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Route 66 was once the Main Street of America. It was officially decommissioned on June 27, 1985, but continues to draw a certain sort of traveler. If you like friendly people, small towns, and history, Route 66 has a lot to offer. Here are some of the more interesting places on the Mother Road. Be sure to tell us about your own experiences on Route 66 in the comments.
Standing guard over the Launching Pad Drive-in is a 20-foot tall green space man holding a rocket!
The Dixie is the oldest recognized truck stop on Route 66. In nearly 70 years, it has only been closed one day (due to a fire) and continues to offer motorists food and fuel, as well as a small Route 66 museum.
The Chain of Rocks bridge once carried Route 66 over the mighty Mississippi. The bridge had a unique 24-degree bend in the middle, which was necessary for boats navigating the river. Eventually, I-270 bypassed the bridge and it sat in disrepair for years, until it was turned into a pedestrian and bike path. Just downstream are two beautiful water intake towers that look like tiny castles.
If I could have only one dessert for the rest of my life, it would be Ted Drewe’s Frozen Custard. It is AMAZING!
Legendary outlaw Jesse James hid out from the sheriff in this cave system. Later, the cave was turned into a tourist attraction and the bumper sticker was invented here!
The Blue Whale was built by Hugh Davis as an anniversary gift for his wife. It was intended just for family use, but quickly became a popular swimming pond for tourists and locals.
Eccentric millionaire Stanley Marsh III commissioned this huge art piece. Ten Cadillacs are buried at an angle in the sand. The cars have been decorated by visitors with many layers of spray paint graffiti.
Believed to be the oldest continually operating motel on the Route, it is easily recognizable by it’s distinctive and beautiful neon sign.
Route 66 winds precariously through the Black Mountains on the way to Oatman. In nine miles, the road climbs 1400 feet and although it is dangerous with it’s many hairpin turns, the views are spectacular.
The famous Santa Monica Pier is just beyond the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, the official end of Route 66. As of this writing, the Ferris wheel had been sold on Ebay and is being packed up and sent to Oklahoma City!
Contributor: Nicosia
November 28th, 2008 at 1:54 am
wow the whale looks cool as!
November 28th, 2008 at 1:55 am
First comment, wahey, I wanna do this route someday…
November 28th, 2008 at 1:57 am
Awesome List! I wanna go on a roadtrip now =D
November 28th, 2008 at 1:57 am
gr8 work nicosia!
November 28th, 2008 at 2:13 am
6 and 2 look pretty cool, but the whale and the spaceman look a bit tacky.
November 28th, 2008 at 2:28 am
Although I didn’t do a whole route 66 roadtrip, at times we were on parts of it. I think about the only thing I actually visited on the list was the Santa Monica Pier. Luckily it’s #1!
November 28th, 2008 at 2:29 am
Umm…too American??
Nicosia: interesting list. I’m sure we can all learn something from this list, wherever we come from. How much of this route have you travelled?
November 28th, 2008 at 2:38 am
Jono, the only thing I have visited is the Santa Monica Pier too.
I would love to drive across the US following this route. So far I’ve only crossed on the Interstates.
November 28th, 2008 at 2:42 am
sick
November 28th, 2008 at 2:43 am
Stop fucking complaining that it’s too American.
Route 66 is IN America
Get over it
Cool list
I want a whale
November 28th, 2008 at 2:47 am
I can not even begin to name all the accidents I have seen happen on number 2. I am from Kingman, and the road out there is extremely narrow and tons of blind corners as well. To top it off it is a favorite of people wanting to test there skills at speeding. Most fail miserably.
November 28th, 2008 at 3:10 am
I might be driving route 66 next year with some uni friends, once we’ve finished getting MA’s and BA’s and PhD’s and the like……. thanks for the mini tour guide!
November 28th, 2008 at 3:39 am
@ Ash #10: I’m reasonably certain that Astraya was making a joke, especially considering that he immediately complimented the list.
Super interesting list, maybe I’ll turn this into a road trip some day!
November 28th, 2008 at 3:40 am
Nice list.
To anyone who’s done the trip: what was your travel budget?
I’ve always wanted to drive thru US, not necessarily this route, but as a tourist anyway. I’d also probably need to rent a car.
November 28th, 2008 at 3:46 am
Get your kicks on Route 66…
I’ve always wanted to do this road trip… maybe this summer.
cool list
thanks
November 28th, 2008 at 4:14 am
Yes, of course I was joking. Get over it.
For the nostalgia buffs:
If you ever plan to motor west,
Travel my way, take the highway that is best.
