Amarillo is the first major city you will come to after leaving Santa Fe, just outside of the city you will find Cadillac Ranch, a Route 66 roadside attraction that has been stopping traffic since 1974. I stopped to see if my last bit of spraypaint could still be seen, but with thousands of people stopping each year, it had been covered by the many new layers of paint. If you want to take a slight detour a few blocks south, the Big Texan Steak Ranch is just off the interstate and if you are hungry you can take on the 72oz. steak challenge. The original restaurant was on Route 66, but the new location opened in 1977. I have yet to try a four and a half-pound steak, but maybe one day. Amarillo was the city my Great Grandfather grew up in and where the family had a successful grocery store. When WWII called he answered and the family made the long trip to San Diego where he had to report for his new career in the US Navy. After the war, he would return to the South West on this same highway, settling in Northern New Mexico.
The time in Texas is short and soon I find myself in Shamrock Texas, almost to the Oklahoma border. Shamrock is famous for the U-Drop-Inn a gas station so iconic a version of it made an appearance in the film Cars. Outside of that, there isn't much to keep you in Shamrock. Heading east the first town you come to in Oklahoma is Texola, a city that throughout its history has been in both Texas and Oklahoma, depending on who happened to be doing the survey at the time.
Passing through small towns and farmland the road mostly follows the interstate, there are lots of long stretches with not much to see in west Oklahoma. The first real attraction is in the town of Clinton which is home to the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, but outside of that, there isn't much to stop and see in the Sooner State until you get past Oklahoma City. Once in OKC 66 merges with I44 then turns into I35 as it takes you through the north end of the city. Just a few miles north of the city 66 turns off I35 and heads east, for the first time since New Mexico the route is as it was when first built, a two-lane road in the country. Enjoy it while it lasts because, before you know it I44 catches back up and the two roadways crisscross each other until Tulsa.
Passing through small towns and farmland the road mostly follows the interstate, there are lots of long stretches with not much to see in west Oklahoma. The first real attraction is in the town of Clinton which is home to the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, but outside of that, there isn't much to stop and see in the Sooner State until you get past Oklahoma City. Once in OKC 66 merges with I44 then turns into I35 as it takes you through the north end of the city. Just a few miles north of the city 66 turns off I35 and heads east, for the first time since New Mexico the route is as it was when first built, a two-lane road in the country. Enjoy it while it lasts because, before you know it I44 catches back up and the two roadways crisscross each other until Tulsa.
Tulsa is an exciting city, built with an explosion of oil money the city and the suburban city of Bartlesville are home to two Frank Lloyd Wright homes and the only skyscraper designed by Wright to be built, Price Tower. It is a bit of a detour, but worth the drive if you love design and history. The building is now home to an art center, museum, and boutique hotel. Backtracking to Route 66, the town of Chelsea is home to one of the best roadside attractions in Oklahoma, Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park. Home to the world’s largest Totem Pole, the 9-acre park offers free admission and is a great place to get out and stretch your legs. The Totem Pole itself is 91 feet tall, 18 feet wide, and made of concrete. The park has a gift shop, however, it is closed during the months of January and February.
Back on the road headed towards the Oklahoma/Kansas border, passing through Miami then through the corner of Kansas through the small town of Baxter Springs. Just outside of town is the Rainbow Bridge, a single-span concrete Marsh arch bridge, the only surviving bridge of this type on the entire length of old 66. While a more modern bridge has been built to accommodate traffic you can still take a slight detour and cross over the Rainbow Bridge. Just past the bridge Route 66 takes right and heads towards the Kansa/Missouri state line. If you are looking for a photo opportunity the restored gas station in Galena, Kansas is worth a stop. Called "Cars On The Route" it was originally the Kan-O-Tex service station, but today operates as a diner and gift shop, they also have a classic truck made to look like Mater from the animated film 'Cars.'
Crossing over into Missouri the first city you come to is Joplin, a larger city so if you are looking for a place to stay the night it has lots of options. If you are passing through Spring-Fall the Route 66 Drive-In still shows movies and is the last of the original six drive-in theaters named after the Mother Road. Admission is just $8.00 and it is a fun experience to add to your trip. If you don't stop in Joplin, Springfield has one of the coolest hotels on Route 66, the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven has classic cars on the property and if you can, book the Elvis Room. The Route 66 Car Museum is also in Springfield and is home to an incredible collection of classic and sports cars. Honestly, Springfield has so much to offer you should visit their official Route 66 guide and plan to spend a few days.
Headed towards St.Louis, there isn't much, with the exception of a few cool old signs and shops in Rolla, it's best to just push through to St. Louis. Must visits include the Gateway Arch, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, and of course the Old Chain of Rock Bridge which crosses the Mississippi River and is one of the few bridges that has a turn. The bridge is closed to cars, but you can still get out and walk across.
Crossing over the Mississippi and the final state on our eastward trek, Illinois. The starting point for many who were making their way west, the stretch from St. Louis to Chicago is right around 300 miles, easy to do in a day, but make time to visit Lincoln, Atlanta, and Normal. All have great roadside attractions like Paul Bunyon Statues, great neon signs, and classic service stations. Once you get to Chicago there is plenty to do, but you have to head to the corner of S.Michigan Ave and E.Adams Street, the official starting point of Route 66.
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