What’s to do when there’s nothing to do? Plan a road trip of course!
Everyone should make it a mark on their bucket list to visit at least some section of the historic US Route 66. Many people make it a purpose to plan a Route 66 road trip just as this iconic highway led thousands to the West almost a century ago.
Plan a getaway with about two weeks vacation time, maybe a little longer if you’re on a motorcycle. Two weeks will get you all the major sites and cities across all 8 states!
Here’s a top-four pick for a few different locations to stop and visit on this memorable highway.
Petrified National Forest & Painted Desert – Holbrook, Arizona…
The petrified forest is quite a sight to see so nobody should be skipping it on their Route 66 road trip, even though it is a little off the beaten path. It’s about 30 miles but well worth the drive.
It might not sound too appealing, but the petrified forest is millions of years old and the beauty cannot be easily described. It is bountiful in color and truly amazing to the eye.
These are forests and groves of trees that have been petrified, or turned into rock, over millions of years of weathering.
The Painted Desert is just like it sounds and near or along the Petrified Forests. A painted landscape of sand atop brilliant hills, mesas and buttes. A mere description does no justice. This must be seen.
Mojave Desert – Mojave Desert, California
Ghost Towns and legends of lore paint the scenes of the mojave desert as it once stood as the final threshold to non-suffering for the many that made it this far along the hot and dry journey across America.
See old burger joints and motels, signs and buildings still standing as they were nearly 100 years ago.
The history is rich and one can recognize here, especially, what one endured throughout this long trek to the West.
Travelers should be wary of the heat for themselves and their vehicles on a Route 66 road trip through the desert.
Inscription Rock – El Malpais, New Mexico
Not only is the rock old, it has also been stamped, one might say, by centuries old travelers and explorers, like Juan de Onate, when he ‘discovered’ the Gulf of California.
This would be even cooler to see on a motorcycle because a Route 66 road trip is the epitome of being on the open road. Even the baddest bikers slow down for route 66 motorcycle tours now and again.
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Route 66 Road Trip – Oklahoma
This stretch of the historic highway still contains more driveable miles of the old highway than does any other state. In that case, it’s worth seeing the whole thing.
One can visit and see many of the connections to the timeless novel “The Grapes of Wrath.” Here, in Oklahoma, the scene was set for the 1930’s tale about a family and others struggling along the dirt paved way toward a better life.
This region is also rich in Native American history, including that of the Apache and the Comanche, some of the wildest and meanest Indians that bore suit of these plains.
If there was nothing to do before, there’s something to do now. Anybody can visit Route 66, it’s only a drive away. Get out there and play!