Get your kicks on Route 66.
It winds from Chicago to LA,
More than two thousand miles all the way.
Get your kicks on Route 66.
Now you go through Saint Looey
Joplin, Missouri,
And Oklahoma City is mighty pretty.
You see Amarillo,
Gallup, New Mexico,
Flagstaff, Arizona.
Dont forget Winona,
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernandino.
Won’t you get hip to this timely tip:
When you make that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66.
(Bobby Troup, sung by Nat King Cole and many others)
November 28th, 2008 at 4:22 am
PS The lyrics website I copied the lyrics from included the spelling “Saint Looey”. The wikipedia article about the song (which I’ve just checked for further knowledge) specifies and spells “Saint Louis, (Missouri)”.
November 28th, 2008 at 5:30 am
Thanks, guys! Glad you liked it! I have been on the Route in 6 out of eight states and can’t wait to go again. The people really are incredibly friendly and the places are so much more interesting than the monotony of the interstates. Btw- ligeia- the tackiness is part of the charm!
November 28th, 2008 at 5:34 am
Juggz- The picture doesn’t quite capture the nature of the road, does it? Have you visited the Oatman burros?
November 28th, 2008 at 5:42 am
Nicosia: I didn’t necessarily mean that tackiness was a bad thing, I find the whale pretty funny. Sorry, but I really don’t like the spaceman, I’m not sure why, though
November 28th, 2008 at 5:52 am
ligeia- The spaceman is one of many Muffler Men… Here’s some more
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/muffler/
November 28th, 2008 at 6:10 am
Nicosia: wow thats weird!! I like the one with the sinister moustache. I have to point out that Vikings didn’t wear horned helmets!! It bugs the hell out of me that this myth got so popular. Grrr.
November 28th, 2008 at 6:23 am
If you like this kind of stuff, you might like my blog, Roadside Weirdness. Here’s the link http://roadsideweirdness.blogspot.com/
November 28th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Hey Nicosia I like your weirdness! We have plenty of old ruined castles and churches in Ireland, I’d say you’d love that. Also, there is a very large concrete ram near where my boyfriend lives.
November 28th, 2008 at 6:37 am
As an STL boy, I can attest to the great taste of Ted Drewes.
And the Chain of Rocks Bridge is awesome. Little trivia fact: It was used as the bridge in the final scenes of Escape from New York.
November 28th, 2008 at 6:40 am
My wife owns a beauty shop right on Route 66 in Yukon, OK.
November 28th, 2008 at 7:03 am
Ive lived in st louis my whole life and I have never been to Ted Drewe’s Frozen Custard. I really need to add that to my to do list.
November 28th, 2008 at 7:33 am
I have driven every section of route 66 except the section out of Chicago. The route is not intact any more due to realignments and the construction of the interstates that replaced it and it can be quite confusing to follow 66 in places.
We did it in sections over a couple of years. We used information from http://www.historic66.com/description/ to plan our days out in detail – if you don’t do this you will regret it. Being lost out there in places is no fun.
It’s a great trip for people in the US to take. There is class and kitsch everywhere – more kitsch, I have to admit, but that’s what makes it so great.
November 28th, 2008 at 7:41 am
history on road
November 28th, 2008 at 7:46 am
Oh no. They cant sell the ferris wheel! Santa Monica pier just isnt what it is without the wheel!
November 28th, 2008 at 7:59 am
Nicosia, great list…btw are you from Cyprus or something?
November 28th, 2008 at 8:21 am
I’ve been to a number of places on Route 66, and have quite a collection of Route 66 maps and postcards. Best of all, though, I grew up not far from the Santa Monica Pier, Pacific Ocean Park, as it was known in the old days (and when it was much more extensive!), and spent many a hot day, and warm night, in it’s pleasant confines.
The rickety old wooden roller-coaster, which actually had sections free floating (if appeared from the coaster) above the ocean, and the ferris wheel, were the best.
Bumper cars, a wheel of death, the entire plethora of carnival rides were there for the asking!
It was perfection!
November 28th, 2008 at 8:30 am
lol Astraya.
WTF this list is TOO AMERICAN.
must be some more american propoganda. jkjk
November 28th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Sus- No, I am from Kentucky. When I was born, my parents thought I was going to be a boy, so they didn’t have a girl’s name picked out. I went without a name for two days until my mom saw an article about the conflict in Nicosia, Cyprus in a newspaper.
November 28th, 2008 at 8:51 am
CJ- Chicago is really not all that great unless you are planning on going to Lou Mitchell’s for breakfast. The west is way more fun!
