Celebrating Route 66's 100th Birthday
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One road trip that’s always been on our bucket list over the years has been driving the entirety of Route 66 from beginning to end... Chicago to Santa Monica... but we’ve never managed it. This year, however, is Route 66’s 100th birthday, and it only seemed right to make this the year that we cruise along the Mother Road.
It was famed American author John Steinbeck who dubbed Route 66 ‘The Mother Road’ in his 1939 novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.” Cyrus Avery, American businessman, oilman, and highway commissioner, referred to it as “The Main Street of America” during a meeting of the U.S. Highway Association back in 1927. Today, Avery is celebrated as the “Father of Route 66.”
Once one of the USA's first continuous stretches of paved highway, a major thoroughfare and a migratory path during the Dust Bowl and Depression years, the original highway has been rerouted over the years, now sharing the pavement with interstates I-55, I-44, I-40, and I-15. Most of the iconic highway has been preserved as scenic byways, frontage roads, or main streets through small towns, but ~85% of the highway is still drivable. Though decommissioned in June 1985 at the ripe old age of 59, Route 66 is still considered one of the world’s most famous highways.
Taken at the Kingman Arch in 2025, but we’re happy to visit Kingman again
Route 66 from the Kingman Arch to the ‘end of the trail’ at the pier in Santa Monica spans ~ 383 miles (615 km). The road travels from Kingman, Arizona, across the Colorado River into California through Needles, Barstow, Victorville, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and a myriad of cities and small towns across the Mojave Desert. It’s the westernmost stretch of the historic highway.
I’ve been doing lots of research, reading specifically about Arizona and California stops along Route 66. There are lots of them, and we’ll be taking our time trying to check out as many as we can. There are dozens of guides online to help us identify key landmarks, places to visit, and places to stay. Our favorite, so far, is Route 66 Road Map with oodles of information arranged by state, downloadable road maps, iconic restaurants and lodging and much more.
According to Route 66 Road Map, “All eight states that were connected by Route 66 have their own Route 66 associations. The National Historic Route 66 Federation was formed in 1995, bringing together Route 66 historians, authors, artists, photographers, and other enthusiasts from the host communities.” The state associations offer lots of insight into their portion of the iconic route, and the California Historic Route 66 Association was no exception.
Our plan is to take 4-5 days to do the 335 miles from Kingman to Santa Monica, a leisurely pace that will allow us to wander and browse the many sights, memorabilia, and museums along the way. On the return trip, we’ll hop onto I-15, which is significantly faster.
We’ve just started working on a Route 66 playlist. We like to sing while we’re driving… the louder the better. Route 66, the original song that invited us to get some kicks on Route 66 leads the list. We like the 1961 Chuck Berry version the best. On The Road Again (of course!), California Dreamin’, Cadillac Ranch and Hotel California are some of the candidates. Got some more suggestions?
I don’t think I’ll try to find old episodes of Buz and Tod driving Route 66 in the 1960s, but we might try reading Jack Kerouac’s On the Road again. We just watched Bagdad Cafe again (it’s currently free on Amazon Prime).
A little Route 66 trivia: A piece of Route 66 pavement is among the items on display at the “America On the Move” exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum in Washington, D.C.
We’re pysched! So come on along with us as we begin our road trip adventure and ‘get some kicks on Route 66’. We’ll be driving our new EV, so it won’t cost us (or you) a penny in gas.