Route 66

Route 66 is the most famous road in America, the Mother Road that once ran two thousand four hundred miles from Chicago to Los Angeles, carrying dust-bowl migrants and later road-trippers west. Bypassed by the interstates, its surviving stretches are a nostalgic ribbon of neon motels, retro diners, quirky roadside attractions and desert Americana.

What to look for

• Neon and roadside Americana - the old motels, signs and diners of the road.
• Classic stops - Cadillac Ranch in Texas, the Wigwam Motels, ghost towns and trading posts.
• The changing landscape - prairie, desert and mountain across eight states.
• Small-town Main Streets - the towns the highway kept alive and left behind.

When to go

Spring to autumn for comfortable driving, avoiding desert summer heat and winter snow in the higher sections. It is a road trip, so time depends on how much you drive.

Before you go

The original road is fragmented and often unmarked, replaced by interstates, so following it takes a guidebook, patience and detours. Many stretches are ordinary or run-down between the highlights. Its magic is nostalgia and the journey, not a single destination.

Nearby

It links Chicago, St Louis, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, Flagstaff and Los Angeles, passing the Grand Canyon region.

Key facts