Over the years US Highway Route 66 has gained acclaim as a tourist destination. And why not? We live in an age where the automobile is so pervasive that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone that has not heard of, seen, owned, ridden in, or been impacted by the wheeled-motor coach.
Nowadays, travelers descend on the American heartland, where the road trip reigns, to experience what John Steinbeck called the “Mother Road.” Full of history and lore, Route 66 entices our imaginations and evokes nostalgia for a generation lost, one that can be found through some Mother Road travel schooling.
One of our good friends is about to embark on the westbound journey covering the entire stretch of America’s Main Street and we thought this is a perfect time to explore travel schooling options along the way. In this post, we will head west from Chicago, Illinois with an eye on the past and a mind full of curiosity. As we work our way down the Mother Road, we will narrow the massive list of Route 66 attractions to our top 2 in each state. Of course, the honorable mention list will be available at the end for you to peruse, as well.
Now, let’s see what the Mother Road has for us in our Top 14 Route 66 Travel Schooling Stops…
Route 66 History
Route 66 beckoned to the desperate migrants fleeing the Dust Bowl in Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath like a mother embracing her distraught and downtrodden children. This was an all-too-real story for those living through the Great Depression. During the Dust Bowl, an estimated 210,000 people migrated to California along Route 66. The epic odyssey became deeply engrained in the American psyche as a result.
Spanning from Chicago to Los Angeles, Route 66, also known as the Will Rogers Highway, was established on November 11, 1926. It was the nation’s first all-weather highway and longest stretch of continuous paved road. Now reaching Santa Monica, Route 66 stretches 2,448 miles.
The Mother Road has long since been a symbol of both comfort and hardship, now whisking contemporary travelers into the romanticized past with vivid murals, interactive museums, neon signs, and gift shops. In an era of racing the clock and on-demand life, it is important to remember the bygone struggles embodied by this road through mindfulness and travel schooling.
Route 66 Travel Schooling: Illinois
Before we get on to our first stop, we would be remiss not to mention that the official beginning of Route 66 is hotly contested. Regardless of where you stand on the topic, a great place to start is the “Begin” sign at the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Adams Street in Chicago. The first Route 66 sign located two blocks to the east at the corner of East Adams and South Wabash makes for a good photo op.
Pro Tip: Make sure you stop by Millennium Park to check out the storied Bean Sculpture before you go! And if you have kids, the Play Garden at Maggie Daley Park is a magnificent place to burn off some energy before the long drive. Both are just around the corner from the “Begin” sign.
Fun Fact: A Historic Route 66 End Sign sits on the corner of East Jackson Boulevard and South Michigan Avenue for those traveling West to East.
1) Route 66 Association of Illinois – Pontiac, Illinois
Just an hour and a half down the road from Chicago, you’ll find the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame & Museum in Pontiac, Illinois. This complete Route 66 experience will give you a glimpse of the Mother Road’s storied past with artifacts, travel resources, memorabilia, and curiosities, like Bob Waldmire’s bus and van.
This is a great place to start your travel schooling as the knowledgeable guides are more than happy to answer any of your questions. Taking a look at the lives of Route 66 Hall of Fame members will help add perspective to the sheer scale of the road’s impact on American development.
Pro Tip: Go around the back of the museum for a photo with the largest Route 66 mural in the world!
Hours: 10 am – 4 pm, daily (Winter Hours continuing through 2021 due to COVID-19)
Fees: Free
2) Cozy Dog Drive In – Springfield, Illinois
Pro Tip: Tuesday’s Special is 2 Cozy Dogs & Medium Fry! If you happen to come through on any other day, definitely get the Cozy Basket (4 Cozy Dogs & Large Fry).
Our next stop is the home of the corn dog. Just under two hours from Pontiac, the Cozy Dog Drive In serves up a satiating (and perfectly healthy…) diner meal. Since 1949, the Cozy Dog Drive In has been satisfying the appetites of Route 66 travelers with the same batter recipe developed by Ed Waldmire back in 1946.
While you may think this is just a hunger stop, think again! The story of Ed Waldmire’s development of the first corn dog is extremely fascinating and one well worth a lesson in entrepreneurship, tenacity, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. Maybe not something you would find in a textbook, this lesson is full of practical ramifications that will inspire knowledge-seekers of any age.
Fun Fact: Ed Waldmire is, in fact, the father of Bob Waldmire, whose bus we saw in Pontiac!
