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10 must-see stops along Route 66

2023-05-11T10:57:24.241Z

Highlights: Opened in 1926, Route 66 was one of the very first national highways in the United States. The 3940 km route connected Chicago (Illinois) to Los Angeles (California) via 8 states. The road was decommissioned in 1985, replaced by the new highway network, but it remains a mythical figure, embodying the golden age of America. From Chicago to Santa Monica Pier, here are the stops not to be missed during your journey from the east to the west of the U.S.


Route 66 is one of the most mythical roads in the world. From Chicago to Santa Monica Pier, here are the stops not to be missed during your journey from the east to the west of the United States.


Opened in 1926, Route 66 was one of the very first national highways in the United States. The 3940 km route then connected Chicago (Illinois) to Los Angeles (California), via 8 states, earning it the nickname "mother of all roads".

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The road was decommissioned in 1985, replaced by the new highway network, but it remains a mythical figure, embodying the golden age of America. A fantastic or nostalgic road trip, but an absolute must.

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1. Chicago (Illinois): the starting line

The beginning of Route 66 and the silhouette of Willis Tower, Chicago's tallest tower. Gorup of Besanez

The Route 66 adventure begins in Chicago. The original starting point was established in 1926 at the corner of Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue. A memorial sign now stands one street further north, at the corner of Adams Street and Michigan Avenue. The logo of the road is discreet, adorned with the simple mention "Begin".

  • See also

Push the door of the mythical Lou Mitchell's Restaurant, on Jackson Boulevard. This popular restaurant was founded in 1923 across from the starting point of Route 66. To visit before starting the road trip!

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2. Route 66 Museum (Illinois): The History of Route 66

The giant mural of the Route 66 Hall of Fame Museum. Prayitno Hadinata

Nearly 150 km south of Chicago, in Pontiac, the Route 66 Museum tells the great hours of the "mother of all roads". The museum, created in 2004 in the city's former fire station, brings together a heterogeneous collection: advertisements, petrol pumps, license plates, photos... The museum is open daily and admission is free.

  • See also

Don't miss the Gemini Giant in Wilmington, between Chicago and Pontiac. This 9-metre-high figure is one of the last advertising remnants of Route 66.

3. Pops 66 (Oklahoma): Soda Temple

Pops 66 was designed by architect Rand Elliott, author of Bicentennial Park in Oklahoma City. Brand USA

Inaugurated in 2007 at the entrance to the small town of Arcadia, Pops 66 is a service area that revives the great era of Route 66 while bringing a touch of modernity. The petrol station sports futuristic lines and a 20-metre-high bottle, encircled in neon lights, serves as a sign. The restaurant's menu unsurprisingly offers burgers, sandwiches and more... 500 different sodas.

  • See also

The Arcadia Round Barn is the last round barn on Route 66. Built in 1898, the wooden building reaches 13 meters high.

See alsoTen unusual museums to visit in the United States

4. 66 Drive-In (Missouri): a cinema like back then

66 Drive-In closed in 1985 before being successfully relaunched in 1998. Brand USA

Between St. Louis and Oklahoma City, grab your tickets and park in the parking lot of Carthage's monumental open-air cinema. 66 Drive-In opened in 1949 and is now a listed building. Nothing has changed since its inception. The screen of more than 20 meters is still there and the sessions take place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from April to mid-September.

  • See also

20 km from Carthage, mandatory photo stop in front of Route 66 Mural Park in Joplin. Two giant frescoes await visitors.

5. Cadillac Ranch (Texas): a work of art in the desert

The cars used for the Cadillac Ranch work date from 1949 to 1963. Richie Diesterheft

Halfway between Chicago and Los Angeles, Cadillac Ranch personifies Route 66. This art installation consists of a line of 10 old Cadillacs planted in the desert. The work was created in 1974 by a collective of artists and architects a bit hippie, with the support of a millionaire patron. A car version of Stonehenge!

  • See also

About a 2-hour drive from Cadillac Ranch in Santa Rosa, visit the Route 66 Auto Museum. This museum presents thirty emblematic cars of the golden age of America.

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6. Tee Pee Curios (New Mexico): a "teepee" shop

Tee Pee Curios attracts attention with its Indian teepee and illuminated sign. Jerry Huddleston

With its teepee-like entrance, Tee Pee Curios is one of the last souvenir shops that dotted along Route 66. This former gas station opened in the 1940s in Tucumcari, between Oklahoma City and Albuquerque. You will find a bric-a-brac of objects bearing the effigy of Route 66 as well as Indian pottery.

  • See also

For a night in Tucumcari, book a room at the Blue Swallow Motel. The establishment, founded in 1939, is very photogenic with its beautiful American and its giant sign.

7. Seligman, Arizona: The Memory of Route 66

Seligman and its 700 inhabitants perfectly maintain the myth of Route 66. Mike McBey

Seligman is one of the most characteristic examples of a town that developed thanks to Route 66. In the 1980s, the city stepped up its efforts to revive its heritage, earning the title of "Birthplace of Route 66." Seligman opens on the longest original stretch of the road, over 250 kilometers.

  • See also

Enjoy lunch at Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In, a family restaurant that has been perfectly in its juice since its opening in 1953. Order the unmissable "cheeseburger with cheese"!

8. Wigwam Motel (Arizona): A night under a teepee

At its peak, Wigwam Villages operated 7 motels on Route 66. Amanderson2

Holbrook's Wigwam Motel is one of the last Wigwam Villages on Route 66 still standing. This chain of hotels, founded in the 1930s, was inspired by Indian camps and offered modern rooms in unusual teepee-shaped buildings. The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook is still in use and listed as a historic monument.

  • See also

The second Wigwam Motel on Route 66 is in San Bernardino, California. The very first Wigwam Motel is located off Route 66 in Cave City, Kentucky. It dates from 1937.

9. Baghdad Café (California): a movie star

The interior of the Baghdad Café is covered with messages left by passing French tourists. Vicente Villamón

Released in 1987, the German film Baghdad Café met with unexpected success in France. The screenplay tells the story of a German tourist stranded in a Route 66 motel after a sudden breakup with her husband. The café is still there, in Newberry Springs, about 200 km from Los Angeles. A popular step for the French, in search of the atmosphere of the film.

  • See also

See also: 80 km from Victorville's Bagdad Café, stop by Emma Jean's Holland Burger Café, another famous address. The location appears in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Volume 2.

Read alsoWhen to go to California? Weather, climate... The best travel times

10. Santa Monica Pier (California): the end of the road

Route 66 ends in San Monica, facing the Pacific Ocean. .APK

The Santa Monica Pier marks the finish line of Route 66, facing the Pacific Ocean. The sign indicating the end of the road is however very recent since it was installed in 1999 only by Route 66 Alliance. Historians recall that Route 66 ended at the time in Downtown Los Angeles, at the corner of Broadway and 7th Street.

  • See also

Overlooking the beach, Santa Monica Pier is home to an amusement park including a Ferris wheel and roller coaster. A unique perspective on the Pacific Ocean!

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2023-05-11

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