Route 66 at 100: drive it like we did.

The Route

State by state, in the order we drove it.

Eight states, Chicago to Santa Monica. This is how each one treated us, in the founder’s own words from the road.

1. ILDriven

   State 01 of 08

   Illinois

   301 miles of Route 66

   Illinois is where the dream became real.

   We started the adventure around Chicago and Joliet, kicking things off at Route 66 Raceway during Hot Rod Power Tour. This was the beginning of the trip, the beginning of the series, and the moment where all the planning finally turned into reality.

   Illinois gave us the first taste of Route 66. We visited Wilmington, the Gemini Giant, the Polk-a-Dot Drive-In, Dwight, Pontiac, Atlanta, the American Giants Museum, old service stations, murals, diners, and classic small-town Route 66 energy.

   The first few days were filled with rain, Hot Rod Power Tour traffic, old cars, new friends, and the realization that we had over 2,500 miles to go. Brownie was still fresh, and at the beginning I was honestly impressed with how well it was doing. But Illinois also started teaching us one of the biggest lessons of the whole trip: on Route 66, the journey is the destination.

   What we pulled over for

   • Route 66 Raceway
   • Hot Rod Power Tour
   • Gemini Giant
   • Polk-a-Dot Drive-In
   • Ambler / Texaco Station in Dwight
   • Pontiac murals
   • American Giants Museum in Atlanta
   • Historic gas stations
   • Old Route 66 road sections

   Illinois surprised me. I did not expect it to be as cool as it was. There was so much history, so many great stops, and so much classic Route 66 character right from the start.

   5 Illinois stops in the index↓
2. MODriven

   State 02 of 08

   Missouri

   317 miles of Route 66

   Missouri brought some of the biggest emotions of the trip.

   This is where we visited Bigfoot 4x4 in Pacific, Missouri, which was one of the most personal stops for me. Bigfoot is one of the trucks that made me fall in love with dentside Fords and big lifted trucks when I was a kid. Seeing Bigfoot #1 in person, standing next to those trucks, and walking through that history was honestly mind-blowing.

   Missouri also gave us the Red Cedar Inn, Campbell Service Station, Cuba, Springfield, and some of the first major Brownie problems. The truck started fighting us more, and the stress started becoming real. We were dealing with fuel problems, heat, roadside diagnosing, and the kind of old truck issues that make you question everything.

   But Missouri also reminded me why this trip mattered. Every stop had character. Every person had a story. Every old sign, gas station, motel, and roadside attraction added another layer to the Route 66 experience.

   What we pulled over for

   • Bigfoot 4x4
   • Bigfoot #1
   • Red Cedar Inn
   • Campbell Service Station
   • Cuba, Missouri
   • Springfield, Missouri
   • Route 66 roadside stops
   • Classic gas station and memorabilia collections

   Missouri felt like a turning point. The reality of what we were trying to do in an old truck started to hit hard.

   3 Missouri stops in the index↓
3. KSDriven

   State 03 of 08

   Kansas

   13 miles of Route 66

   Kansas is a short stretch of Route 66, but it packs in a lot of character.

   One of the biggest highlights was Galena and Gearhead Curios. This place is exactly what Route 66 is about: personality, creativity, old gas station vibes, classic automotive culture, and people who care deeply about preserving the road.

   Kansas reminded me that Route 66 is not always about how many miles you drive in a state. Sometimes the smallest stretch leaves a big impression.

   What we pulled over for

   • Galena
   • Gearhead Curios
   • Historic service station energy
   • Classic roadside personality
   • Old signs, license plates, and automotive memorabilia

   Kansas may not have the longest part of Route 66, but it absolutely belongs in the story.

   1 Kansas stops in the index↓
4. OKDriven

   State 04 of 08

   Oklahoma

   432 miles of Route 66

   Oklahoma was one of the states that felt like it really understood Route 66.

   We passed through Tulsa, Elk City, Erick, Miami, and several other towns that carried a lot of Route 66 history and pride. The National Route 66 Museum in Elk City was a great way to start one of the days, and the state had so many pieces of history, architecture, and roadside attractions.

   One of the biggest surprises of the entire trip was meeting Harley Russell at the Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick, Oklahoma. I drove by, saw the building covered in signs and memorabilia, and knew we had to stop. Inside, Harley treated us like family. He told stories, sang songs, and left a huge impression on me.

   Oklahoma was also full of beautiful small towns, historic buildings, and people who seemed to understand the value of Route 66. It felt authentic. It felt alive. It felt like a state that knows what it has.

   What we pulled over for

   • Elk City
   • National Route 66 Museum
   • Erick, Oklahoma
   • Sandhills Curiosity Shop
   • Miami, Oklahoma
   • Tulsa
   • Small towns and historic downtowns
   • Route 66 pride and preservation

   Oklahoma was one of my favorite Route 66 states.

   2 Oklahoma stops in the index↓
5. TXDriven

   State 05 of 08

   Texas

   186 miles of Route 66

   Texas was wide open, iconic, hot, and full of major Route 66 stops.

   We went through Shamrock, Amarillo, Cadillac Ranch, Adrian, and the Big Texan. Shamrock was a huge highlight because of the U-Drop Inn / Conoco Tower Station, which helped inspire the world of Cars. It is one of those Route 66 stops that looks just as cool as you hope it will.

   Cadillac Ranch was another major stop. It is wild, strange, artistic, and kind of sad at the same time because you realize those Cadillacs were once beautiful cars and are now completely covered in layers of spray paint. But that is also part of the Route 66 experience. It is weird, iconic, interactive, and unforgettable.

