So what is it about Route 66? What is the allure? What’s the fascination of “America’s Mother Road?”

I remember reading Grapes of Wrath my sophomore year of high school and developing a sense of reverence for The Mother Road. Now having a four year old in my life, I’ve become a Cars movie franchise fan and the first movie seems to be a love letter to Route 66. Yet while reading travel blogs, watching travel shows and perusing travel magazines, I began to feel as though the reason to visit Route 66 was to experience a collection of the tackiest kitsch America can produce.

As we were planning our Great American Road Trip, I picked up a great book at a museum gift shop - The Best Hits on Route 66 by Amy Bizarri. This book highlighted many of the popular stops along Route 66 and proved to be a great resource during our planning. I started to plot some of the stops that seemed appealing to see if it would work with our overall trip. What I didn’t know then, but I discovered along our trip, is that - Route 66 became so much more than a collection of kitsch, Cars movie franchise reproductions, and tributes to automobiles of yesteryear.

To me - Route 66 became of a reflection of my country and the way my fellow citizens show their love. Along the mother road I saw ways that people payed tribute good music, food and friends, beautiful landscapes and beloved automobiles. I saw how through a blue whale a husband showed his love to his wife. And most deeply, I saw how communities memorialized their love to neighbors who were victims of tragedies.

Route 66 is America’s Mother Road. In all of its kitschy silliness, I saw a love that is genuine. So below, I’m sharing the places we stoped. I hope these cause you smile and just think for a few moments - on how much love there is in our country.

Of Note: This is not a “Must Visit Places of Route 66” List, (there are plenty of those!). Rather this is a collection of the places we stoped. If you find yourself traveling Route 66 - stop wherever catches your attention! There is so much to experience beyond this collection. Also, I’m sharing this in the order in which we saw them which is not a straight East to West or West to East line. You can click here to see our itinerary and how it fit into our larger Great American Road Trip.

**Gemini Giant**
*Wilmington, Illinois*

This iconic statue of Route 66 is located in the parking lot of the now closed Launching Pad diner and was created in the 1960s as part of a Muffler Man advertising campaigns There have been several efforts to open the diner back up, but to date those have not seemed to be successful. While we were visiting, two other vehicles of road trippers stoped by to take pictures of this statue so it was nice to know we were not alone in our admiration for this somewhat lonely space man.

**Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup**
*Shirley, Illinois*

So Sean’s maternal side of his family is from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and he is very proud of his Vermonter heritage. If there is anything that you know Vermonters are proud of it is: the band Phish, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and maple syrup. So when we discovered there was a farm on Route 66 that produces maple sirup that seems to be different than growing corn to be an ingredient to make fake mass produced maple syrup - we decided we needed to stop and do some quality control. Funks Grove is a family run farm that goes back to the 1800s and they are proud to spell maple sirup accordingly (one big difference from Vermonters). However, this Illinois maple sirup passed Sean’s test and a handful of bottles were purchased. In addition, to being a great place to pick up maple sirup, the farm was a great place for Jack to run around, see tractors, cats and rabbits.

**Hackberry General Store**
*Kingman, Arizona*

Hackberry General Store was the first of the Route 66 stops we made in the southwest, which was much different than our earlier stops in Illinois. This place was iconic. The stuff of legend. We walked around to see the old timey automobiles and repair shop. Every where you look is a wonder from yesteryear that begs so many questions. Inside is a haven of any Route 66 souvineier you could wish (this we quickly discovered is a common denominator of many sites we will see in the days to come). The man behind the register was very kind, asking where we were coming and our plans. I asked a few questions and learned that many of his visitors are international tourists as well ashomeschoolers - that’s quite the combination! I also learned that the creators of the Cars franchise visited Hackberry several times to meet the original owner of the store. Through their interactions with him, Fillmore the VW van was created.

**Grand Canyon Caverns and Inn**
*Peach Springs, Arizona*

In Peach Springs, Arizona is a hotel with a rather unique suite - a cavern 200 ft. underground. Although this sounds interesting, it was not a place we decided to stay - this trip! Instead we stopped outside the motel (which also has more traditional rooms) to see the iconic dinosaur statues. Also in front of the motel is an old Chevron station that has been renamed Radiator Springs, after the fictional town in the Cars movie franchise.

**Seligman, Arizona**

Our next stop was in Seligman, Arizona which is a fantastic place to stop and soak up all the joie de vivre of Route 66. Legend has it that the creators of Radiator Springs, the fictional town from the movie Cars, was based off of Seligman - and it is not hard to see the connections. There are shops along the main road which promise weary travelers a great place to grab a bite to eat, stay awhile and enjoy the setting. The town is quirky and friendly which makes its charm so endearingly perfect.

**Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In**
*Seligman, Arizona*

Since we were getting hungry we decided to grab a bite to eat and the Snow Cap Drive-In which was great. With vintage cars and a patio to enjoy - we ordered burgers and of course a snow cone which proved to be very messy. The people who worked there were super friendly and seem to have quite a great sense of humor as many of the cars have googly eyes painted on the windshields.

**Slide Rock State Park**
*Sedona, Arizona*

Just south of Route 66 when it passes through Flagstaff is Sedona, Arizona where we spent a few nights. This tranquil town is a nice place to enjoy beautiful scenery while taking a slower pace. At the top of the list of things to do in Sedona is to eat at one of Lisa Dahl’s restaurants. Mariposa is the stuff of legend. Next on the list of things to do is to check out Slide Rock State Park which is adjacent to an old apple orchard. Once you pass the orchard, resisting temptation to pick an apple, one makes their way down to a river that etches its way through canyons. The river and rocks create the perfect combination for slides to form. After enjoying the pools of cool water for a bit, Sean and Jack eventually made their way down the slides a few times. The smiles were huge!

