66 Things to Do on Route 66
From roadside diners to lava fields, these stops capture the enduring myth of America’s most legendary highway.
Arizona’s Painted Desert. Photo by Thomas J. Story.
In 2026, Route 66 turns 100—a century since the “Main Street of America” first stitched together Chicago and Santa Monica, carrying Dust Bowl migrants west, launching the great American road trip, and hardwiring neon, diners, and desert motels into our collective imagination. Decommissioned in 1985 but never erased, the Mother Road today is a patchwork of preserved alignments, lovingly restored motor courts, small-town museums, and wide-open nature that still delivers on the promise of reinvention at the end of the asphalt. From New Mexico’s lava fields to Arizona’s high country and California’s Mojave silence, here are 66 stops that make the western stretch unforgettable. Whether you travel west to east, vice-versa, or carve out just a few dozen miles, this is the year to get your kicks.
New Mexico
Thomas J. Story
1. Cruise Central Avenue in Albuquerque for a greatest-hits sampler of preserved Route 66 neon.
2. Hike the lava flows and sandstone arches at El Malpais National Monument.
3. Read centuries of carved names at El Morro National Monument.
4. Swim in the startlingly clear artesian waters of Blue Hole.
5. Tour chrome and fins at the Route 66 Auto Museum.
6. Overnight under glowing neon at the Blue Swallow Motel.
7. Photograph the teepee-shaped sign at Tee Pee Curios in Tucumcari.
8. Get context at the New Mexico Route 66 Museum. (Editor’s note: It’s now permanently closed).
Thomas J. Story
9. Browse trading-post classics in Gallup.
10. Stretch your legs at Rio Puerco Bridge—a preserved 1933 span.
11. Catch sunset over the mesas in Grants.
12. Cruise the cinematic curves of Tijeras Canyon east of Albuquerque.
Arizona
Thomas J. Story
13. Sleep in a concrete teepee at the Wigwam Motel.
14. Walk among technicolor badlands in Petrified Forest National Park.
Thomas J. Story
15. Pull over for Painted Desert overlooks inside Petrified Forest.
Thomas J. Story
16. Snap the classic lyric-inspired photo at Standin’ on the Corner Park.
Thomas J. Story
17. Check into the grand railroad-era La Posada Hotel.
Thomas J. Story
18. Explore breweries and heritage storefronts along Route 66 in Flagstaff.
19. Gaze at alpine peaks in the San Francisco Peaks.
20. Stand on the rim of Meteor Crater.
21. Overnight in the all-American town of Williams.
Thomas J. Story
22. Stay at the design-forward Trailborn Grand Canyon.
23. Ride the rails on the Grand Canyon Railway.
24. Pair your road trip with a day at Grand Canyon National Park.
25. Eat burgers and banter at Delgadillo’s Snow Cap.
26. Cruise past the former location of Seligman Sundries shop. This was for decades the place to stop for everything from a cold drink to a Navajo rug. Built in 1904, the building predates both Arizona statehood and Route 66 itself.
Thomas J. Story
27. Road-trip the twisty Sitgreaves Pass to Oatman.
28. Visit the Hackberry General Store.
29. Dive into Mother Road lore at the Arizona Route 66 Museum.
30. Slurp a root beer at Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner.
Thomas J. Story
31. Check out the dinosaurs at Rainbow Rock Shop in Holbrook.
32. Hike pinyon-studded trails at Hualapai Mountain Park.
33. Seek turquoise waterfalls at Havasu Falls.
34. Pause in railroad-era Ash Fork.
35. Photograph the historic El Trovatore Motel sign in Kingman.
California
Thomas J. Story
36. Fill up (and time-travel) at Roy’s Motel & Café.
37. Hike the cinder cone at Amboy Crater.
Thomas J. Story
38. Gaze at the bottle-built, folk-art forest at Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch.
Thomas J. Story
39. Cruise the vast quiet of Mojave National Preserve.
40. Though it’s a bit off the classic route, it’s worth exploring the desert art at Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum near Joshua Tree.
41. Hike Kelso Dunes in Mojave National Preserve.
42. Stargaze in Mojave’s dark skies.
Thomas J. Story
43. Browse vintage Americana at Antique Station in Oro Grande.
44. Cruise the Colorado River backwaters near Needles.
45. Step inside the Goffs Schoolhouse Museum.
46. Overnight at the retro Route 66 Motel.
47. Get oriented at the Route 66 Mother Road Museum.
48. Explore the California Route 66 Museum.
49. Grab a pie at Emma Jean’s Holland Burger Café in Victorville.
50. Drive past vintage storefronts in San Bernardino.
51. Sleep in a teepee at the Wigwam Motel.
Thomas J. Story
52. Follow the old alignment through Pasadena.
53. Sip craft cocktails along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.
54. Cruise into Los Angeles along historic Route 66.
55. Finish your pilgrimage at the Santa Monica Pier.
56. Ceremonially touch the “End of the Trail” sign at the Santa Monica Pier.
57. Catch a Pacific sunset in Santa Monica.
58. Bike the Marvin Braude Beach Trail from the pier.
59. Explore neon history at the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale.
60. Tour the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles.
61. Dine at Formosa Café, a 1939 Hollywood standby.
62. Sip coffee at Urth Caffé on old Route 66 in Pasadena.
63. Catch live music at the Troubadour in West Hollywood.
64. Drive Mulholland for a modern L.A. coda.
65. Visit the Getty Center for a cultural detour.
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism
66. Toast the centennial with a westward-facing road-trip photo at Santa Monica’s Route 66 marker.
