Route 66 Road Trip

If you have been wanting to plan an epic road trip, that covers over 2,400 miles, crosses 8 states, and crosses one of America’s most iconic highways, then this is the road trip for you!

For this road trip, we will follow (as much as possible), the iconic, route 66! This route starts in Chicago, Illinois, and ends all the way in Santa Monica, California. During the dustbowl, this interstate saw thousands of thousands of hopeful travelers, trying to escape the cruel winds of the Midwest, to get to California for a better future. Nowadays, route 66, has been decommissioned, and most of the sections are held as monuments to the country. Many new interstates have been now built along side of this historic route. 

Now, let’s get to our itinerary! Since, we can’t follow the exact route 66, we will follow the same route, just on the new and improved highways! The first city and state we start in is, Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago is a legendary city with SO many awesome things to do! I would see the millennium park, with the cloud gate monument (this is probably the most well known part of the city). Also, I would take a visit to the Navy Pier, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, Wrigley Field, North Avenue Beach, and Lurie Garden.

Also, make sure you get yourself some dip dish pizza at Giordano’s, Oven Grinder Co., or Bacino’s, you won’t be disappointed! Oh and don’t forget about the nightlife! The best street for this is Clark Street, starting in Rogers Park, that goes all the way to Chinatown, you’re sure to find one, two, or ten amazing bars along this 12 mile walkway!

Alright, after you’ve done some damage in Chicago, there are a couple of different places you could stop at next. Springfield, Illinois is a great city with lots of history as well, but if you choose not to, you could drive all the way to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa, has many things to do, such as, the Centennial Park, the praying hands monument, Turkey Mountain Park, Chandler Park, Guthrie Green, River Parks, Oxley Nature Center, Woody Guthrie Center, the Cave House, Blue Whale of Catoosa, and the Gathering Place. 

Alright, moving right along, our next destination along this route, is Oklahoma City. Some tops sights to see here are, Brickhouse (downtown eatery, and shopping center), Museum of Osteology (over 300 skeletons here), Martin Park Nature Center, Hurricane Harbor Oklahoma City, Frontier City Theme Park, Lake Hefner, Oklahoma Railway Museum, Arcadia Lake, Oklahoma State Capitol (historic governmental buildings), Centennial Land Run Monument, Crystal Bridge, Boathouse District, Will Rogers Park, Lake Stanley Draper, North Western Avenue, and Stinchcomb Wildlife (for kayaking and hiking).  

And this leads us to our next couple of stops! Again, you could either stop at Santa Fe, Albuquerque, or both, for the next stop on your journey! Both these cities offer so much fun, great outdoors, monuments, and so much more!

Here are some standout activities in Santa Fe! The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Frijoles Trailhead (hiking), Amelia White Park, Chamisa hiking trail, Harvey Cornell Rose Park, Frenchy’s Field/Santa Fe River hiking trail, Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine, Dorothy Stewart hiking trailhead, Atalaya Mountain (for hiking), Dale Ball Trails (hiking), El Rancho de las Golondrinas, Hyde Memorial State Park, Canyon Road, Meow Wolf, Musuem of International Folk Art, Santa Fe Plaza Inc. and Loretto Chapel!

And the beautiful sites in Albuquerque are, the Milagro Vineyards, South Sandia Peak (hiking), Eye of the Sandias (hiking), Travertine Falls, Foothills Trail, La Luz Trail, Piedras Marcadas Canyon, West Mesa (volcano), Sandia Foothills, Sandia Mountain Wilderness, Sandia Crest hiking trail, Old Town Plaza, Elena Gallegos, Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, Cibola National Forest, New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Petroglyph National Monument, Sandia Peak Tramway, and Old Town!

Moving right along, again the next city on our list, is Phoenix, Arizona! Now, if you’re an outdoorsy person, like myself, this, and the cities just mentioned, are the places for you! There are so many hiking, biking, and rafting, places to explore! Here are some of the most well known attractions! The Black Canyon Trail (for mountain biking, cycling), Arizona River Runners (rafting), Carlson Creek Vineyard, Frontier Town, Shaw Butte Trail, Sierra Estrella, Desert Breeze Park, Piestewa Peak Summit Trail, Apache Wash Trailhead, Camelback Hike, North Mountain Park, East Camelback Road, Pima Canyon Trailhead, Dreamy Draw Recreation area (hiking & biking), Phoenix Preserve, Lake Pleasant, Piestewa Peak Park, South Mountain Park and Preserve, Papago Park, and Desert Botanical Gardens. 

Alright, last on our list, is Los Angeles, Califorina. This city has so much talk and tourists, but it is great! Okay here are the top spots! The Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, Bronson Canyon/Caves, Topanga State Park, Korean Friendship Bell, Dockweiler Beach, Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Paramount Pictures Studio tour, Warner Bros. Studio tour, Universal Studio tour, Venice Beach and the boardwalk, The Greek Theatre, and Old Pasadena.

In addition, you should see, the Will Rogers State Beach, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation area, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Descanso Gardens, Santa Monica Pier and beach, Grand Central Market, Melrose Avenue, Dodger Stadium, Staples Center, Mulholland Drive, Little Tokyo, Olvera Street, The Original Farmers Market, Hollywood Bowl, Universal CityWalk Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard, Rodeo Drive, TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Boulevard, the Getty, Griffith Park and Observatory, Hollywood Sign, and of course, the original, Disneyland Park. 

And that wraps up our tour for route 66! I hope you enjoyed this itinerary, and let me know if you take this trip, and what cities are your favorites! Thank you for reading, and hope you enjoyed! 

P.S. here are some cool products to have during your road trip! If your phone ever dies, or loses service, here is a link to an old time map, yes they still make them! Also, if you’re traveling with multiple people, and your car has limited charging stations, I suggest bringing portable charges, so your phone is always able to work! Here are some chargers to pick from!