Best Route 66 Day Trips & Things to Do

Route 66 is a 2,400-mile highway that runs from Chicago to Los Angeles. Paved in 1926, the route was popular until more direct interstates were completed in the 1980s. Today travelers still road trip down what John Steinbeck called The Mother Road, past historical landmarks through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Grab a bite at Dixie Truckers Home in Illinois that has been serving travelers since 1928. For a bit of history, visit Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma. Then pass Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe on the way to the Santa Monica Pier.