https://route66journal.com/ Route 66 news, events, history and trip planning, every week.en-us Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://route66journal.com/route-66-historyhttps://route66journal.com/route-66-history Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000HistoryFrom a telegram in Springfield in 1926 to its 100th birthday in 2026, here is how Route 66 was built, lost to the interstates and saved by its towns.https://route66journal.com/is-route-66-safehttps://route66journal.com/is-route-66-safe Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningThe real risks on the road, from the Oatman curves and Mojave fuel gaps to night driving and car break-ins, and how older and solo travelers can plan around them.https://route66journal.com/route-66-ghost-townshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-ghost-towns Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000HistoryFifteen towns the road left behind, from Times Beach to Essex: why they emptied, what you can still see, and which ones you can actually reach this year.https://route66journal.com/route-66-tulsahttps://route66journal.com/route-66-tulsa Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000State by StateThe 28 miles of the Capital of Route 66 in driving order, with addresses, where to stay and eat, and the November 11 centennial celebration.https://route66journal.com/route-66-in-winterhttps://route66journal.com/route-66-in-winter Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningOfficial December to February temperatures from Chicago to Barstow, the two stretches where snow decides your trip, and the stops that close for the season.https://route66journal.com/route-66-itinerary-10-dayshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-itinerary-10-days Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningAbout 2,270 miles in nine nights: where to sleep, how many hours you'll drive each day, and the stretches where the interstate saves time without costing you the old road.https://route66journal.com/route-66-road-trip-costhttps://route66journal.com/route-66-road-trip-cost Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningFuel by state at October 2026 prices, real motel rates, food, museums, rentals and flights, in three budgets for 10, 14 and 21 days.https://route66journal.com/route-66-tipshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-tips Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningFrom booking motels in the centennial year to fuel gaps, Sunday closures and photo manners, the practical lessons that make a first Route 66 trip go smoothly.https://route66journal.com/route-66-from-las-vegashttps://route66journal.com/route-66-from-las-vegas Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningThe nearest Route 66 is two hours from the Strip. Distances, a day-trip loop, and 2- and 3-day plans to Seligman, the Grand Canyon or Santa Monica.https://route66journal.com/route-66-grand-canyonhttps://route66journal.com/route-66-grand-canyon Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningHow far the South Rim is from Route 66, train or car from Williams, 2026 park fees, how many days to add, and the national park the road runs through.https://route66journal.com/route-66-in-one-weekhttps://route66journal.com/route-66-in-one-week Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningYes, at six to seven hours a day and mostly on the interstate. Here are two day-by-day plans, and the half-road week I would pick.https://route66journal.com/route-66-news-this-week-october-13-2026https://route66journal.com/route-66-news-this-week-october-13-2026 Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000News & EventsFour weeks to the centennial: Tulsa and Springfield, Illinois, plan November 11, Russell's museum goes to auction, a neon pin lights up Lebanon, and fall festivals worth the drive.https://route66journal.com/route-66-california-stopshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-california-stops Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000State by StateThe last 316 miles: the Mojave towns, what's open and closed on the old desert road this year, Barstow to Santa Monica stop by stop, and how to beat the heat.https://route66journal.com/route-66-illinois-stopshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-illinois-stops Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000State by StateThe first state of the road, town by town: the Begin sign, the Gemini Giant, the old gas stations of Dwight, Odell and Mount Olive, the free museum in Pontiac, Springfield's Cozy Dog and the bridge with the bend.https://route66journal.com/route-66-missouri-stopshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-missouri-stops Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000State by StateFrom the Chain of Rocks Bridge to Joplin, town by town: Ted Drewes, the Cuba murals, Devil's Elbow, the Munger Moss neon, Springfield's birthplace story, Gay Parita and Boots Court, plus what changed this year.https://route66journal.com/route-66-texas-stopshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-texas-stops Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000State by StateThe Panhandle in one day, town by town: the U-Drop Inn, McLean's first Phillips station, Groom's leaning tower, Amarillo's Sixth Avenue and Cadillac Ranch, the halfway point in Adrian and the ghost town on the state line.https://route66journal.com/best-route-66-guide-bookshttps://route66journal.com/best-route-66-guide-books Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningEZ66, the Adventure Handbook, Moon, Lonely Planet, the Here It Is! maps, a navigation app and our own Field Manual: what each one does best, what it leaves out, and how current it is.https://route66journal.com/best-time-to-drive-route-66https://route66journal.com/best-time-to-drive-route-66 Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningOfficial temperatures and snowfall for every month, when the Mojave gets dangerous and Arizona gets snow, which direction to drive in each season, and what's on the 2027 calendar.https://route66journal.com/route-66-motorcycle-trip-plannerhttps://route66journal.com/route-66-motorcycle-trip-planner Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningHow many days to ride it, when to go, where to rent one-way, the stretches worth riding twice, the desert fuel gaps and the helmet law in each of the eight states.https://route66journal.com/route-66-map-with-citieshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-map-with-cities Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningIllinois to California, 2,448 miles. Which states the road crosses, how many miles in each, and the towns along the way in driving order.https://route66journal.com/route-66-itinerary-2-weekshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-itinerary-2-weeks Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningFourteen days, thirteen nights, about 2,300 miles of the old road. Where to start each morning, where to sleep each night, and how to stretch or squeeze it.https://route66journal.com/best-route-66-dinershttps://route66journal.com/best-route-66-diners Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Stay & EatNineteen old cafes, drive-ins and counters still feeding travelers in 2026, from Lou Mitchell's in Chicago to the Mitla in San Bernardino, and the famous names that went quiet.https://route66journal.com/route-66-arizona-stopshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-arizona-stops Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000State by StateFrom the Painted Desert to the Colorado River: every stop worth the brakes, the real miles between them, the longest stretch of old road left, and the Grand Canyon detour.https://route66journal.com/route-66-attractionshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-attractions Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningGiant astronauts, a blue whale, buried Cadillacs, neon motels and wild burros: the stops worth pulling over for, in driving order, checked for 2026.https://route66journal.com/route-66-camping-rv-parkshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-camping-rv-parks Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Stay & EatWhere to park the rig for the night from Illinois to the Pacific, the maximum length each campground posts, and the three stretches of old road to leave to the tow car.https://route66journal.com/route-66-oklahoma-stopshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-oklahoma-stops Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000State by StateThe longest drivable stretch of the road, town by town: the Ribbon Road, the Blue Whale, Tulsa's neon, the Pony Bridge and the museum in Clinton, plus what changed this year.https://route66journal.com/how-long-does-route-66-takehttps://route66journal.com/how-long-does-route-66-take Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningPure driving hours, days per state, and what happens to your trip at 5, 7, 10, 14 and 21 days, from someone who drove all 2,448 miles in April 2026.https://route66journal.com/route-66-kansashttps://route66journal.com/route-66-kansas Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000State by StateGalena's mining past and Tow Tater, a store open since 1925, the last Marsh arch bridge on the route and a cottage gas station in Baxter Springs. What's open, what closed, and how long to stay.https://route66journal.com/route-66-new-mexico-stopshttps://route66journal.com/route-66-new-mexico-stops Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000State by StateTucumcari's neon, the Blue Hole, Central Avenue, the pueblos and Gallup, plus the one decision most guides fumble: the old road through Santa Fe or the straight line through Moriarty.https://route66journal.com/where-does-route-66-start-and-endhttps://route66journal.com/where-does-route-66-start-and-end Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Trip PlanningThe Begin sign on Adams Street, the End of the Trail on the Santa Monica Pier, and the four other spots that have claimed to be the end of the road since 1926.