November 28th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Great list but it could have been so much bigger. There are a lot of interesting things to see along Route 66. If any of you decide to travel it, come visit me. It runs right through my city in Missouri.
November 28th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Cheeshy- Where in Missouri?
November 28th, 2008 at 9:17 am
I followed Route 66 once. Other interesting places not listed I saw were: The Texas Steakhouse in Amarillo (Home of the 100oz steak), the giant cross in Broom, TX, the Meteor Crater and Tepee Hotel in Holbrook, AZ, and the Petrified Forest. Going down Route 66 is something everyone should try at least once in their lives!
November 28th, 2008 at 9:28 am
I used to live near Santa Monica blvd. I was delighted when I found out it was part of route 66.
November 28th, 2008 at 9:30 am
hey cool list! America is cool
November 28th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Bill:
You mean the Big Texan Steak House where you can undertake the challenge of eating a 72 ounce steak and the entire meal with it within an hour. If you can do it then your meal and I think the meals of everyone with you are free.
Cadillac Ranch is REALLY cool. I’m from Amarillo but I live in Beaumont now. Stanley Marsh III actually did other stuff like that. He used to have his cronies go around town asking people if they wanted signs in their yards. If they agreed then he would have artists make them signs and his people would install them in their front yards. It was all free of charge. He seems to like art projects of a different nature.
November 28th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Nicosia- that’s cool, it’s a pretty place…you should go sometime!
November 28th, 2008 at 10:07 am
I love Santa Monica, I never get tired of going there to walk on the pier or promenade. perks of living in southern california lol
November 28th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Re: Cadillac Ranch
You say decorated, I say defaced.
November 28th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Bigwig Rabbit: I must say – I did think that too when I first saw it
November 28th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Nice list, just a pity I live on the other side of the globe, we have the cango caves here, which is similar to the pic. in # 6.
November 28th, 2008 at 11:02 am
I’ve been on 66 many, many times in the course of traveling, mostly when I was younger, yet I do not remember most of these attractions. I have a terrible memory, though. I’m forever confusing attractions, or remembering something, but not knowing what it was called or what state it was in. Wish I’d taken more pictures. I only have the rare souvenir to prove I was even there in the first place.
November 28th, 2008 at 11:04 am
When I was a kid we travelled the western half of route 66; can’t tell you expenses, but the price of gas was around 55 cents a gallon… Ah, the ‘good old days’… well, sort of.
List brings back memories. Adrian, Texas (the mythical half-way point), the brand new I40 bypass (ugly even then), Winslow, AZ (sing it, baybee!)…
November 28th, 2008 at 11:25 am
I went to the Santa Monica Pier in August. I loved out there, I love the west coast. A real shame that the ferris wheel is being taken away. Hopefully another one gets put up.
November 28th, 2008 at 11:30 am
I think I may have to do a follow-up list… There are just too many cool places on the road!
November 28th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Nicosia: great idea
November 28th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
THERE IS NO REASON THE SPACEMAN SHOULD BE ON THIS LIST! I LIVE TEN MINUTES AWAY FROM IT. . . . . . . . ITS NOT THAT AMAZING AT ALL
November 28th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Great list, Nicosia! I’ve never driven on Rt. 66 but I’ve always been curious about it.
November 28th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
#38 Bill, the name of the steak joint in Amarillo is ‘The Big Texan’ and it’s a 72 oz. steak.
http://www.bigtexan.com/
November 28th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
The whale seems like an odd anniversary present.
November 28th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Very nice.
November 28th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Island_Boggs(52) – ow, ow, ow… my ears!!
November 28th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Back bout a zillion years ago I hich hiked from Columbus, Ohio to Los Angeles. I picked up 66 in St Louis and followed it the entire stretch. This was all pre Interstate. Ahh, those really were THE DAYS!!
November 28th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Nicosia (37): Springfield.
November 28th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
I love the Santa Monica Pier! I have the pleasure of visiting at least twice a year (I always try to take a little time out from my business trips). I cant belive the wheel is being taken down!! It will never look the same…
November 28th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
good list! ive been to the pier before. only a few times though. its sad the ferris wheel is being taken down =(
November 28th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
hey! an awesome list would be “best backpacking spots in the united states” i love to backpack and I have done alot of it around the ozarks and colorado but i do not think i am qualified to make a full list. someone should do.
November 28th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
As a St. Louis native, I can vouch for the awesomeness that is Ted Drewe’s. My brother used to live a few blocks from there, and we used to get concretes all the time. Delicious.
