Our 3-Week Route 66 Itinerary
When planning our Route 66 itinerary, we wanted to fully experience as much of the original road and landmarks as we could, but also see as many national park sites as possible along the way.
And though an ideal trip would have been much longer, this itinerary covers the length of the route over the course of three weeks, including detours to Grand Canyon and Joshua Tree National Parks, and an extra day in Santa Fe.
If you have a whole month to spare, I would recommend padding the itinerary with another day in cities like St. Louis, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, or Flagstaff.
Because my husband and I traveled Route 66 in a campervan, we spent many nights in RV parks and other locales that allowed camping. But there are a number of historic motels and lodgings that are very affordable and very, very charming, so give them your business!
I’ve noted those places where applicable, as well as highlights we visited along the route.
For turn-by-turn directions, the best resource we can recommend is Jerry Chandler’s EZ66 Guide (the fourth edition of which was published the day we returned home from our trip, d’oh!).
This guide will make absolutely no sense until you get on the road, and then it will be an invaluable companion. Trust me.
Day 1: Chicago, IL to Normal, IL
Notable sights and stops:
- Joliet: Route 66 Welcome Center at the Joliet Museum
- Dwight: Frank L. Smith Bank building, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
Recommended eats:
- Chicago: Lou Malnati’s deep dish pizza
Day 2: Normal, IL to St. Louis, MO
Notable sights and stops:
- Atlanta, IL: The Paul Bunyon Hot Dog Man
- Auburn, IL: original 1931 brick road portion of Route 66
- Springfield, IL: Lincoln Home National Historic Site and The Lincoln Tomb
Recommended eats:
- St. Louis: Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
Day 3: St. Louis, MO to Cuba, MO
Notable sights and stops:
- St. Louis: Gateway Arch National Park
- St. Louis: Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
Recommended eats:
- Cuba:
The FourWay(sadly closed!)
Spend the night:
Day 4: Cuba, MO to Carthage, MO
Notable sights and stops:
- Lebanon: Munger Moss Motel sign
- Springfield: Askinosie Chocolate
- Carthage: Red Oak II—part art installation, part town
Recommended eats:
- Carthage: Cave Gang Pizza & Pub
Spend the night:
Day 5: Carthage, MO to Tulsa, OK
Notable sights and stops:
- Joplin, MO: Thomas Hart Benson’s final work, Joplin at the Turn of the Century, 1896-1906, in city hall
- Galena, KS: Kan-o-Tex service station, home of the original Tow Mater Tow Truck
- Baxter Springs, KS: Baxter Springs Museum—truly a treasure trove
- Catoosa, OK: The Blue Whale!
Recommended eats:
- Miami, OK: Waylan’s Ku-Ku Burger
Day 6: Tulsa, OK to Oklahoma City, OK
Notable sights and stops:
- Tulsa:
- Arcadia: Round Barn
Recommended eats:
- Stroud: Rock Café
Day 7: Oklahoma City, OK to Texola, OK
Notable sights and stops:
- Oklahoma City: Oklahoma City National Memorial
Recommended eats:
- El Reno: Robert’s Grill
Spend the night:
- Well… maybe or maybe don’t spend the night at the Double D RV Park, but that’s a whole story in itself!
