The Mother Road. The route to end all routes. While it is just a number, as soon as it is mentioned, images of freedom, endless skies and opportunity spring to mind. Route 66 winds from Chicago in the northeast, to Los Angeles on the west coast and on this self-drive trip, you will be exploring the eastern half.
Dropping south from the skyscrapers of Chicago, you are heading into America’s heartland, a land with a rich and tumultuous history. Stopping off for some classic Americana, your route is dotted with aluminium-clad, neon lit diners, complete with pastel-padded booths and jukeboxes on the table. Many of those jukeboxes will be lined up with St Louis favourites and your exploration of this incredibly vibrant city will more than likely include music. Packed with venues, some of the greatest stars in history got their start in St Louis and the city still jams as hard as it did back then.
From Missouri, you cross into your third State, Oklahoma where you have a couple of outstanding cities to explore. Often ignored by tourists, purely because of its location, Oklahoma is an incredible state and definitely one of the up-and-coming lists of travel sites worldwide. Tulsa has a smoking blend of barbeque, performing arts and social history and you should dive into each of these with equal relish. Oklahoma City is where the old world meets the new. With a cowboy heart and a large Native American population, this city is not to be missed.
And as you speed into Texas on the final leg of your Route 66 adventure, your mind will be filled with a thousand images of the hidden American you have just discovered.