When I got married at a friend’s adorable 1920s bungalow in Rancho Cucamonga, my father burst into song. Unbeknownst to me, this funny-named California town outside Los Angeles exists along Route 66, that famous highway stretching from Chicago to the Pacific Ocean. Nat King Cole sang about the route in “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66” and my father remembered the San Bernardino reference, where I obtained my marriage license.
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure to get my kicks on many sections of this famous highway and this year, Route 66 turns 100. If you’re up for a road trip, we’ve included a few highlights.
Drive
Listen to the song written by Bobby Troup to learn what cities you’ll drive through on the historic route. For quick reference, heading east to west, you’ll begin in Chicago traveling through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before landing at the Pacific Ocean at Los Angeles.
Learn
Start with the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac, Illinois. To get a great overview of Missouri’s stretch of the historic road, visit the Route 66 Museum in Lebanon. Texas offers the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, an Art Deco gas station-turned-visitor center which inspired the design for Ramone’s House of Body Art in the 2006 movie “CARS.” There’s also the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma.; the Arizona Route 66 Museum in Kingman, Arizona; and the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville, used in the film “The Jazz Singer” with Neil Diamond.
Stay
To fully enjoy this anniversary, go retro! Thirteen cozy rooms designed by Arthur Boots in the Streamline Moderne style await travelers at the historic 1939 Boots Court in Carthage, Missouri, a motel that Clark Gable frequented. Another classic dating to 1939 with period furnishing and rotary phones is The Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumari, New Mexico. One of my favorites is the circa-1938 Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven along the “Mother Road” where the highway was officially named in 1926. Ask for the Elvis suite with its Cadillac bed; Elvis Presley stayed here in 1956. If you’re heading west, conclude your trip at the sustainable Santa Monica Hotel overlooking the Pacific. It’s the place for a selfie at the “End of the Trail” sign.
Dine
If you start your trip where the route begins, at East Adams Street between Wabash and Michigan avenues in Chicago, stop by Lou Mitchell’s for diner fare and complimentary donut holes. Just like its name, the Midpoint Café in Adrian, Texas, marks the halfway point of Route 66 — 1,139 miles west or east. The landmark road diner is known for its pies, such as the Elvis Pie, a blend of chocolate, peanut butter and banana. Pine Country Restaurant in Williams, Arizona, dishes out a hearty breakfast and the Santa Monica Pier at the end of the line in California offers a buffet of local favorites.
Attractions
Amarillo’s Route 66 Historic District — 13 blocks of antique shops, local restaurants and antique signage — make up Amarillo’s Route 66 Historic District. Nearby, visitors may spray paint on the half-buried cars that serve as an art installation known as Cadillac Ranch, one of the many roadside attractions the highway inspired.
The Grand Canyon isn’t located on the historic route, but the close town of Williams, Arizona, is and provides a handy stop for visits to one of America’s greatest treasures. And because the Grand Canyon National Park fills up with tourists, even in winter, a stay in Williams eliminates the stress of fighting park traffic. Spend the night at the town’s many accommodations, then hope on the Grand Canyon Train to and from the park that operates daily. Visitors may also choose to spend nights in the park as well. route66-centennial.com
