage How Big Is Texas, my other blog. That began when I drove the perimeter of my home state, Texas, in June 2020 when our state opened back up during Covid. I love a road trip!
A Family Road Trip: Aunt Ruth Joins the Adventure
I mentioned to my 84-year-old Aunt Ruth that I would be taking the trip, and she shared that she would love to join me. The rest, as they say, is history, especially after we survived the trip and are still speaking to each other after a week in the car.
Getting to the Start: from Texas to Illinois
Before we chose to motor west on Route 66, our adventure began with a drive from my home in northeast Texas to Illinois, passing through Arkansas to reach the Land of Lincoln, nearly 900 miles away from my How Big Is Texas Official International World Headquarters. This stretch set the stage for a journey through both American history and geography.
Most Route 66 travelers begin their journey in Chicago and end at the Santa Monica Pier in California. We chose a slightly different path. Since I had recently visited Chicago and already had plenty of photos from that trip, we decided to avoid the city traffic and started our adventure further down the route in Wilmington, located 63 miles south of the Windy City.
On the west end, unexpected weather in San Bernardino, California, meant we wrapped up our drive before reaching Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Pier. However, I’ll be sharing photos from previous visits to both cities so you can still experience the classic bookends of Route 66.
Route 66 isn’t just a road. It’s an American legend, winding through nearly 2,500 miles of history, scenery, and small-town charm.
Let the Route 66 Journey Begin
The Changing Landscape of America
Nothing tells the story of the expansiveness of the USA than driving more than halfway across the country to see it for yourself. At least, that’s the way I felt after more than 2,000 miles (3,200+ kilometers) on the Mother Road driving Route 66. The change in the landscape told the story as much as the small towns we visited along the way. We were struck by the endless farmland, especially in Illinois and Missouri. The landscape constantly changed as we moved west, transitioning from plains to hills to mountains, and finally to the vast waters of the Pacific.
Traveling through History
Throughout the trip, we kept thinking about how Route 66 is nearly 100 years old. We thought of the generations who had traveled before us, the vehicles they drove, and the challenges they faced, including limited service stations, scarce water, partially unpaved roads, and slower cars with far fewer conveniences than we enjoy today. When Route 66 was established in November 1926, the Ford Model T was the most popular car to make the journey. At that time, it took around a month to travel the original 2,448 miles, according to the research I did online. They likely followed the route with a free paper map from Gulf or Standard Oil. For those of you who might not know what that means, ask your grandparents. GPS and online mapping were not available.
Illinois
Starting our Route 66 adventure just south of Chicago, we felt the excitement of setting out on a legendary American road trip. As I mentioned earlier, I had recently visited Chicago, so we chose to avoid the traffic and start from a less congested area. Chicago is beautiful.
Chicago, Chicago, It’s my Kind of Town
From Cloud Gate to the Art Institute of Chicago, I loved my time there. Directly across from the institute is the Historic Route 66 start, or it was, until they recently moved the sign to the Navy Pier. If you start or end in Chicago, make sure to have some deep-dish pizza at any number of Italian pizza joints, a Chicago hotdog from Devil Dogs, and a pastrami sandwich from Manny’s, a Chicago institution that has no doubt served Route 66 travelers since it opened in 1942. You won’t be disappointed.
Mile after mile of farmland stretched out on both sides of us in Illinois. I couldn’t get closer to the fields of yellow we saw. I had to ask Google what they were. Turns out these yellow beauties produce canola oil, something I’ve cooked with for years but never thought about its roots…literally.
Small Town Discoveries and Roadside Attractions
One thing I’ll say about the state of Illinois: they did an amazing job of letting us know when we were entering a Route 66 historic area. Exits were clearly marked so we wouldn’t miss the classic roadside attractions, murals, signs, and Route 66 memorabilia. We stopped for photos at iconic landmarks and soaked in the quiet beauty of rural America, imagining how different (and in some ways, how similar) this drive would have been in decades past. We couldn’t leave Illinois without a stop in Springfield. Afterall, this is the Land of Lincoln. To stand on the steps of President Abraham Lincoln’s home, the same place this incredible man once stood, is a memory I won’t soon forget.
Missouri
The Story of the Route in Missouri
The landscape along Route 66, after you leave St. Louis and cross the vast Mississippi River, is made up of rolling, heavily wooded hills and the Ozark Mountains.
Quirky Stops and Sweet Treats
We saw more farm land, but the mountain terrain seemed to take over. Quirky stops could be found here, too, but the one more mentioned when I asked a Facebook group of Route 66 lovers was Uranus Fudge. If you’re sensitive to 15-year-old boy humor, this might not be the place for you. I can attest that the fudge really was worth the stop and the staff was extremely friendly. The changing landscape in Missouri kept us looking out the window at every turn.
Kansas
The Shortest Stretch: Galena, Riverton, Baxter Springs
Only a small portion of Route 66 goes through Kansas. I snapped a few photos in Galena, Riverton, and Baxter Springs. The Sunflower State should be proud of its representation along the route.
Oklahoma
Small Towns, Big Characters
I’ve visited quite a few cities in Oklahoma, but not many small towns. Route 66 definitely showcases the Sooner State’s quirky attractions. From a small diner with larger-than-life characters in Vinita to a spaceman in the middle of downtown Weatherford, Oklahoma is clearly proud of their Route 66 history.
Like southerners who like to put their “interesting” relatives on the porch for everyone to visit, Oklahoma likes to put its oversized Route 66 attractions out for the world to see. And if anyone ever asks why, they simply reply, “Why not?”
