Where Does Old Route 66 Start And End – Route 66 crosses a vast cross-section of the United States, offering the opportunity to enjoy some of the country’s most iconic landscapes. Of course, you won’t see every town on your Route 66 trip, but there are a few you shouldn’t miss.
Chicago, the birthplace of contemporary architecture, is where Route 66 begins. Take the kids to Wrigley Field, admire one of the world’s most impressive skylines at the Willis Towers Sky Deck (the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere) before going to sleep. Deep dish pizza at Lou Malnatis, known for its signature buttery crust.
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Where Does Old Route 66 Start And End
A visit to Chicago is a must without a stroll through the city’s famous Millennium Park. This is where the city’s Cloud Gate (pronounced ‘The Bean’) calls home, but is also where many concerts and festivals take place throughout the year.
Route 66 Illinois (part 1)
On the way to Missouri you can make a short detour through St. Louis. Although it’s the largest city on your Route 66 journey, you’ll find the ‘Gateway to the West’ surprisingly regional. Once an outpost of the French Republic, this famous city was founded on a river between the Missouri and Illinois and owes its prominence to its prominent harbor location.
With steamboats sailing north and south, the city exudes a wonderful mix of Midwestern charm and Southern accents, and the food in St. Louis is unique and delicious. Find Slingers – the St. Louis breakfast favorite that includes eggs, hash browns, chili and cheese – at one of the city’s many restaurants – before heading to a baseball game at Busch Stadium.
Tulsa, Oklahoma’s second largest city and the largest oil reserves in the world, was built of black gold. The money behind this innovation is reflected in the beautiful architecture: museums, churches and even gas stations are depicted in an ornate, decadent style.
Downtown’s locally known Deco District is the best place to find many representations of this distinctive architectural movement in one place: the Atlas Life Building, the Tulsa Club, and the Philtower Building. The internationally renowned Gilcrease Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of art and artifacts from the American West, is well worth a visit.
Route 66 In California: Driving Tour And Road Trip
At the end of your Route 66 journey, you’ll find one of America’s oldest cities: Santa Fe, beneath the towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The centuries-old plaza, a dreamy patchwork of Native American, Spanish and Mexican influences, is the center of the city’s activity, just as it was 400 years ago.
Explore the ancient ruins of Bandelier National Park, soak up some culture at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, or enjoy views of the Jemez Mountains, home to the 2-million-year-old Wallace Caldera.
Surrounded by beaches on one side and mountains on the other, Santa Monica is a haven carved into the Pacific coast. Here Route 66 ends at the town’s pier, a classic dual-connection promenade that hosts outdoor film and music events year-round.
Before people look at the original Muscle Beach – the birthplace of America’s fitness boom at the turn of the 20th century – head to the camera obscura, which stretches 2,500 miles and crosses eight states three times. zones, and register for a minimum of three weeks. Route 66, the epitome of an American road trip, takes you from east to west, from Chicago to Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and maps the development of the pioneer country. The actual road is no longer continuous, but the route is strong as a road trip. The route takes you through small-town America and past some of the country’s most obscure attractions.
Begin Route 66 Sign In Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the starting point for many Route 66 tours. The city requires a few nights’ stay to enjoy the live music venues and museums, the sculptures of Millennium Park and the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan. In a city known for its pizza, I also appreciate Pizzeria Uno, Chicago’s first deep-dish pizza restaurant.
This city is also known as the birthplace of skyscrapers. The world’s first was built here in 1885 at a height of just ten stories. Since then the number has increased to 121 and their design and height are impressive.
One of the best ways to admire the Chicago skyline is from the Chicago River. If you are visiting between May and September, we can arrange for you to take part in a one-hour boat tour focusing on the city’s architecture. Your onboard guide may be an architecture graduate or student, who can inform you about the design, construction and history of important buildings.
Among the most notable are the 450 ft (141 m) tall Gothic Revival Tribune Tower, the Wrigley Building, whose style is a mix of Spanish Colonial Revival and French Renaissance architecture, and the 1,400 ft (442 m) high Willis (Sears) Tower. ft) was the tallest building in the world for 25 years.
State Plans Route 66 Grants
Interesting, in my opinion, how these skyscrapers sit next to old brick buildings, some of which have been around since the city’s inception.
You don’t need a car to explore Chicago, as it’s an easy city to explore on foot and by public transportation. Once you’re ready to start the drive, pick up your rental car downtown before heading to the trailhead, which is just around the corner.
From Chicago, it takes two and a half hours through prairies and farmlands to reach Springfield, the capital of Illinois.
Despite its proximity to Chicago, Springfield feels a world away, with its red brick architecture contrasting with the high-rises of the Windy City.
Epic Illinois Road Trip: Exploring The Heart Of Route 66’s First 100 Miles
Springfield was the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln for the 17 years leading up to his presidency. You can visit the house where he lived, an attractive wooden building with large shuttered windows. It is now a National Historic Site and has been restored to reflect the era in which Lincoln lived with his family.
Due to the small size of the house, you can only visit it during a guided tour led by a ranger. From the kitchen and living room to the upstairs bedrooms, each room is decorated with items that Lincoln used in his daily life. Your guide will point out the desk where Lincoln wrote his memoirs, his bed, and the large mahogany table where he dined.
Next, I suggest taking a walk around the surrounding four blocks, where twelve buildings were also restored to their heyday of the 1860s. It really helps to paint a familiar picture of Springfield Lincoln. Exhibits tell you about past residents, many of whom knew and interacted with Lincoln.
From St. Louis you have two options. First, take Route 66 to Springfield, Missouri, famous for its classic cars lining the streets outside old-fashioned motels. Although the city wasn’t immediately attractive, I found it growing on me as I took the time to explore its hidden depths. With few other visitors, the town’s residents were eager to talk to me about their hometown, and I sensed that Springfield was beginning to embrace its Route 66 heritage.
Getting Our Kicks On Route 66: Highlights From A Cross Continent Road Trip
You can also take a short detour through the Ozark Mountains to the town of Branson. This all-American, somewhat eccentric city is located in America’s Bible Belt, so there is a heavy Christian influence. In addition to visiting the city’s theme parks, I recommend attending one of the shows hosted by several generations of Mormon families. From playing country music to performing magic tricks, they are considered a variety show and are generally very patriotic.
The landscape is flat and green as you drive into Oklahoma City. A four-hour drive from Branson, this compact metropolis is the highlight of Route 66 for me. This is partly due to the food, which is an eclectic mix of Deep South Cajun cuisine and Mexican fare.
During your stay we will arrange for you to watch the Oklahoma City Dodgers. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in the heart of Bricktown is home to a minor league baseball team.
Unlike the big name teams, the majority of the crowd are visitors, while almost all are local supporters. This means you enjoy standing shoulder to shoulder with true fans.
How Much Of The Original Route 66 Remains?
Baseball games last several hours, so it’s up to you whether you want a taste or stay for the entire duration. I suggest you get there in time to hear the national anthem before the game, when the entire stadium breaks out into song.
Throughout the game, hot dog and popcorn vendors line the stands, people rattle beer bottles and giant foam fingers are excitedly clicked in the air.
As we enter the Texas Panhandle, the prairies of Oklahoma give way to a drier landscape. This five-hour portion of the drive is uneventful and I recommend hopping on the highway to rack up the miles.
Interstate 40 (I-40) will take you to the next stop – Amarillo – on Route 66, which Tony Christie is famous for. While there isn’t much to see here, it is useful
Tracing The Path Of Historic Route 66, Just Outside Chicago
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