Route 66

Harold J. Cook Homestead Cabin, more commonly known as Bone Cabin, located on south side of Niobrara River
Ammodramus, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Route 66 Travel Guide

Experience the Mother Road by exploring Route 66 through the interactive map. Stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica, this legendary highway passes through classic diners, neon-lit landmarks, historic towns, roadside attractions, and some of America's most iconic landscapes. Whether you're seeking nostalgia, photography, local culture, or the ultimate cross-country adventure, Route 66 offers an unforgettable journey through the heart of America's road trip heritage. Start planning your drive and discover why the Mother Road continues to inspire travelers from around the world.

Top Locations
Central Park

PortableNYCTours, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Begin Route 66 Sign

Chicago

★ 5.0

Cathedral in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan is the world's sixth-largest church by area

Central Park

Anthony Quintano from Hillsborough, NJ, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Lou Mitchell's Restaurant

Chicago

★ 5.0

Most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated 42 million visitors annually as of 2016, and is the most filmed location in the world

Central Park

bryan..., CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Route 66 Association of Illinois

Springfield

★ 5.0

Museum complex comprises 26 interconnected buildings housing 45 permanent exhibition halls, in addition to a planetarium and a library

Central Park

Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Gemini Giant

Wilmington

★ 5.0

16.3-acre complex of buildings houses nationally and internationally renowned performing arts organizations including the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, and the New York City Ballet

Central Park

TomasEE, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Polk-A-Dot Drive-In

Braidwood

★ 5.0

Largest art museum in the United States. Its permanent collection contains over 2 million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments

Central Park

Jdforrester, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Ambler's Texaco Gas Station

Dwight

★ 5.0

Aerial tramway in New York City that spans the East River and connects Roosevelt Island to the Upper East Side of Manhattan

Central Park

Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Standard Oil of Illinois Gas Station

Odell

★ 5.0

Art museum that is home of a continuously expanding collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art

NYC Edge

Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup

Shirley

★ 5.0

Theatrical performances which are presented in the 41 professional theatres, located in the Theater District and the Lincoln Center along Broadway

NYC Edge

ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Cozy Dog Drive-In

Springfield

★ 5.0

9.6-acre (39,000 m2) public park in Midtown Manhattan where the eastern half is occupied by the Main Branch of the New York Public Library and the western half contains a lawn, and shaded walkways

NYC Edge

Misterweiss at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Maid Rite

Springfield

★ 5.0

Art Deco skyscraper in the Turtle Bay neighborhood on the East Side of Manhattan is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel framework

NYC Edge

Hypnotoad78, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Ariston Café

Litchfield

★ 5.0

Outdoor terrace jutting 80 feet outward south, providing panoramic views of Manhattan and the Hudson River

Dixie Family Restaurant

McLean

★ 5.0

Commuter rail terminal in Midtown Manhattan known for its distinctive architecture and interior design that have earned it several landmark designations

NYC Edge

ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Chain of Rocks Bridge

St. Louis

★ 5.0

Art museum located in Midtown Manhattan is often identified as one of the largest and most influential museums of modern art in the world

NYC Edge

Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard

St. Louis

★ 5.0

Flagship building in the New York Public Library system and a landmark in Midtown Manhattan

NYC Edge

PumpkinSky, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Route 66 State Park

Eureka

★ 5.0

Art Deco styled entertainment venue within Rockefeller Center known for its large auditorium

Meramec Caverns

Stanton

★ 5.0

Large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (89,000 m2) between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan

Vessel

Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Jesse James Wax Museum

Stanton

★ 5.0

Catholic cathedral in the Midtown Manhattan is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America

Vessel

Saggittarius A, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Devil's Elbow

Devil's Elbow

★ 5.0

Observation deck consisting of glass-floored elevators and enclosed glass balconies that protrude from the facade

NYC Edge

NBCUniversal, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Larry Baggett's Trail of Tears Memorial

Waynesville

★ 5.0

Centerpiece of Rockefeller Center houses the headquarters and New York studios of television network NBC; the Rainbow Room restaurant; and Top of the Rock observation deck