Hours: 8 am – 8 pm, Monday – Saturday; Breakfast served until 11 am (Closed on Thursdays due to COVID-19 staffing shortage)
Route 66 Travel Schooling: Missouri
Crossing the great Mississippi River, we find ourselves immediately in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri. The Gateway Arch really sets the tone for what lies ahead, the wild west and the great frontier. Or, at least, that is what it signifies in an age far beyond the days of stagecoaches and exploring the untamed country. This 630-foot architectural marvel is the tallest monument in the United States and is a perfect educational pitstop to get the STEM discussions underway.
3) Meramec Caverns – Sullivan, Missouri
Two and a half hours beyond the Cozy Dog Drive In, and just over an hour outside of St. Louis, the Meramec Caverns hides beneath the rolling hills of the Meramec Valley. There is so much to see in “the largest cave west of the Mississippi” that you will probably want to dedicate a few hours to exploring the cavernous depths.
While a great geology lesson can be gleaned from the immaculate underground formations, don’t forget to add a fun twist to the discussion by mentioning Meramec’s connection to the Jesse James gang. In 1941, one of the cave guides, Les Dill, found artifacts traceable to the infamous Jesse James. Since then, the cave was dubbed the “Jesse James Hideout.”
Pro Tip: Children can pan for gold or fossils at the Meramec Mining Company store.
Hours: Open daily, hours vary, check them out here
Fees: $23.99 (Adults 12+), $20.99 (Military), $12.99 (Children 5-11)
4) Route 66 Museum – Lebanon, Missouri
Located inside the Lebanon-Laclede County Library, this Route 66 museum lets you take a self-guided tour of 1950s gas station and classic diner recreations, displays of antique cars, and a collection of Route 66 resources.
This quaint stop will give you an immersive experience that will let you feel like you are taking a step back in time. Here is a great resource that can help you craft some lesson plans to enhance this stop. If you’re not toting around children, it is still a great place to gain perspective about the New Deal impacts.
Pro Tip: You’ll only need to spend a short while at this museum to see it all. Build up your appetite as you look around, then head southwest for about an hour to Springfield. There, you can stop by Red’s Giant Hamburg, the first known fast-food drive through window.
Fun Fact: Red’s original sign said “Hamburger” but Red had to cut off the “er” when he realized the sign was too tall!
Hours: Monday – Thursday 8 am – 8 pm, Friday – Saturday; 8 am – 5 pm
Fees: Free
Route 66 Travel Schooling: Oklahoma
As we embark on our longest leg yet, we will pass through the likes of Joplin and Tulsa. Both cities are full of Route 66 lore and well worth the drop-in if you have the time. We won’t be cover them in this post, but perhaps we can revisit it another post.
“The Sooner State” has a fascinating history, named after the non-Native settlers who staked their claims on land before Oklahoma became an official territory. The Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 largely shaped the identity of the state early on. Standing at the crossroads of South-North travel with the historic cattle drives and East-West travel with the movement of Native Americans, settlers, and travelers along Route 66, Oklahoma boasts a unique multifaceted culture.
5) Route 66 Interpretive Center – Chandler, Oklahoma
Right before you hit Oklahoma City, you will want to stop at the Route 66 Interpretive Center. As the website says, this is not your typical museum. Visitors will be taken on a visually entertaining “drive” from the 1920s to current-day along the historic route. Full of Dust Bowl pictures, chrome and neon displays, and a dynamic video experience, you will feel the story of the Mother Road come alive.
Enjoy a great educational opportunity that will cover a wide range of topics from history to social studies to economics!
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm; Seasonal Hours change, check here
Fees: $7.50 (Adults); $6 (Students & seniors 62+); $4 (Groups of 10 or more), prices subject to change
6) National Rt 66 and Transportation Museum – Elk City, Oklahoma
What makes this place unique is the recorded histories and personal accounts that you will hear as you walk throughout the exhibits. The museum takes you on a journey through each of the eight states Route 66 passes through. Along the way, you will encounter realistic murals and vignettes, quirky roadside attractions, and historical documents.
Something perhaps beyond the younger generation, but sure to be fun if you share it right, is the collection of Popeye Memorabilia depicting animation and media trends of a bygone era. Remember, it is all in the delivery. Popeye may not be as fancy as Vampirina but he can still amuse a crowd.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm
Fees: $5 per adult
Route 66 Travel Schooling: Texas
Entering “The Lone Star State,” our travel schooling adventure continues along one hundred and seventy-eight miles of Route 66 that originally traversed Texas. Part of your journey across the Panhandle runs along Amarillo’s 6th Avenue and still possesses a mile-long stretch of vintage architecture.
