If you want to take a road trip in the USA, perhaps the most iconic is Route 66. People from both America and various countries of the world make this driving route from Chicago to Los Angeles to experience this 2,400-mile road that has been the subject of many movies for years. This road will take you from the big cities of classic America to the vast steppes, deserts and towns of America.

Today, the old route has been replaced by I-40. In particular, this route, which replaces the original Route 66 from Oklahoma City to Los Angeles, will offer a unique experience with vast desert landscapes. Our recommendation would be to proceed directly from the old road in important places, and over the highway in long transitions instead of the old road. In many places, I-40 passes right next to or above the original route, so the overall experience is not much different. If you want to strictly follow the original Route 66 route, a little more time is necessary. This will slow you down as speed limits are slower and Route 66 runs through many small towns.
This historical route, which covers a distance of approximately 2400 miles, or 3900 km, was first determined in 1926, revised in 1933, and with the introduction of highways in 1985, it remained a road used only by Route 66 fans. Today, American and foreign tourists still travel this route by visiting museums, road signs and tourist attractions from the time of the old route, using the remaining Route 66 roads. We recommend that you take this tour to take many memories and photos with you when you pass through small cities of America that you have not even heard of, and stay and return to Turkey. If you want to follow Route 66 as accurately as possible today, then we recommend that you need at least two weeks for this trip and plan a two-week Route 66 itinerary.
Of course, it is also possible to complete the route in less time by staying more on the interstate highway and spending less time on the old route. Total interstate driving time from Chicago to Los Angeles is 30 hours. If you've mostly stayed on the interstate and only made a few sections of Route 66, you can get from Chicago to LA in three to five days if you're really in a hurry. However, we really recommend that you set aside at least 8 days to do the route. If you have the luxury of more time, then you can follow the two-week itinerary, which can also be done at a slow pace of three weeks or more!
Route 66 officially begins in Chicago. Like many roads, Route 66 has changed over the years and there are a number of different versions of the road called alignments. Chicago is no different, and there are actually two official starting points. The first one dates from 1926 and is on Jackson Avenue&Michigan Avenue. The second is from Jackson Avenue on Lake Shore Drive and dates from 1933.

As #tour.to.america, we made an 8-day route and some fun additions

Chicago St Louis
On Route 66, St. Our first stop on the way to St. Louis should be the Giant Gemini statue in Wilmington. This 9 meter tall statue was actually made as the sign of the restaurant called Launch Pad. Many sculptures like this were made in the 1960s, and the common name of these advertising sculptures is Muffler Man. After the photo break, we leave Wilmington and arrive at Pontiac. Here you can visit the Route 66 Hall Of Fame and Museum. This is the first of the Route 66 Museums we will see. As in other museums, you can also buy souvenirs from here. Leave here and move on to Springfield. Here will be the first lunch break on Route 66, you can take a break at American Diner. After the lunch break, we arrive at Stauntan, where we will visit Henry's Rabbit Ranch. The place where the old, half-buried cars on Route 66, the old gas station and the rabbit farm started by her daughter are located, is a tourist attraction that those who make the Route 66 stop by for sure. Our journey today will end in St. Louis.

St. Louis - Carthage
We start our 2nd day on Route 66. Our first stop on this 2nd day, where we will travel for a total of 4 hours, will be Meramec Caves. We will visit these 400 million years old and approximately 7.5 km long caves with a guide. This will be perhaps the most interesting attraction of the Route 66. Continuing on our way, we arrive in Cuba. Here, the giant rocking chair, the restored and preserved original Phillips 66 gas station, the Wagon Wheel Motel are among the places to see. Before arriving at the last stop of the day, visit the Route 66 Car Museum, the car museum of Springfield's classic cars. Before arriving in Carthage, you should visit the town of Red Oak 2, which will take you back to the 1960s. This town, which is like a museum on its own, will give you the feeling of walking on a movie set. Then you will Arrival in Carthage.

Carthage - Clinton
Your first stop in the morning will be Galena. Along the way, you'll pass Joplin, where we'll see motels, signs, and shops dating back to Route 66. The main attraction in Galena will be the restored gas station called Cars On The Road. The most interesting aspect of this station is that the character car named “Mater” from the Pixar League movie was inspired by a car exhibited here. Departing from Galena, we arrive in Kansas. Only about 20 miles of Route 66 passes through the state of Kansas. Stop at the Route 66 visitor center in Baxter Springs, Kansas, and the Riverton General Store, which has served customers since 1925. Then, continue to Oklahoma to visit the famous Blue whale statue in Catoosa. You can then continue on our way and photograph the statue of Cyrus Avery, considered the father of Route 66, at Cyrus Avery Centenial Plaza in Tulsa. Afterwards, you can stop and photograph the famous wall graffiti as you pass through the town of Sapulpa. From Sapulpa you can cross to Chandler and visit McJerry's Route 66 Galery. We hope you'll find interesting souvenirs at this visitor center by Jerry McCallahan, author of the EZ 66 Guide, which includes maps of Route 66 that are available to nearly everyone who crosses Route 66. It may also be possible to meet Jerry McCallahan. Next, head to the town of Arcadia where you can find the Round Barn, an unusual agricultural structure dating from 1898, as well as the POPS soft drink store. This is a relatively new Route 66 attraction with a giant soda bottle out front and all kinds of soda pops for sale inside. You can also dine here. Then you arrive at Clinton. You can visit the Clinton Route 66 Museum here.

