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Scritta Historic Route 66 sulla strada

Route 66: trip itinerary

RECOGNIZING ROUTE 66 TODAY

Today Route 66 exists, but only in certain parts, and often runs parallel to the highway that replaced it. This means that, before you travel through what’s left of this beautiful road, it’s worth studying what is now the Historic Route 66.
The five highways between Chicago and Los Angeles that replaced it are:

  • the I-55 forms the stretch between Chicago and St. Louis;
  • the I-44 from St. Louis to Oklahoma City;
  • the I-40 covers the longest stretch, taking the 66’s place from Oklahoma City to Barstow, California;
  • the I-15 from Barstow to San Bernardino;
  • the I-10 goes through the Los Angeles metropolitan area to Santa Monica.

Over the years, some states decided to keep the “66” designation within the name of the new highway. Highways 366, 266 and 66 of the state of Missouri are original sections of the 66. The Oklahoma State Highway 66 is a free route near the Turnpike. A long stretch in Arizona called Arizona State Highway 66 connects Seligman to Kingman. A part of the road linking San Bernardino to La Verne, known as Foothill Boulevard in eastern Los Angeles took on the name of California State Highway 66. Many other roads of counties and city streets continue to use the name “66”.

One of the most fascinating things about the Mother Road is that, being very old, it follows the landscape without actually disturbing or interfering. Winding, immense, immersed in nature, it is flanked by small towns and urban areas that have been forgotten by many and often still appear to be in the 50s.

THE EXPERIENCES THAT AWAIT YOU

  • Route 66 in Illinois: Chicago, the Gemini Giant, Memory Lane, The Pontiac murals, the old gas station, true maple syrup, Dixie Truckers Home , The Buyon Giant, a water tower in the form of a smiling face (Smiley Face), giant Lincoln in a carriage (the biggest carriage in the world), a phone booth on a roof, Lincoln’s tomb, the Lauterbach Giant, splendid museums and much, much more.
  • Route 66 in Missouri: St. Louis and its Gateway Arch, the Meramec Caverns, the World’s second largest rocking chair, vintage motels, its bridges and rebuilt cities.
  • Route 66 in Kansas: in just a few kilometers you’ll see Route 66’s struggle against time, cars, murals, museums and much more.
  • Route 66 in Oklahoma: the ghost towns, the Gataway Sign, the Blue whale (the giant whale from Catoosa), signs and installations, sculptures, the world’s largest gas station, unusual houses and giant bottles.
  • Route 66 in Texas: giant crosses, leaning water towers, the VW Slug Bug Ranch and the Cadillac Ranch, the 2nd Amendment Cowboy, the legendary Big Texan Steak Ranch and the Midway Point of the Historic Route 66.
  • Route 66 in New Mexico: “T” Hillside Letter Display, the monument in honor of Route 66 and the Blue Hole.
  • Route 66 in Arizona: the Petrified Forest and Grand Canyon, the protagonists of Seligman’s “Cars”.
  • Route 66 in California: Calico Ghost Town, Bottle Tree Ranch (a Ranch made of bottles), the first McDonald’s and the Santa Monica pier.

RESOURCES FOR THE TRIP

BOOKS

Lonely Planet Route 66 Road Trips: I’m a fan of Lonely Planet, so I had to have the one on Route 66. Price € 7.63
Route 66 Adventure Handbook by Drew Knowles: this guide offers a pretty good overview of all the attractions along Route 66; it also teaches you to identify the Mother Road’s old sections and gives some advice on motels and restaurants. Price € 17.98

MAPS

EZ66 – Guide for Travellers di Jerry McClanAhan: a guide that will allow you to follow Route 66 step by step, with changes and detours, along all its 3,755 kilometers (2,448 miles). This guide also lists attractions, historical details and maps.
In Italy you’ll find it at the astronomical amount of (€ 81), if you can, buy it on Amazon.com. It costs roughly $ 25. If not, I recommend buying it directly in Chicago (for just $ 18.95).
Here it is! The Route 66 Map Series di Jim Ross e Jerry McClanAhan: 8 hand-drawn maps, one for each state along which Route 66 runs, with road directions and famous attractions.
As with the EZ66 Guide, even the maps in Italy are quite expensive (€ 99); you can find them on Amazon.com at roughly , or you can buy them in America (for $ 13.95).

WEBSITES

NATIONAL WEBSITES ON ROUTE 66

STATE WEBSITES ON ROUTE 66
Route 66 Association of Missouri : http://www.il66assoc.org
Route 66 Association of MIssouri : http://missouri66.org
Kansas Historic Route 66 Association: http://kshistoricroute66.com
Oklahoma Route 66 Association: https://oklahomaroute66.com
Texas Route 66 Association: http://rt66oftexas.com
New Mexico Route 66 Association: http://www.rt66nm.org
Arizona Historic Route 66 Association: https://historic66az.com/landing-page/
California Historic Route 66 Association: https://www.route66ca.org

SMARTPHONE APPLICATIONS

Route 66 Ultimate Guide Pro – free app with all the route 66 landmarks (and much more). You will find two versions of the application, one normal and one pro, both free: download the pro!

Do you want to go directly to your store? Here are the links:
Download the Apple version
Download the Android version

GOT ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR SOMEONE ABOUT TO TAKE A TRIP ON ROUTE 66? LEAVE THEM BELOW IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OR COMMENT ON SOCIAL NETWORKS BY USING HASHTAG #BLACKSHEEPINMILAN 🙂

Flavia Piantino Gazzano
flavia.gazzano@gmail.com

Digital enthusiast and growth hacker, with a strong passion for new technologies, social media and PR. She uses strategic communication as a strong asset in her life and has a creative approach to problem solving.

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