Pro Tip: Before you leave Texas, be sure to stop for some pie at Midpoint Café and Gift Shop in Adrian. This is the traditionally accepted halfway point! Cue Bon Jovi!
7) Devil’s Rope Museum – McLean, Texas
If you want a fascinating experience, you must stop to take a gander at the barbed wire filling Devil’s Rope and Route 66 Museum. You will learn everything you want to know about barbed wire and much more. You may be wondering why a barbed wire museum made the list but as soon as you step in and begin to untangle the significance this fencing has had on human history, you’ll quickly understand.
This is a great travel schooling stop to learn about how one man’s invention can impact cultures across the globe. There is certainly a great deal to learn about the impacts of barbed wire on settlers traversing Texas during the Dust Bowl. Along with over 2,000 samples of barbed wire variations, you will find Route 66 artifacts galore.
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9 am – 4 pm
Fees: Free
8) Cadillac Ranch – Amarillo, Texas
Eighty-two miles down the road, you will find a very peculiar sight just east of Amarillo. Are those cars stuck in the ground? As a matter of fact, yes, they are.
This extremely popular display of public art was installed in 1974 by a group from San Francisco called The Ant Farm and Stanley Marsh 3. The idea was to showcase the Cadillac tail fin in a display that would baffle locals. Years later, the skeletons of ten Caddies remain stuck in the Texas soil and bear the markings of graffiti, defacement, and public deconstruction of the art.
Cadillac Ranch is a great place to let your artistic self out and certainly a great place for a lesson about public art and expression. The kids will love the lesson, mostly because they can express themselves by spray-paining one of the cars.
Pro Tip: Be sure to snap a photo when you make your mark because it will be gone shortly after you leave!
Hours: 24/7
Fees: Free
Route 66 Travel Schooling: New Mexico
Originally 507 miles long in 1926, New Mexico’s stretch of Route 66 was reduced to 399 miles in 1937. Aligning with the old Santa Fe Trail, and its successor, the Santa Fe Railroad, Route 66 served as yet another vital commercial highway that connected communities in northern New Mexico.
Fun Fact: The first exit across the Texas border, Exit 0, will take you to the abandoned ghost town of Glenrio that is full of Route 66 traces.
9) San Miguel Chapel – Santa Fe, New Mexico
Taking the route-purist side for now, we are detouring up to Santa Fe like the original route through the state. About 5 hours west of Cadillac Ranch, you will encounter the oldest church in the country. Oral history holds that the original barrio was founded by a group of Mexican Indians from Tlaxcala around 1610. But archaeologists have suggested that it rests on an early Pueblo settlement form circa 800-1300 CE.
This is a great travel schooling stop to learn about Native American cultures and the impact of European settlers, especially the far-reaching influence of 17th-century Spain.
Pro Tip: Plan your trip so that you stop in Albuquerque for the night. Old Town Albuquerque is steeped in cultural history and has long been a part of Route 66 culture. If you happen to be camping, I highly recommend you try either North Albuquerque/Bernalilo KOA Journey or Albuquerque KOA Journey.
Hours: Monday-Friday, 1-3 pm; Sunday, 3-5 pm
Fees: Free, donations accepted
10) Acoma Sky City – Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico
Another great stop in “The Land of Enchantment” is the Sky City Cultural Center and Haak’u Museum. Rich in cultural architecture and art, the gateway to Acoma “Sky City” keeps alive the community of the Anaasazi people. Acoma Pueblo currently stands as the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America.
You can experience this unique city atop a mesa with a 1.5-hour pueblo guided tour. At the Haak’u Museum, you will be immersed in the cultural history of Acoma Pueblo making for a fantastic educational experience.
Route 66 Travel Schooling: Arizona
Photo by Instagram @mellissa.de.oliveira 
Photo by Instagram @mellissa.de.oliveira 
From giant arrows stuck in the ground to wild donkeys populating a town, Arizona has the motherload of entertaining places to see as we near the end of our travel schooling adventure.
There are so many cities from Williams to Seligman to Kingman that played integral roles in the shaping of this storied thoroughfare and were shaped by the travelers that meandered through the countryside.