Clinton - Tucumcari
Visit Mohawk Lodge Indian Store in the morning. In this store, which has been open to its customers since 1940, you can buy handmade souvenirs of Mohawk Indians. Continuing west, you arrive at Elk City, where you can visit the National Route 66 Museum Complex, Route 66's largest museum. Leaving Oklahoma behind us, you will continue west and arrive in Texas. Towns are more spaced out and vegetation will change from green to more desert. Our first stop is Shamrock. Here you must visit the Blarney Stone, the other half of which is located in Blarney Castle in Ireland. The feature of this stone is that if you kiss the stone, it is rumored that you will have the power to convince the other person no matter what your situation is. You can cross from Shamroc to Mc Lean and visit the Texas Route 66 Museum and Devil's Rope Museum here. The Devil's Rope Museum, known as the barbed wire, is one of the interesting museums of Route 66. When you leave here and arrive in Amarillo, visit Cadillac Ranch. Perhaps it will be one of the most interesting sights you will ever see. The photographs of the mini exhibition, which consists of graffiti painted Cadillac cars half buried in the ground, will be one of your best memories.

Take a lunch break at the Big Texan Range, one of the indispensable restaurants of Route 66. The biggest feature of this place is the 2.5 kg steak menu. This menu includes 2.5 kg of steak, baked potato, shrimp cocktail, butter and bread. If you can finish this menu on your own within 1 hour within the specified rules, you will not be charged. It's called the 72oz Steak Challenge. We haven't been able to do this before, I hope you can. From here, our way ends in the town of Vega, where we visit Dot's Mini Museum. Various household appliances and antiques collected from different places in 1962 are exhibited. I hope you will be interested. Then stop to take a picture at the halfway sign in the town of Adrian. This is considered the midpoint of Route 66. From here you will arrive in Tucumcari where you will spend the night. Before you arrive at your hotel, there is a Route 66 museum, I recommend you to visit it.

Tucumcari - Gallup
You are in the state of New Mexico, where you will spend the entire day. Today you will pass through many ghost towns. Ghost towns refer to old residential areas of abandoned houses along the old Route 66. You'll also see a Route 66 automobile museum on the way. You can also get our lunch at Flyin C Ranch, which has been serving for 100 years. Then you will pass through Albuquerque and reach Rio Puerco. You can walk on Bridge 1933, the historic bridge that used to be part of Route 66. Then you can try your luck at Route 66 Casino. Afterwards, take a break in the town of Cubero at Villa Cubero. It is rumored that Ernest Hemingway stayed here for 1 night. After that, you should take a photo break in the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide is considered the line that divides the Americas into 2. The rain water on the east of this line pours into the Atlantic Ocean, and the rain water on the west pours into the Pacific Ocean. We then arrive at Gallup, where we will spend the night. Overnight at our hotel.

Gallup - Kingman
Today we are in the state of Arizona. It is the longest section of Route 66 to have survived. In fact, those who want to do only a part of Route 66 do the Arizona part. Your first stop here will be Petrified Forest National Park. Here you will see different colored landforms, fossils and rusty abandoned cars from the 1930s. Then visit Stewart's Petrified Wood Shop in Holbrook. Various handmade woodworks are on display in this souvenir/mini-museum, which I hope will be of interest to you. Continue on your way and take a photo break in front of the “Here It is Jack Rabbit” sign, one of the most famous signs of Route 66. You will be in Flagstaff at lunch time. After Flagstaff, you can go to Williams and visit the Route 66 Gas Station Museum. Your next stop is Seligman. This place has many historic buildings associated with Route 66. You will then arrive at Kingman, where you will spend the night.

Kingman - Grand Canyon - Las Vegas
Today we leave Route 66 and move on to the Grand Canyon. After our arrival at the canyon, tour the 3 points of the West Wing of the Grand Canyon with the busses operated by the Hualapai Indians and take lots of photos. If you wish, I recommend you to do the Helicopter & Boat tour. You will witness magnificent views as the helicopter lowers you 1000 meters down to the bottom of the Canyon. I guarantee that you will enjoy this tour, which you will take between the 1000-meter walls on the Colorado river, with the boats driven by the Hualapai Indians after you go down. After having our lunch here, proceed to Las Vegas.

Las Vegas - Barstow - Santa Monica
Today is the last day of Route 66. You will arrive in Barstow after a 2-hour drive in the morning. Here you can continue on your way by visiting The Route 66 Mother Road Museum and then the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville. After about a 2-hour journey, you will arrive at Santa Monica Pier where Route 66 ends.