Texas
Driving through Home: The Lone Star State
As a fifth-generation Texan, I was happy to see the Texas marker as we arrived in the Lone Star State. Our first stop was lunch at the infamous Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Cafe. The 1936 Art Deco cafe has been around almost as long as Route 66. Having visited this location several times, I always find it interesting and amusing to see the Tesla charging stations in the parking lot. I wonder what the founders of this establishment would have thought about these battery-operated vehicles.
We didn’t eat out much, but we did decide the meal we had at the cafe was our favorite. My aunt had the pulled pork burrito, and I had the pulled pork salad. So good!!!
The weather in Amarillo got a little sketchy, so our planned stops at the Slug Bug Ranch, Big Texan, and Cadillac Ranch didn’t happen.
Amarillo and the Panhandle: Missed Stops and Old Favorites
Not to worry. I’ve visited Amarillo more times than I can count. The Big Texan was the first place I ever tried mountain oysters, and my husband and brother-in-law said the fried mushrooms are the biggest and the best. If you have some extra time, head south for about an hour to Palo Duro Canyon. It’s the nation’s second-largest canyon, but unlike the Grand Canyon, you can actually drive down to the bottom. While in Amarillo, check out the Route 66 Visitor Center. Definitely worth the trip.
Halfway There
Amarillo and Shamrock are great stops, but others along the way in the panhandle include the Leaning Tower of Britten (check out that story in Texas Highways), Vega, Adrian, and the Midpoint Cafe. Once you see the cafe, you know you are halfway to completing your quest to drive Route 66.
New Mexico
Choosing the Northern Route
When we entered New Mexico, we made the decision to drive the northern route to Pecos and Santa Fe instead of heading directly to Albuquerque. We missed Clines Corner, but we’d both been several times. If you take the southern route, it’s definitely worth a stop. In Pecos, the Pecos National Historical Park should definitely be on your list of stops. It’s been called the Gettysburg of the West. My husband and I stayed at El Rancho in Gallup a few years ago and loved it. The hotel was built in 1936-1937 by R.E. “Griff” Griffith, brother of filmmaker D.W. Griffith. It’s a historic Route 66 landmark known as “Home of the Movie Stars”. It served as a base for Hollywood productions in the 1940s/50s, hosting legends like John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, and Ronald Reagan. My husband is a huge John Wayne fan, so knowing the Duke walked around in this hotel was exciting for him.
The Blue Hole in Santa Rosa
I had never been to Santa Rosa, but I had heard about the Blue Hole. The 80-foot-deep artesian spring-fed swimming and diving hole is also used for scuba-diving training. When you walk to the top of the beautifully maintained ‘pool,’ you can see how vast it is and why it has its name.
Arizona
America’s National Parks
Ten years ago, my husband and I took a year to RV across the southwest. We spent more time exploring Arizona than any other state. We got a senior lifetime National Park Pass back then for $10 and used it often, including along Route 66. Since my aunt and I passed by the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest along the route, we decided to drive through and see it again. So stunning!
A Detour to the Grand Canyon
We also drove through Williams along the route and couldn’t pass up the hour-long drive north to see the Grand Canyon. It is awe-inspiring and if you’re taking Route 66, you need to ensure you include the diversion of seeing nature’s beauty at its best. In Arizona, there seemed to be more small towns celebrating the route than in the other states. Many felt like a step back in time.
The Wild Road to Oatman
One road my aunt wanted to take was the road to Oatman, known for its wild burros and winding road. According to an internet search I did, this road has 191 turns along extremely narrow roads with limited guardrails. You could only go about 10-15 miles per hour on the turns. I was gripping the steering wheel the entire drive. When you drive into Oatman, you find what looks like the remains of an old west town. The wild burros are there, too, looking for food and giving visitors the opportunity to pet them while you’re there. Here’s a time-lapse video of the last two miles into town. Hopefully, you’ll get an idea of how much the road winds around.
California
Entering the Golden State
When we saw the California sign, we knew our Route 66 trip was coming to an end. We drove through Needles and Barstow with limited challenges but when we arrived in San Bernardino, traffic stopped and the rain started to fall. At one point, it felt like we were driving through the clouds, they were so low. Since the weather wasn’t cooperating, we decided to stop in San Bernardino and finish our trip, as I shared earlier in this post.
Memories from Los Angeles and Santa Monica
A couple of years ago, I traveled to Los Angeles for work and took a tour bus to Santa Monica and the end of Route 66, so I feel okay about stating I’ve experienced the entire route.
The Return Journey
New Perspectives Heading Home
Our return to Texas found us on the southern route along Interstate 10. It offered new perspectives and a chance to reflect on what we had just experienced. We drove more than 2,000 miles along the route and experienced the Mother Road on the 100th anniversary. While we felt accomplished in completing the trip, I could only imagine what it felt like to those who drove it along the paved and unpaved roads in the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. Route 66 may not be for everyone. You don’t have to drive it all at once, but I do think you should experience at least some of it. The road and the people you meet along the way offer a picture of Americana that other interstates, highways, and roads across the U.S. will never show.
“I saw in their eyes something I was to see over and over in every part of the nation- a burning desire to go, to move, to get underway, anyplace, away from any Here. They spoke quietly of how they wanted to go someday, to move about, free and unanchored, not toward something but away from something. I saw this look and heard this yearning everywhere in every state I visited. Nearly every American hungers to move.” – John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America
Route 66 for International Visitors
To the international travelers reading this blog, are you planning a trip to the US for the FIFA World Cup? Don’t miss the chance to experience Route 66’s iconic Americana while you’re here.
Until next time from the good old USA…safe travels!