Road trip · 12 days · by car

Route 66, Chicago to Los Angeles

The Mother Road: 3,900 km, eight states, motels and diners, all the way to the Santa Monica pier.

The route, stop by stop

1. 1Chicago · 2 nights
   The "Begin Route 66" sign on Adams Street and the Loop
2. 2Saint-Louis · 1 night
   The Gateway Arch and the Chain of Rocks Bridge
3. 3Oklahoma City · 1 night
   The Route 66 museum in Clinton and the stockyards
4. 4Amarillo · 1 night
   Cadillac Ranch and the 72 oz steak at the Big Texan
5. 5Santa Fe · 1 night
   The adobe houses and the Plaza
6. 6Flagstaff · 1 night
   Winslow, Meteor Crater and the Petrified Forest
7. 7Grand Canyon · 1 night
   Sunrise at Mather Point
8. 8Las Vegas · 1 night
   The Strip, one night
9. 9Los Angeles · 3 nights
   The end of the road at Santa Monica, then Venice and Hollywood

When to go

Best months: April, May, June, September and October.

Photo: J. Crocker, Attribution, Wikimedia Commons.