November 28th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Am I the only one who finds this completely unappealing? With the exception of the Black Mountains and the caverns, these are all just meaningless, tacky exhibits. A “beautiful neon sign”? A truck stop? SERIOUSLY?
November 28th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Cheeshy- Then you must know about Fantastic Caverns!
Corey- The reason for all the tackiness is that back in the heyday of the Route, mom and pop businesses were competing for the tourist dollars. They had to stand out and catch your eye. Nowadays, corporate hotels and restaurants that are all exactly the same line the interstates, on which every mile looks exactly like the last. What is appealing about the Route is the fact that there is so much personality, individuality, and history.
November 28th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
JUNQUEMAN- I bet you have got some great stories!
November 28th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Shame! You completely ignored the stretch that runs through Arcadia OK and Edmond OK. We have Pop’s Diner/gas (with a giant light up soda bottle to boot), the Big Round Red Barn (with amazing acoustics), not to mention the University I go to is located on the town part of Rt. 66. Route 66 becomes Second Street, then Edmond Road in Edmond, and UCO is located on Second Street.
I digress. You ignored the barn.
November 28th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
I drive on Route 66 almost everyday, interesting list!
November 28th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
this list sixty-sux
November 29th, 2008 at 1:42 am
@ post # 69: No U!
Seriously though, that kind of comment is looked down on here. If the list isn’t interesting to you, skip it & read tomorrow’s, or do as your name suggests & randomly view another. If you disagree with anything, or think other locations should have been listed, we would love to hear about your suggestions.
November 29th, 2008 at 2:15 am
Buster: That’s the one! I couldn’t afford the BIG steak, so I got a smaller size…but found a stuffed armadillo in the gift shop that now sits on the front of my desk. A big guy from Chicago did finish the steak while we were there though.
November 29th, 2008 at 2:34 am
Speaking of dangerous, winding Arizona highways….
Some friends and I were in Jerome, Arizona enjoying a meal with a view on the small town. There is a somewhat famous stretch of highway from Jerome to Prescott. It’s got I think 158 turns in 12 miles or something crazy like that. While walking through the town, you can even see stores that sell T-shirts with the popular catchphrase “I survived 158 turns in 12 miles”. Luckily one of our party knew that road well as he had driven it before and often, so we were going to be fine on this downhill hellpath. While eating our food and watching the sun set on the small town, we noticed an ambulance speed through the only road in the entire town, towards the highway. We figured there had been a small accident. Then, 2 Police cars followed. Then again another 3 ambulances came. That was practically the entire emergency department of the whole county. After our meal, we started driving towards Prescott. As we started the descent into many, many turns, we were stopped by an officer who told us to turn around, as there had been a serious accident. Well, I guess it would be pretty serious if they sent like 5-7 emergency vehicles or whatever the final total was. I guess that guy doesn’t qualify for one of those T-shirts.
November 29th, 2008 at 4:47 am
The Tepee Hotel in Holbrook is fabulous. Me and my husband stayed there one night while visiting my family who live in the next town over. Granted the manager was a little creepy and the rooms are quite small, but it sure is a conversation piece! Nice list.
November 29th, 2008 at 7:46 am
Cassy- The same guy who built that Wigwam Motel built one here in Kentucky. My husband and I stayed there a few years ago and loved it!
Moose- I am going to do a follow up list- I’ll be sure to include the Round Barn
November 29th, 2008 at 9:50 am
TO #64 AND #69 I’m positive you’d best move on to other lists–For those that remember or care to relive a small part of history, there’s nothing like a NEON SIGN-OR A CHEESY MOTEL.
November 29th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
When I was young, in the late 40’s and 50’s, our family used to make the trip between Los Angeles and Texas on Rt 66 twice a year. My dad would always stop at rattlesnake farms, or anything else of interest. No convienence stores, but there were these great stops out in the desert with cafes, gas, stores, etc. They were fun.
Thanks for the memories.
November 29th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I live in Flagstaff, which is directly on Route 66. It is the main street in town, paralleled by I-40.
I have traveled the stretch from New Mexico to Santa Monica and there are so many more interesting thing to see just in that stretch than are listed here, including Meteor Crater, the Petrified Forest, any number of landmarks in Flagstaff or Williams, the Grand Canyon (not directly on Route 66, but within 50 miles and much better than most listed here), just to name a few.
November 29th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
before my ancient five year old computer crashed, I took a screen shot of a partial responce that follows as such:”….and eye-catchers off the highways(ieLbeen travelin’ in Amerika).