Wagon Wheel Motel

Cuba

★ 5.0

Major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment center, brightly lit by numerous billboards and advertisements, is one of the world's busiest pedestrian areas, and the hub of the Broadway Theater District

Times Square

Basil D Soufi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Springfield Birthplace of Route 66

Springfield

★ 5.0

Complex that has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since 1951 and holds the seats of the principal organs of the UN

The High Line

MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Gary's Gay Parita

Ash Grove

★ 5.0

Food hall, shopping mall, office building and television production facility located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan

66 Drive-In Theatre

Carthage

★ 5.0

Neighborhood in Lower Manhattan is the home to the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere and is one of the oldest Chinese ethnic enclaves

The High Line

Sam valadi, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Red Oak II

Carthage

★ 5.0

102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan

The High Line

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World's Second Largest Rocking Chair

Fanning

★ 5.0

Triangular 22-story, 285-foot-tall (86.9 m) steel-framed landmarked building located in the eponymous Flatiron District neighborhood of Manhattan

Cars on the Route

Galena

★ 5.0

Neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan known as an artists' haven, bohemian capital, cradle of the modern LGBT movement, and the East Coast birthplace the Beat and '60s counterculture movements

The High Line

Jeff P from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Galena Mining & Historical Museum

Galena

★ 5.0

Small, fenced-in private park and the surrounding neighborhood that is referred to also as Gramercy, in Manhattan

The High Line

Matias Garabedian from Montreal, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Route 66 Cruisers

Galena

★ 5.0

1.45-mile-long (2.33 km) elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan

Vessel

Epicgenius, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Rainbow Bridge

Riverton

★ 5.0

Upscale indoor shopping mall in New York City

The High Line

Jim.henderson, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Nelson's Old Riverton Store

Riverton

★ 5.0

Artificial island park in the Hudson River west of Manhattan is supported by 132 pot-shaped structures suspended above the water

Kansas Route 66 Visitors Center

Baxter Springs

★ 5.0

Neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, known for its large Italian population

The High Line

ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Robert Whitebird Cultural Center

Quapaw

★ 5.0

Museum including two historical tenement buildings were home to an estimated 15,000 people, from over 20 nations, between 1863 and 2011

The High Line

Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Blue Whale of Catoosa

Catoosa

★ 5.0

21-story, French Renaissance-inspired château style luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan at the southeastern corner of Central Park

Will Rogers Memorial Museum

Claremore

★ 5.0

Neighborhood in Lower Manhattan known for its location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and its variety of shops ranging from trendy upscale boutiques to national and international chain store outlets

Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park

Foyil

★ 5.0

16-story, 150-foot-tall structure of connected staircases between the buildings of Hudson Yards, located in the 5-acre Hudson Yards Public Square

NYC Edge

Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Golden Driller

Tulsa

★ 5.0

9.75-acre public park in Lower Manhattan is the best known of New York City's public parks and an icon as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity

Vessel

Jeff P from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios on 66

Tulsa

★ 5.0

Memorial and museum in New York City commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks

Blue Dome

Tulsa

★ 5.0

25-acre public park located at the southern tip of Manhattan Island facing New York Harbor containing multiple monuments

Mother Road Market

Tulsa

★ 5.0

Oldest public park in New York City

Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza

Tulsa

★ 5.0

Bronze sculpture depicting a bull, the symbol of aggressive financial optimism and prosperity

Acadia Round Barn

Arcadia

★ 5.0

Island in New York Harbor that was the busiest immigrant inspection station in the United States and is now a national museum of immigration

POPS 66

Arcadia

★ 5.0

Historic building in the Financial District where the colonial Stamp Act Congress met to draft its message to King George III claiming entitlement to the same rights as the residents of Britain and other historcial events

Federal Hall

Jim.henderson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Milk Bottle Grocery

Oklahoma City

★ 5.0

Museum and restaurant in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan that played a prominent role in history before, during, and after the American Revolution

Federal Hall

Momos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Route 66 Interpretive Center

Chandler

★ 5.0

Located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, the building is the oldest city hall in the United States that still houses its original governmental functions

Federal Hall

Gh9449, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Rock Café

Stroud

★ 5.0

Rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and opened on October 27, 1904, is one of the world's oldest public transit systems