   Texas also brought heat, stress, and one of the scariest mechanical moments. In Amarillo, after topping off coolant, I did not fully tighten the radiator cap. Brownie started overheating badly, and I thought we might be done. We were talking about getting a trailer and towing the truck. Then we noticed the cap was not all the way on. We filled the radiator with PEAK coolant, tightened the cap correctly, and kept going.

   That moment was one of the most overwhelming points of the entire trip.

   What we pulled over for

   • Shamrock
   • U-Drop Inn / Conoco Tower Station
   • Big Texan
   • Cadillac Ranch
   • Adrian Route 66 Midpoint
   • Wide open Texas driving
   • Major heat and mechanical drama

   Texas felt big, hot, iconic, and very Route 66.

   4 Texas stops in the index↓
6. NMDriven

   State 06 of 08

   New Mexico

   487 miles of Route 66

   New Mexico was one of the most visually interesting states on the trip.

   The landscapes changed, and the old Route 66 towns had so much character. We went through Tucumcari, Albuquerque, Grants, Gallup, Santa Rosa, and several other stops along the way.

   Tucumcari was loaded with neon signs, motels, old buildings, and that classic Route 66 feel. Tee Pee Curios had the perfect roadside architecture and gift shop vibe. There were abandoned motels, old gas stations, vintage signs, and places that looked like they were frozen in time.

   Gallup became one of the big mechanical chapters of the trip. We were still fighting fuel delivery issues, and at one point we ended up at O’Reilly’s doing a roadkill-style repair. We ran fuel line through the fuel filler, around the bumper, and down to the fuel pump to bypass what we thought was the issue. It was stressful, but it also became one of those memories that makes the trip unforgettable.

   New Mexico also reminded me how big God’s creation is. Coming from Miami, where everything is flat and city life can make you forget how massive the world is.

   What we pulled over for

   • Tucumcari
   • Blue Swallow Motel
   • Tee Pee Curios
   • Russell’s Travel Center
   • Albuquerque
   • Grants
   • Gallup
   • Continental Divide
   • Old motels and neon signs
   • O’Reilly’s roadside fuel line fix
   • Desert and mountain landscapes

   New Mexico was beautiful, rugged, stressful, and full of real Route 66 soul.

   3 New Mexico stops in the index↓
7. AZDriven

   State 07 of 08

   Arizona

   401 miles of Route 66

   Arizona may have been the most beautiful state of the whole trip.

   From Holbrook to Winslow, Flagstaff, Williams, Seligman, and Kingman, Arizona gave us some of the best driving, best towns, and most dramatic landscape changes. The mountains, desert, pine trees, red rocks, and Route 66 towns made this part of the trip feel special.

   Holbrook had the Wigwam Motel, which is one of those classic Route 66 places everyone should see. Winslow was exactly what I hoped it would be. Standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona was one of those touristy things that still felt completely worth it.

   Flagstaff was special because we got to visit KC HiLiTES. KC was a huge part of my childhood. Seeing KC lights on big trucks helped shape the way I loved trucks, so visiting their facility while Brownie was covered in KC lights was a full-circle moment.

   Williams was probably my favorite town of the entire trip. It was clean, alive, tourist-friendly, well cared for, and beautifully presented. A lot of Route 66 towns have only a few cool stops and then a lot of abandonment, but Williams felt like the whole town cared. I could have spent several days there.

   What we pulled over for

   • Holbrook
   • Wigwam Motel
   • Winslow
   • Standin’ on the Corner
   • Flagstaff
   • KC HiLiTES
   • Williams
   • Seligman
   • Kingman
   • Mountain roads
   • Pine country
   • Desert views

   Arizona was one of the biggest highlights of the trip and a major part of what I would build around next time.

   6 Arizona stops in the index↓
8. CADriven

   State 08 of 08

   California

   314 miles of Route 66

   California was the final stretch.

   We came into California through Needles, crossed the desert, stopped in Amboy, visited Roy’s Motel & Cafe, made our way to Barstow, Victorville, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Los Angeles, Santa Monica Boulevard, Pacific Coast Highway, and finally the Santa Monica Pier.

   Needles was hot. Roy’s Motel & Cafe is one of those places that looks like Route 66 in your imagination. The sign, the abandoned motel, the old school, the post office, the church, the desert, the heat, it all felt like another era.

   The Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino was one of the best surprises of the trip. The property was clean, colorful, well maintained, and full of great Route 66 energy. It was one of the places that looked even better in person than I expected.

   The final push through Los Angeles was one of the most stressful stretches. We were on surface streets, hitting red lights, surrounded by traffic, and getting closer and closer to the end. The closer we got to Santa Monica, the more emotional it became. I could smell the ocean. I could see the beach. I knew the dream was almost over.

   Then we got there. The Santa Monica Pier was in front of us. The Pacific Ocean was right there. Brownie had crossed Route 66. We had actually done it.

   What we pulled over for

   • Needles
   • Amboy
   • Roy’s Motel & Cafe
   • Barstow
   • Victorville
   • San Bernardino Wigwam Motel
   • Rancho Cucamonga Service Station
   • Los Angeles
   • Sunset Strip
   • Santa Monica Boulevard
   • Pacific Coast Highway
   • Santa Monica Pier

   California was hot, stressful, beautiful, and emotional. It was the finish line.

   4 California stops in the index↓

The Stops

Plan your own Mother Road Run.

New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.