11) Petrified Forest National Park & Route 66 Exhibit – Adamana, Arizona
In an hour-drive, you can drive through the park and stop at a few overlooks for an awe-inspiring look at ancient history. A geological masterpiece, the Petrified Forest National Park is a remarkable formation consisting of conifer trees that grew along former waterways over 200 million years ago.
The educational value of this stop goes without saying. From archaeology to limnology, there is much visitors of any age can learn from the land. For those dinosaur lovers in the bunch, the National Parks Service provides an Introduction to Paleontology lesson, among many others. Find those here.
Hours: Daily, 8 am – 5 pm
Fees: See Website here
Pro Tip: The National Parks Service allows all 4th-graders free entry into a park for that school year. I discuss the various ticket offers at the NPS in my Roadschooling Georgia YouTube video. Click here and scroll to 5:50 in the video.
Fun Fact: Delgadillo’s Snow Cap is located on the longest remaining stretch of Route 66 in Seligman, Arizona. Originally constructed with mostly scrap lumber in 1953, this quirky establishment is still family-operated and doles out laughs and burgers like no other on the Mother Road.
12) Oatman (Durin) Hotel Restaurant & Saloon, Arizona
After braving 120 turns and more than 2,100-feet of elevation change in just over 8 miles, you will find yourself in a whole different world than the one you left when you departed Cold Springs Station.
Founded as a gold mining town, this fun little stop along Route 66 keeps the old Wild West alive with wooden sidewalks, staged shootouts, and kitschy shops. This living ghost town is populated by more wild donkeys than people. It is quite the experience to see traffic stopped as these donkeys ambush passing vehicles and block the roads.
Photo by Instagram @mellissa.de.oliveira 
Photo by Instagram @mellissa.de.oliveira 
The historic Durin Hotel is well known as the first stop for Clark Gable and Carole Lombard on their honeymoon. It is claimed that the couple loved the hotel so much that their ghosts are still occupying the grounds, as stories of whispering and laughing in empty rooms emerge.
Bar & Restaurant Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 am – 6 pm; Saturday-Sunday, 8 am – 6 pm
Route 66 Travel Schooling: California
With just under three hundred miles remaining on our travel schooling adventure, “The Golden State” will take us on more than a journey of the past as we traverse multiple climactic zones from the desert to the coast. Don’t forget the San Bernadino Mountain range along the way!
Pro Tip: Make sure you stop by Roy’s Motel & Café in Amboy for a photo.
13) Calico Ghost Town – Calico, California
Much like Oatman, Calico is an abandoned mining town. You will have to detour a bit off Route 66 to explore this gem, but it is definitely worth it. Dating back to 1881, the town has sat abandoned since the mid-1890s, and wasn’t touched until architectural restoration began 60 years later.
Calico is a great place to explore the American past and learn about how Gold Rush and Silver Rush shaped the country.
Hours & Fees here
Fun Fact: Amboy is the only town in the United States that still has drinking water delivered by rail cars.
14) Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch – Oro Grande, California
How better to draw us to a close than a walk through a rather peculiar ranch? Elmer Long’s Bottle Tree Ranch is the perfect travel schooling stop for a lesson on recycling and mindful living. The ranch consists of a dense forest of bottle trees. Elmer, a scrap material artist, created fake trees by fashioning upright metal pipes with welded branches on each. He fastened discarded glass bottles on every branch. The curious art display totals at over 200 trees!
NExT Chapter
We cannot end our Mother Road travel schooling trip without a photo op at the End of the Trail sign on the Santa Monica Pier. From start to finish, Route 66 provides a mesmerizing experience great for travelers of all ages.
Over the years, it has served many purposes and people have traveled on it for a variety of reasons. What really makes Route 66 so special is that it brings people together across generations. There is so much to learn from a trip down the Mother Road and I cannot wait until we take our kids on this journey!
Before we go, here is the promised honorable mention list:
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Blue Whale – Catoosa, Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Route 66 Museum – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Bearizona – Williams, Arizona
- Old Town Albuquerque
- Blue Swallow Motel – Tucumcari, New Mexico
- TeePee Curios – Tucumcari, New Mexico
- Santa Rosa Blue Hole – Santa Rosa, New Mexico
- Standin’ on the Corner Park – Winslow, Arizona
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Until next time…
Happy (Mindful) Travels,
Michael
~ Change the world one nameless stranger at a time. ~
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