A fascinating journey through the mysterious Route 66

Hello readers! As you all know , Route 66 has now been erased from American street maps, but still retains a special charm and magic. The road begins at the center of Chicago and continues through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California and ends in Los Angeles on the Pacific coast. What follows is an itinerary that will take you to discover the whole history of the USA travelling along the mysterious Route 66 . I experimented this trip myself and it is absolutely thrilling!

Travel schedule:

Day 1: CHICAGO

Arriving in Chicago, rent a car and put pick up a comfortable motel. Then take your time to first visit to the city which is the starting point of the famous Route 66.

Day 2: CHICAGO - SPRINGFIELD - 320 km

Wonderful day to devote to Springfield, home to a number of attractions centered on the single figure of President Abraham Lincoln, who began his political career right here. Visit this National Park that surrounds the house where he lived in the period after the marriage. North of Springfield, near the village of Petersburg, is New Salem, you will find a reconstruction of the village where the young Lincoln lived.

Day 3 Springfield (Illinois) - ST LOUIS - 163 km

Spend the day in St. Louis, Missouri, where the river enters the Mississippi and the birthplace of ragtime, an instrumental form of music. This city is considered the gateway to the West, symbolized by the great door made of steel and resembling an arch built by Eero Saarinen.

Day 4 ST LOUIS - SPRINGFIELD (Missouri) - 360 km

Visit Springfield and its surroundinsg . This area is the one that is often mentioned in Mark Twain's novels.

Day 5 SPRINGFIELD OKLAHOMA CITY - 515 km

Take a short stretch of old Route 66 through the northeast corner of Kansas and amke a stop in Tulsa in Oklahoma . Ultamately make sure yuo visit the Philbrook Museum, which boasts an incredible collection of Italian paintings dating from the fourteenth century

Day 6 OKLAHOMA CITY - AMARILLO - 415 km

You are now driving through the Mid-American West ( the heart of Route 66 ) , characterized by small farming villages where you can discover USA and the old traditional stations of the Pony Express mail, the memorials that remember the attacks of the Indians to trains and cafes . Make a stop at the Trading Post in Bethany, where you can find authentic Route 66 souvenirs .

Day 7 AMARILLO - LAS VEGAS (NM) - 380 km
Day 8 LAS VEGAS (NM) SANTA FE - ALBUQUERQUE-200 km

Nothing better than visiting Santa Fe, a city that mixes Spanish and Indian influences nicely, and is located at 2,300 m above sea level

Day 9 ALBUQUERQUE - GALLUP - Petrified Forest - Holbrook - 380 km

Once in Arizona, visit the Petrified Forest National Park, which has the most spectacular collection of petrified trees in the world.

DAY 10 GRAND CANYON Holbrook - 285 km

Yeas indeed! You arrived at the Grand Canyon, which is the most spectacular example of river erosion , an incredible chasm carved by the Colorado River, and about 1500 m deep. Take lost of pictures! You will want to watch them over and over as time goes by.

DAY 11 GRAND CANYON - LAS VEGAS - 475 km

Take Route 66 again and stop to visit the town of William before arriving in front of the phantasmagoric artificial lights of Las Vegas

Day 12 LAS VEGAS

The city of gambling, known worlide . I didn't particularly enjoyed it but that is just because I am not much into gambling. I enjoy much more nature and small villages.

Day 13 LAS VEGAS - LOS ANGELES / SANTA MONICA - 460 km

You are back on Route 66 which will now take you through the Mojave Desert where I highly suggest you to visit Calico , famous ghost town of the Mojave Desert. Continue driving through the San Bernardino Mountains and you will arrive in Los Angeles , the city of sunshine, palm trees and beautiful people . Route 66 becomes Santa Monica Boulverad and passes through Hollywood and Beverly Hills to end abruptly at the Santa Monica boardwalk over the Pacific Ocean.
As you niticed , I haven't payed much attention to negative rumours about Route 66 . have traveled along this route for hundreds of miles, through beautiful landscapes and meeting places rich in history and magic and not even once I felt awesomeness about the legent of Route 66. It is a very normal route and if you try to forget all rumours about spaces where possible aliens are confined in , right by route 66 , you will find out how much magic is spread out in the American territory.