Federal Hall

Andy C, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum

Warwick

★ 5.0

The world's largest stock exchange and is the leading US money center for international financial activities

Federal Hall

Armando Olivo Martín del Campo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

National Route 66 Museum and Transportation Museum

Elk City

★ 5.0

Main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, is the tallest building in the United States and in the Western Hemisphere

Staten Island Ferry

Tdorante10, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Oklahoma Route 66 Museum

Clinton

★ 5.0

Busy ferry service operating 24-hours a day connecting Manhattan with Staten Island with view of Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and New York Skyline

Lucille's Service Station

Hydro

★ 5.0

Colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor within New York City

Trinity Church

Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Magnolia Gas Station

Shamrock

★ 5.0

Historic Episcopal church & cemetery where Alexander Hamilton & other early Americans are buried

U-Drop Inn Café

Shamrock

★ 5.0

Designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, station consisting of white ribs that interlock high above the ground and interior containing two underground floors

Restored 1929 Route 66 Gas Station

McLean

★ 5.0

Southernmost bridge connecting Manhattan Island and Long Island is a major tourist attraction since its opening and an icon of New York City

Devil's Rope Museum

McLean

★ 5.0

85-acre park on the Brooklyn side of the East River includes Main Street Parks, historic Fulton Ferry Landing, Piers 1-6, Empire Stores and the Tobacco Warehouse

Brooklyn Bridge

MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Leaning Tower of Texas

Groom

★ 5.0

Peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of Brooklyn

Cadillac Ranch

Amarillo

★ 5.0

Short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, a neighborhood of Brooklyn remade into an upscale residential and commercial community for art galleries, and currently a center for technology startups

DUMBO

Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery

Amarillo

★ 5.0

Chain of fast food restaurants specializing in hot dogs. The original Nathan's restaurant stands at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in the Coney Island neighborhood of the Brooklyn

DUMBO

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Bug Ranch

Conway

★ 5.0

Museum displaying historical artifacts of the New York City Subway, bus, and commuter rail systems in the greater New York City metropolitan region

DUMBO

King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

MidPoint Café

Adrian

★ 5.0

Urban park in Brooklyn including 90-acre (36 ha) Long Meadow, the Picnic House, Litchfield Villa, Prospect Park Zoo, the Boathouse, and Concert Grove

Brooklyn Bridge

Postdlf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Glenrio

Glenrio

★ 5.0

One of the largest zoos in the United States by area and is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States by area

Brooklyn Bridge

Joyofmuseums, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Tee Pee Curios

Tucumcari

★ 5.0

Museum in Upper Manhattan, specializing in European medieval art and architecture, with a focus on the Romanesque and Gothic periods

Brooklyn Bridge

Eden, Janine and Jim, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Blue Swallow Motel

Tucumcari

★ 5.0

Public park in the northern part of Queens is the fourth-largest public park in New York City

Brooklyn Bridge

Eden, Janine and Jim, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Route 66 Auto Museum

Santa Rosa

★ 5.0

Public park in the northern part of Queens is the fourth-largest public park in New York City

Central Park

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Blue Hole

Santa Rosa

★ 5.0

Cathedral in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan is the world's sixth-largest church by area

Central Park

Anthony Quintano from Hillsborough, NJ, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

KiMo Theatre

Albuquerque

★ 5.0

Most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated 42 million visitors annually as of 2016, and is the most filmed location in the world

Central Park

bryan..., CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Route 66 Diner

Albuquerque

★ 5.0

Museum complex comprises 26 interconnected buildings housing 45 permanent exhibition halls, in addition to a planetarium and a library

Central Park

Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

66 Diner

Albuquerque

★ 5.0

16.3-acre complex of buildings houses nationally and internationally renowned performing arts organizations including the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, and the New York City Ballet

Central Park

TomasEE, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Madonna of the Trail

Albuquerque

★ 5.0

Largest art museum in the United States. Its permanent collection contains over 2 million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments

Central Park

Jdforrester, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Bowlin's Continental Divide Trading Post

Continental Divide

★ 5.0

Aerial tramway in New York City that spans the East River and connects Roosevelt Island to the Upper East Side of Manhattan