Day 8: Texola, OK to Amarillo, TX
Notable sights and stops:
- Shamrock, TX: Art Deco Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Café
- Conway, TX: VW Slug Bug Ranch
- Amarillo, TX:
- Cadillac Ranch
- Dynamite Museum street signs throughout town
Recommended eats:
- Amarillo:
- Goldenlight Café (and don’t sleep on the griddled jalapeños)
- The Big Texan Steak Ranch
Spend the night:
- Big Texan Ranch Motel or RV Park (with free shuttle service to the restaurant, and by a shuttle, I mean a Cadillac with a pair of longhorns as a hood ornament)
Day 9: Amarillo, TX to Tucumcari, NM
Notable sights and stops:
- Amarillo: Amarillo Ramp, if you can
- Adrian, TX: the midpoint of Route 66
- Tucumcari, NM: Tee Pee Curios
Recommended eats:
- Tucumcari: Del’s Restaurant
Spend the night:
Day 10: Tucumcari, NM to Santa Fe, NM
Notable sights and stops:
- Las Vegas: La Castañeda Hotel
- Watrous: Fort Union National Monument
- Pecos: Pecos National Historical Park
Recommended eats:
- Las Vegas: La Castañeda
- Santa Fe:
Spend the night:
- Sage Inn or Los Suenos de Santa Fe RV Park
Day 11: A Full Day in Santa Fe
Notable sights and stops:
- Palace of the Governors
- Meow Wolf
Day 12: Santa Fe, NM to Albuquerque, NM
Notable sights and stops:
- Los Alamos:
- Albuquerque: Petroglyph National Monument
Recommended eats:
Albuquerque: Frontier Restaurant
Day 13: Albuquerque, NM to Gallup, NM
Notable sights and stops:
Spend the night:
- El Rancho Hotel (the charm of yesterday, the convenience of tomorrow!)
Day 14: Gallup, NM to Holbrook, AZ
Notable sights and stops:
- Petrified Forest, AZ: Petrified Forest National Park
Recommended eats:
- Not Joe & Aggie’s in Holbrook—the tortilla chips were moldy, the beer was room-temperature, and it was hands-down the worst meal of the trip. I never try to actively dissuade people from eating anywhere, but I’m making an exception here.
Spend the night:
- Sleep in a Wigwam at the Wigwam Motel!
Day 15: Holbrook, AZ to Flagstaff, AZ
Notable sights and stops:
- Joseph City: Jack Rabbit Trading Post (HERE IT IS!)
- Winslow:
Recommended eats:
- Winslow: Turquoise Room at La Posada
- Flagstaff: Mother Road Brewing Co.
Day 16: Flagstaff, AZ to Williams, AZ
Notable sights and stops:
Recommended eats:
- Williams: Grand Canyon Brewing Co.
Spend the night:
Day 17: Day Trip to the Grand Canyon
Notable sights and stops:
- Take the Grand Canyon Railway for a short day trip to the South Rim, or extend your time at the Grand Canyon by another day and spend the night at the historic El Tovar Hotel or Bright Angel Lodge or Cabins
Recommended eats:
- Bright Angel Coffee Shop and Cocktail Lounge
- El Tovar Lounge
Day 18: Williams, AZ to Twentynine Palms, CA
Change of Plans!
Our original intention was to stop for the night in Needles, CA, but gusty storms made us adjust our itinerary. We skipped the older route west of Kingman, AZ through the Sitgreaves Pass to Oatman, AZ and followed I-40 into California instead, driving the whole way to Twentynine Palms in a single day.
Notable sights and stops:
- Seligman, AZ:
- Snow Cap Drive-In
- Delgadillo’s Barber Shop (a few doors down from Snow Cap)
- Oatman, AZ: Main Street with wild west shows and burros roaming the streets
- Barstow, CA: Casa del Desierto (Harvey House Railroad Depot)
- Amboy, CA: Roy’s Motel & Café sign
Spend the night:
Day 19: Twentynine Palms, CA to Joshua Tree, CA
Notable sights and stops:
- Joshua Tree National Park, a wild and woolly wonderland that deserves a multi-day visit
Spend the night:
- Joshua Tree is a popular destination—so reserve a campground well in advance, since they fill up quickly.
Day 20: Joshua Tree National Park
Day 21: Joshua Tree, CA to San Bernardino, CA
Notable sights and stops:
- San Bernardino: Wigwam Village (the sister location to the Wigwams in Holbrook, AZ)
Recommended eats:
- San Bernardino: Mitla Café
Day 22: San Bernardino, CA to Santa Monica, CA
Notable sights and stops:
- Santa Monica: 66 to Cali kiosk and the End of the Trail sign at the Santa Monica Pier
Recommended eats:
- Pasadena: Pie n’ Burger
- Santa Monica: Sidecar Doughnuts
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