You are driving along, radio blaring "Get your kicks on Route 66." Top down, hair flying. You still have hair don't you?
Have you ever wanted to take a driving vacation like this, straightaway into nostalgia? You have listened to the song; doesn't it make you want to drive Route 66? The song was first recorded by Nat King Cole and was afterwards covered by many others including The Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry. A whole generation grew up humming along and dreaming of throwing caution to the wind and driving this legendary highway.
In the beginning the highway ran from Chicago to Los Angeles. It was America's primary east-west highway through the middle of the 20th century. In the 50s and 60s, the car became the transport of choice for many Americans, and they took to the highways on driving vacations seeking adventure and fun. Kitschy tourist attractions and hotels arose along Route 66 to accommodate them.
In these days, old Route 66 does not show up on current road maps as such. You have to check with travel guides written about the old route; you can find several books and maps written for this. An excellent place to see to it is the historic66 website for further information.
Nowadays the longest remaining stretch of the original route 66 you will find in Arizona. This part is about 370 miles long (595 km). The main streets of Holbrook, Flagstaff and Williams still feature classic 1950s-style motels and diners. Imagine wigwam motels, doggie diners and emporiums like the Geronimo Trading Post, the Jack Rabbit Trading Post or tourist traps like the Tee Pee Curios shop. Gas up in great old "gasoline stations".
There's some of the original two lane blacktop. Some of the road lies on railroad routes and old wagon trails. Sometimes the route may be hard to follow and frustrating to find at times, but those turn-by-turn maps will help.
This drive is about fun and an age of innocence and somewhat kitschy stuff, so stop in towns like Oatman and enjoy the Old West gunfights put on for the visitors. You can find "wild burros" roaming around. They are descendants of burros used by the mine workers, so take care, they will beg for food. Explore "ghost towns" like Truxton, Peach Springs, Hackberry and Valentine.
Drive by the corner in Winslow Arizona that the Eagles sang about. You will drive through the Painted Desert, a vast area of colored sand and beautiful sights. Also visit the Petrified Forest National Park. 225 million years ago, these stones were trees that were growing here. Nearby you can see also goofy looking dinosaurs that promote a petrified wood shop.
You can also visit a dinosaur park where more than a dozen concrete dinosaurs have been created by local craftsmen, just in case you wanted to drive through a crowd of dinosaurs. Take side trips to visit Sedona, Meteor Crater and particularly the south rim of the Grand Canyon.
You are able to drive the route in either direction but driving from east to west is considered the "right" way. And since most guides are written in that direction it is easier that way too. Spring and fall are best time to drive this section of the highway but you can do it also any time of the year.
Some parts of Route 66 pass through the desert, so take precautions like having enough water and sunscreen. There are also areas where gas is not easily available, so make sure the tank is filled.
As the song goes:
If you ever plan to motor west
Travel my way, the highway that's the best.
Get your kicks on Route 66!