BULL HORN ANNOUNCEMENT to exotic auto traverlers: If you’re in Amerikan Dream along a 66route-type adventure—pick up any and all (that your war drawn carriage can handle) wanton derelicts that happen to be seedy-eyed and looking for trouble. It’s the Amerikan way folks!
I remember(and i am not sure if it was 66 or 666) but the Cadillacs were out there and without the neon spray exuberance of canned paint. I flew by with no time for stalling and said, “Hey, there’s that thing I saw on tee vee”
The Dixie—-after the fire: ” TELL THEM LARGE MARGE SENT CHA, AH HA HA HAHAHAHA HA!”
end of quote before dissapearence.
November 29th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
To dK and Junqwoman,
you are both twats
November 30th, 2008 at 12:35 am
See, now it’s just obvious that you aren’t reading the right lists…for example the list from a few days ago about “how to win an argument,” would be good, especially #7, about not using ad hominem attacks.
November 30th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I live in Marina del Rey and skate to Santa Monica pier regularly. The old Ferris wheel was indeed sold this past summer, but a brand new Ferris wheel was installed ten (10) days later. So if you visit Santa Monica pier, you’ll get to see and/or ride a Ferris wheel.
November 30th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
We did the entire highway, or what’s left of it, about five years ago. It’ tempting to by-pass some of it along the I-40, but don’t do it. Stay in every tacky motel, Indian Tee Pee, and eat at every greasy diner, and hit every useless museum. Then watch ‘Cars’, and you’ll recognize every inspiration. Also, stand on the corner of Winslow, AZ, and watch the locals laugh at you. We apparently weren’t the first to irritate them singing Eagle’s songs. They weren’t that irritated when we left money there! Don’t by-pass Amboy either. It’s a quiet, beautiful drive, away from the I-40, between Needles and Barstow. Both my dad and father-in-law got out to California using the road, and I am old enough that we went from Wisconsin to S.F., using the southern route, i.e. all of Route 66. You will need at least 3 weeks; longer is better, and visit some of the National parks and monuments off the beaten track. Mostly, take your time and HAVE FUN!
December 1st, 2008 at 10:35 am
They sold the Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica pier?? But why?
December 1st, 2008 at 1:15 pm
lol, stanley marsh!
December 1st, 2008 at 8:48 pm
How could you leave out Williams Arizona, gateway to the Grand Canyon and southern terminal of the Grand Canyon Railway?
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:27 am
I live 2 minutes from the pier. the new ferris wheel is kinda cool but it lacks the charm of the old one. It was literally down for a few days and the new one came right up.
It is like selling the Cyclone at Coney Island and putting some new neon coaster in its place, just isnt right really.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:39 pm
WooHoo! My town made #4! Yippee!
December 5th, 2008 at 8:05 am
See the USA in your Chevrolet but, if you don’t want to walk,
you’ll drive a Ford!
Drive the USA in your Chevrolet. Mr. Goodwrench guys will welcome you aboard.
You will spend all your money on car parts and when all that damage is done you ain’t got any funds so you’ll just have to find a FREE PARK!!
Author: Ford Owner
December 6th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Susan-
First
On
Race
Day!!!!
December 6th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Oops- that was meant for RivaRascal
February 7th, 2009 at 1:11 am
Springfield, IL should be on that list. I’m from there and the Cozy Dog Drive In is not to be missed. I grew up 2 blocks from there and would ride my bike with my brother whenever we got our allowance. I remember when Cozy Dog shared the building with Dairy Queen. You could, for a time, order Cozy Dogs and DQ from the spiffy window that split the two. The old building is long gone, replaced by a Walgreens, but the new building is steps away. I still eat there from time to time just because it’s my hometown food, apart from the horseshoe
If you’re ever in Springfield, do the Lincoln sites, then clog your arteries with Cozy Dogs & horseshoes!!
February 9th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I’ve only been to chain of rocks bridge and Meramec Caverns.
(I obviously live in missouri. xD)
October 28th, 2009 at 8:41 am
The whale!
Oh God.
Must be the best anniversary present ever.
I hope the wife really loves it. xD
Would love to visit these! Great list btw!
November 7th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Great list. I’ve been to and photographed all of them and many, many more. Mom and I travelled the entire 2,448 miles and stopped at every attraction and point of interest along the way with lots of greasy spoon diners. Yum! We did it in three 800+ mile sections in three summers. The highlight of my life. To some it may appear “tacky” but that is, after all, its claim to fame. Much more fun than any fancy, expensive tourist resort.