The following year after our first trip we were on our way to pick our trailer up in Roswell and resume exploring the American West. Instead of going I-10 from Florida, we opted for catching I-40. First, we have driven I-10 so many times and wanted something new. Second, the hotel prices are a lot lower when you get away and north from the Gulf of Mexico. And third, we hoped to catch parts of the Mother Road, the famous Route 66.
Route 66, or Highway 66, is one of the original highways in the United States. It was established in 1926 and ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before terminating in Santa Monica in Los Angeles County, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). Route 66 was used primarily by those who migrated west, so it became the most famous road in the United States, revealing the history, the lives and the dreams of the American people.
Nowadays, most of the historic route is swallowed by the Interstate System. The portion that we took, from Oklahoma to Arizona, mostly runs together with I-40, but proudly demonstrates signs on the side or the road reading “Historic Route 66”. There are still many little country stores, traditional family diners, all the reminders of the past glory. But being on the road with a destination in mind, it’s impossible to stop too often, so I selected only a handful of possibly the most interesting places that are really worth dedicating some time to.
National Route 66 and Transportation Museum, Elk City, Oklahoma
We started with the Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma. This is a perfect place to learn about the history of America’s Heartland, see numerous exhibits and unique artifacts from all over the United States. And of course, you learn about the Mother Road itself, how this idea started and what it took to make this dream a reality. But not only that… you will actually see several exhibits, including tractor and windmill collections, tools from the early farm life in western Oklahoma and blacksmith displays. Trust me: this museum will put you in the right mood for the rest of your trip!
Address: 2717 W 3rd St, Elk City, OK 73644
Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
Drive a little over two hours west, and just past Amarillo, Texas, you will find this next stop. Cadillac Ranch is kind of a corny roadside attraction, but it’s rather cool and definitely worth stopping by.
Cadillac Ranch was built in 1974 by a group of art-hippies from San Francisco. They called themselves The Ant Farm, and their silent partner was Amarillo billionaire Stanley Marsh 3. He wanted a piece of public art that would baffle the locals, and the hippies came up with a tribute to the evolution of the Cadillac tail fin. Ten Caddies were driven into one of Stanley Marsh 3’s fields, then half-buried, nose-down, in the dirt (supposedly at the same angle as the Great Pyramid of Giza)…
Soon people started to stop along the highway to see the installation. Somehow it became a tradition to deface the cars by drawing on them or ripping off pieces as souvenirs. Eventually Stanly Marsh 3 and the Ant Farm people came to tolerate it and even encourage it!
Now, decades after, the Cadillac Ranch installation is popular as ever. The cars have spent more time half-buried in the ground than on the road. They are widely featured in pop culture: Bruce Springsteen has a song named “Cadillac Ranch”, the music video for the 1985 song “Living in America” by James Brown and the music video for the 2008 song “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” by Cage the Elephant both feature imagery of the Cadillac Ranch. The 1996 film Cadillac Ranch directed by Lisa Gottlieb and starring Christopher Lloyd and Suzy Amis is set in the Texas Panhandle around its namesake ranch. And it’s just to name a few. Of course, it is also an object of curiosity and many tourist pictures!
Address: 13651 I-40 Frontage Rd, Amarillo, TX 79124
Russell’s Route 66 Café, Old Car and Route 66 memorabilia Museum, New Mexico
There are many traditional family-style diners along Route 66, but if you get hungry after visiting the Cadillac Ranch, drive about 45 minutes west and you will run into Russell’s Route 66 Café just after you cross into New Mexico. Not only can you enjoy some comfort food, but you can visit a FREE old car and Route 66 memorabilia museum. It’s like you went back in time and found yourself in the 50s! Since it’s a full-service travel center as well, you can get some groceries, fill up your car and even take a shower!
Address: 1383 Frontage Rd, Bard, NM 88411
Tucumcari, New Mexico
Even though the times of the old Route 66 are long gone, it seems that Tucumcari still preserves this quaint old-timey atmosphere. There are parts of the old Route 66 leading through town and you can imagine how bustling these streets were when all the traffic passed through here.
We decided to go through town because Tucumcari has special significance for Michael… Apparently, sometime in summer ’53 his parents stayed in Tucumcari in a small motel and … long story short, 9 months later, Michael was born. He doesn’t know exactly what motel it was, but this one opened in 1934, so maybe it was even this one! Who knows!
Albuquerque, New Mexico
After picking up our trailer in Roswell, we went back to Route 66 and continued our trip west. Soon enough, the road takes you through Albuquerque. We explored this city a year ago, so we didn’t stop. But if you’d like to stay there for a day or two, check my article about New Mexico for information what you can do in Albuquerque. It is worth visiting!
Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Soon enough you will be crossing New Mexico/Arizona state line, and when you do, please, do not miss this fantastic National Park. Petrified Forest is best known for its Triassic fossils. The Triassic is a geologic period which spans 50.5 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago, to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.4 million years ago. So, it took over 200 million years to create these unique layered landscapes and to turn trees into stone, lacing the wood with all kinds of minerals from rust to pure quartz… Can you believe these trees saw dinosaurs? And Painted Desert… it feels like you are walking on Mars!!
There is one big road that you can drive through the park. It is not a loop, so plan to enter at one point and exit at another. But it’s easy, convenient and very well organized. Along the road you can stop at different overlooks and take small trails to explore the park. Or, actually, it’s almost like two parks in one, because one of the overlooks has an awesome view on the surreal landscape of the Painted Desert.
Sedona, Arizona
Another 2.5 hours west and you arrive to Sedona, Arizona. Sedona is considered a center for spiritual healing. There are more yoga retreats here than probably anywhere else in the US. Besides inspiring landscapes, it is believed that the area is sacred (it has always been sacred among the Native Americans) and full of cosmic energy. It is believed that there are at least seven energy vortexes around Sedona and you can find their locations HERE. They are all slightly different, but have one thing in common: people go to these places to pray, meditate and find peace…
Sedona was our final stop on Route 66. From there, we went on to explore the beautiful State of Arizona, checking out its many State Parks, National Monuments and the magnificent Grand Canyon.