Central Park

Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

El Rancho Hotel and Motel

Gallup

★ 5.0

Art museum that is home of a continuously expanding collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art

NYC Edge

Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Petrified Forest National Park

Holbrook

★ 5.0

Theatrical performances which are presented in the 41 professional theatres, located in the Theater District and the Lincoln Center along Broadway

NYC Edge

ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Wigwam Motel

Holbrook

★ 5.0

9.6-acre (39,000 m2) public park in Midtown Manhattan where the eastern half is occupied by the Main Branch of the New York Public Library and the western half contains a lawn, and shaded walkways

NYC Edge

Misterweiss at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Rainbow Rock Shop

Holbrook

★ 5.0

Art Deco skyscraper in the Turtle Bay neighborhood on the East Side of Manhattan is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel framework

NYC Edge

Hypnotoad78, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Jack Rabbit Trading Post

Joseph City

★ 5.0

Outdoor terrace jutting 80 feet outward south, providing panoramic views of Manhattan and the Hudson River

Meteor Crater Natural Landmark

Winslow

★ 5.0

Commuter rail terminal in Midtown Manhattan known for its distinctive architecture and interior design that have earned it several landmark designations

NYC Edge

ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Homolovi State Park

Winslow

★ 5.0

Art museum located in Midtown Manhattan is often identified as one of the largest and most influential museums of modern art in the world

NYC Edge

Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Galaxy Diner

Flagstaff

★ 5.0

Flagship building in the New York Public Library system and a landmark in Midtown Manhattan

NYC Edge

PumpkinSky, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Hotel Monte Vista

Flagstaff

★ 5.0

Art Deco styled entertainment venue within Rockefeller Center known for its large auditorium

Delgadillo's Snow Cap

Seligman

★ 5.0

Large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (89,000 m2) between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan

Vessel

Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Pete's Route 66 Gas Station Museum

Williams

★ 5.0

Catholic cathedral in the Midtown Manhattan is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America

Vessel

Saggittarius A, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Hackberry General Store

Hackberry

★ 5.0

Observation deck consisting of glass-floored elevators and enclosed glass balconies that protrude from the facade

NYC Edge

NBCUniversal, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Antares Point Visitor Center and Gift Shop

Antares

★ 5.0

Centerpiece of Rockefeller Center houses the headquarters and New York studios of television network NBC; the Rainbow Room restaurant; and Top of the Rock observation deck

Route 66 Museum and Gift Shop

Kingman

★ 5.0

Major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment center, brightly lit by numerous billboards and advertisements, is one of the world's busiest pedestrian areas, and the hub of the Broadway Theater District

Times Square

Basil D Soufi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Addicted to Route 66

Kingman

★ 5.0

Complex that has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since 1951 and holds the seats of the principal organs of the UN

The High Line

MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Arizona Route 66 Museum

Kingman

★ 5.0

Food hall, shopping mall, office building and television production facility located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan

Twin Arrows Trading Post

Twin Arrows

★ 5.0

Neighborhood in Lower Manhattan is the home to the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere and is one of the oldest Chinese ethnic enclaves

The High Line

Sam valadi, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

El Garces Depot

Needles

★ 5.0

102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan

The High Line

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66 Motel

Needles

★ 5.0

Triangular 22-story, 285-foot-tall (86.9 m) steel-framed landmarked building located in the eponymous Flatiron District neighborhood of Manhattan

Roy's Motel & Café

Amboy

★ 5.0

Neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan known as an artists' haven, bohemian capital, cradle of the modern LGBT movement, and the East Coast birthplace the Beat and '60s counterculture movements

The High Line

Jeff P from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark

Amboy

★ 5.0

Small, fenced-in private park and the surrounding neighborhood that is referred to also as Gramercy, in Manhattan

The High Line

Matias Garabedian from Montreal, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Bagdad Café

Newberry Springs

★ 5.0

1.45-mile-long (2.33 km) elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan

Vessel

Epicgenius, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch

Oro Grande

★ 5.0

Upscale indoor shopping mall in New York City

The High Line

Jim.henderson, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

California Route 66 Museum

Victorville

★ 5.0

Artificial island park in the Hudson River west of Manhattan is supported by 132 pot-shaped structures suspended above the water

