Route 66

Route 66, the "Mother Road", ran from Chicago to Santa Monica across eight states and became the symbol of the great American road trip. It was decommissioned in 1985, but long stretches of the original alignment survive, marked with brown "Historic Route 66" signs.

Riding it is about the journey, not the corners: neon motels, small-town diners, ghost towns and desert horizons — and the people you meet along the way.

Highlights

• The start sign in downtown Chicago
• The Chain of Rocks Bridge near St. Louis
• Cadillac Ranch outside Amarillo, Texas
• The Blue Swallow Motel and neon of Tucumcari, New Mexico
• Oatman, Arizona, its wild burros and the climb over Sitgreaves Pass, then the end of the trail on the Santa Monica Pier

Best time to ride

Spring (April–May) and fall (September–October). Summer in the Mojave is dangerously hot, and winter can bring snow to Flagstaff and the high plains.

The road

A mix of original two-lane road, frontage roads and interstate where the old alignment has disappeared. Some original sections are rough or gravel.

Riding tips

• Use a turn-by-turn guide for the historic alignment — signs are inconsistent between states.
• Plan fuel carefully in the desert stretches of Arizona and California.
• Most riders take two weeks or more to do the whole road.