Route 66 is one of the most famous roads in the United States. Established in November 1926, the highway originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before ending in Santa Monica, California. It covered a route measuring 2,448 miles, and the Route is a popular holiday adventure.
This pocket guide has picked six of the must-see attractions along this iconic route: not just a road, but a symbol of opportunity and adventure.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is home to the Brooks Catsup Bottle water tower. It is said to be the largest catsup bottle in the world, and stands 170 feet tall. The water tower is part of the Brooks Tomato Products Company, and was constructed in 1949 to supply water to the canning and packing plant. The idea behind the iconic design was from then president of the company, Gerhart S Suppiger.
Fanning, Kansas
Fanning in Kansas is home to the world’s (second) largest rocking chair. But in April 2008, it is known as the Route 66 Red Rocker. It stands 42 feet tall and is built of steel pipes. Due to safety reasons, it was welded into place, so it no longer rocks, and has therefore lost its title to a chair in Casey Illinois. However, it remains the largest rocking chair on Route 66, and is worth a visit.
Amarillo, Texas
The must-see landmark in Amarillo is the Cadillac Ranch. Ten Cadillac cars are half buried, nose down, in a line beside Route 66. The art installation was created in 1974 by the art group Ant Farm and represents evoltions of the classic American car from 1949 to 1963.
Arizona
Arizona’s National Park is the only one in the U.S. that protects a section of Route 66. Its badlands of multi-coloured stones date from the Triassic period 200-million years ago, and then there’s the petrified wood. During the Late Triassic, this area was lush rainforest, with trees 10ft diameter and 180ft tall. Preserved by sediments or volcanic ash and saturated by silica, the once living trees are now quartz.
Sante Fe, New Mexico
New Mexico is home to the oldest church in the US, a Spanish colonial mission church called San Miguel Mission (or San Miguel Chapel), which was built 1610-1625. This Catholic church was built with a flat roof and thick walls, in a Romanesque fortress style and still welcomes worshippers. Despite repairs and rebuilding over its long history, its original adobe walls remain largely intact.
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica Pier is more than 100 years old, and is the nominated “Endpoint of Route 66”. It contains the “Pacific Park” amusement park and many shops and restaurants. Every fall it is the Venue of “The Taste of Santa Monica on the Santa Monica Pier“, where visitors sample food and drinks from Santa Monica’s restaurants.
You can’t travel Route 66 without hearing mention of the name Angel Delgadillo. The Angel of Route 66 was born and raised on Route 66, later opening his barber shop in Seligman. In 1987, Angel organised a group to promote a Historic Route 66, dedicated on 23 and 24 April 1988.
Angel has been honoured for his part the part he played in promoting the route as a tourist destination, and is genuinely happy at the joy he has given to travellers of the world by preserving the piece of American history called Route 66.