Route 66 Mother Road Museum

Barstow

★ 5.0

Neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, known for its large Italian population

The High Line

ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Original McDonald's Museum

San Bernardino

★ 5.0

Museum including two historical tenement buildings were home to an estimated 15,000 people, from over 20 nations, between 1863 and 2011

The High Line

Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Wigwam Motel

San Bernardino

★ 5.0

21-story, French Renaissance-inspired château style luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan at the southeastern corner of Central Park

Aztec Hotel

Monrovia

★ 5.0

Neighborhood in Lower Manhattan known for its location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and its variety of shops ranging from trendy upscale boutiques to national and international chain store outlets

Beverly Hills 76

Beverly Hills

★ 5.0

16-story, 150-foot-tall structure of connected staircases between the buildings of Hudson Yards, located in the 5-acre Hudson Yards Public Square

NYC Edge

Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Santa Monica Pier and Beach

Santa Monica

★ 5.0

9.75-acre public park in Lower Manhattan is the best known of New York City's public parks and an icon as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity

Overview

U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The highway ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before terminating in Santa Monica, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km).

US 66 was a primary route for those who migrated west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and it supported the economies of the communities through which it passed. People doing business along the route became prosperous and they later fought to keep it alive in the face of the growing threat of being bypassed by the more advanced freeways of the Interstate Highway System in the 1960s and 1970s.

US 66 underwent many improvements and realignments over its lifetime, but it was officially removed from the United States Highway System in 1985 after it was entirely replaced by segments of the Interstate Highway System. Portions of the road that passed through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and California have been communally designated a National Scenic Byway by the name Historic Route 66, returning the name to some maps.

In John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939), the highway symbolizes escape, loss, and the hope of a new beginning; Steinbeck dubbed it the Mother Road. Other designations and nicknames include the Will Rogers Highway and the Main Street of America, the latter nickname shared with U.S. Route 40. It is also featured in the Disney/Pixar animated feature film franchise Cars.

Much of the early highway, like all the other early highways, was gravel or graded dirt. Due to the efforts of the U.S. Highway 66 Association, in 1938 US 66 became the first highway to be completely paved.

In the 1950s, US 66 became the main highway for vacationers heading to Los Angeles. The road passed through the Painted Desert and near the Grand Canyon. Meteor Crater in Arizona was another popular stop. This sharp increase in tourism in turn gave rise to a burgeoning trade in all manner of roadside attractions, including teepee-shaped motels, frozen custard stands, Indian curio shops and reptile farms. Meramec Caverns near St. Louis, began advertising on barns, billing itself as the "Jesse James hideout". The Big Texan advertised a free 72-ounce (2.0 kg) steak dinner to anyone who could consume the entire meal in one hour. It also marked the birth of the fast-food industry: Red's Giant Hamburg in Springfield, Missouri, site of the first drive-through restaurant and the first McDonald's in San Bernardino, California. Changes like these to the landscape further cemented 66's reputation as a near-perfect microcosm of the culture of America, now linked by the automobile.

The beginning of the decline for US 66 came in 1956 with the signing of the Interstate Highway Act by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. During its nearly 60-year existence, US 66 was under constant change. As highway engineering became more sophisticated, engineers constantly sought more direct routes between cities and towns. Increased traffic led to a number of major and minor realignments of US 66 through the years, particularly in the years immediately following World War II when Illinois began widening US 66 to four lanes through virtually the entire state from Chicago to the Mississippi River just east of St. Louis and included bypasses around virtually all of the towns. By the early to mid-1950s, Missouri also upgraded its sections of US 66 to four lanes complete with bypasses. Most of the newer four-lane 66 paving in both states was upgraded to freeway status in later years.

Bobby Troup wrote "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66", which was popularized by Nat King Cole with the King Cole Trio and later covered by artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Glenn Frey to The Manhattan Transfer, John Mayer and Brian Setzer, as well as the Rolling Stones.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Route 66", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0

Trinity Church Side
South View
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Trinity Church Side 2
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