**Meteor Crater**
*Winslow, Arizona*

Despite the heat being uncomfortable, this stop was amazing. Around 55,000 years ago a meteor entered the atmosphere and ended up crashing into earth forming a crater just outside Winslow, Arizona. This is one of the best preserved craters on the planet and is privately owned by the family of the scientist who advocated that this was a meteor crater and not a volcanic crater which was the generally accepted idea at the time. The site has great facilities, a movie, museum and viewing platforms (as well as a restaurant, which we did not go to). When we went the heat was nearing 100 degrees so Jack was not very accommodating in going up the viewing platforms, but we made things work! In addition, they have a great “Pet Ramada” which is an air conditioned kennel for dogs and made the trip much easier. I want more places to do have Pet Ramadas!

**Standing on the Corner**
*Winslow, Arizona*

I have a haunch that the Eagles had no idea when writing “Takin It Easy” that a corner in Winslow, Arizona would some day become a must stop destination for people traveling Route 66. This was not my first time visiting, as during a church trip in the mid-90s our group made the stop. However, since then the city of Winslow has done such a great job adding neat features - like the Route 66 sign on the road, a flatbed Ford as a permanent fixture on the street and a statue of a man standing on the corner. There are several shops that you can get creative “standing on a corner” memorabilia and the downtown has a handful of diners and cute places to visit. In addition, the La Posada Hotel is not too far from the corner and is one of the last of the “great railroad hotels” built. When we pass through again someday, I think staying a night there would be a good idea.

**Wigwam Motel**
*Holbrook, Arizona*

Can one even say they have traveled Route 66 without stopping at the Wigwam motel? It seems as though this location is such an icon of the Mother Road and for good reason. Finished in 1950, the original owner was inspired by another Wigwam motel in Kentucky and built his tepees out of concrete and steel. He operated the motel until interstate 40 was completed in the late 70s. Two years after his death, his wife and grown children repurchased the property and run it to this day. We did not stay a night here, but it is worth a stop regardless. There is a museum in what was once the gas station in front of the motel that has many artifacts that once belonged to the original owner. And like many other sites along historic Route 66, this inspired the Cozy Cone Motel from the Cars franchise and the Wigwam motel has a Mater recreated tow truck in its parking lot.

**Petrified Forest National Park**
*Arizona*

This is a place that I remember seeing pictures of and learning about when I was in elementary school. There was something so intriguing to my elementary school mind about the idea that wood could become rocks. Unfortunately, with the temperature being in the 100’s, Jack did not find this place intriguing in the slightest. While he stayed content inside the air conditioned car, Sean and I jumped in and out taking opportunities to see the various sites like the Petroglyphs, painted desert and the petrified bridge. I do feel as though it is important to give a shout out to the amazing National Park Rangers and Employees. Working in a place like the Petrified forrest and living in the surrounding community can’t be easy and they do their job with such professionalism it is inspiring. So many of them are such gem of humans!

**El Rancho Hotel**
*Gallup, New Mexico*

While driving along Route 66 it is easy to see why this scenery became a captivating place for movies to be made. The landscape is a perfect backdrop for themes of good vs. evil, life and death, justice, adventure, loyalty and betrayal. As movies were made in this area, the El Rancho Hotel became the choice hotel for movie stars. To this day, the owners have kept the old Hollywood feel and the moment you walk through the doors you get a sense that John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Ronald Reagan and Errol Flynn are welcoming you in and ensuring you that a good time will be had. Like the other hotels that are on this list - we did not stay, but booking a night during the future trip would be a lot of fun.

**Santa Fe, New Mexico**

Just as Sedona, Arizona is a bit off the road of Route 66, so is Santa Fe. We found the city to be one of the highlights of our entire Great American Road Trip and a place certainly worth the excursion. We stayed downtown and found the area to be full of culture. The artisan shops along with wonderful food made for a memorable time. We learned a great deal about the history of the area and certainly want to go back and experience more!

**Blue Swallow Motel**
*Tucumcari, New Mexico*

As we drove into Tucumacri on our way to check out the Blue Swallow Motel, I was struck by how hard this city is working to revitalize. There were certainly plenty of empty storefronts. However, sprinkled between them were restaurants and unique stores. The Blue Swallow Motel was great to come upon and it is clear that the owners have taken great pride in keeping it modern, but keeping the allure of Route 66 alive. Built in the 30s, each room has an adjacent garage that made it ideal for travelers. In the 50’s the Redmans purchased the motel and became legends of Route 66. Lillian left a “travel benediction” for each of the guests and I’ve duplicated it below as I found it so lovely.

Greetings Traveler:

In ancient times, there was a prayer for “The Stranger Within Our Gates.” Because this motel is a human institution to serve people, and not solely a money-making organization, we hope that God will grant you peace and rest while you are under our roof.

May this room and motel be your “second” home. May those you love be near you in thoughts and dreams. Even though we may not get to know you, we hope that you will be as comfortable and happy as if you were in your own house.

May the business that brought you this way prosper. May every call you make and every message you receive add to your joy. When you leave, may your journey be safe.

We are all travelers. From “birth till death,” we travel between the eternities. May these days be pleasant for you, profitable for society, helpful for those you meet, and a joy to those you know and love best.

Sincerely, yours,

Lillian Redman

(owner of the Blue Swallow Motel from 1958-1998