Route 66 at 100: Road Trips, Stargazing, National Parks, and Vintage Hotels. Hit the Road

Route 66 opened November 11, 1926, and as it celebrates its centennial in 2026, we’re helping travelers prepare for the ultimate road trip—on the ultimate highway. Here are the can’t-miss trips, stops, and stories to explore along the way.
Route 66 signs on highway pavement, with Mojave desert red rock mountains in distance

Route 66 stretches across the country, from Chicago to Santa Monica—with plenty to explore along the way.

Photo by trekandshoot/Shutterstock

For travelers chasing daring design, Arizona shimmers as a midcentury oasis.
Have a taste of an Americana road trip in the Old World.
Cars refuel in gas stations, and humans recharge in thermal waters.
Find renovated motels, restored neon, new street art, and augmented reality in Albuquerque in 2026.
The Mother Road cuts through some of the most dramatic landscapes in the U.S., filled with canyons, petroglyphs, lava flows, and lakes.
Musical landmarks to vist—and songs to play on the car stereo—on a trip along the Mother Road.
From mosaic tiles to cowhide, these hotels celebrate Americana from Chicago to L.A.
Route 66’s attractions aren’t just along the roadside—they’re in the night sky, too.
For those willing to slow down and experience a taste of America that largely goes unseen, these small towns are well worth the detour.
British photographer Rachael Wright has spent years documenting the crumbling buildings and faded signage of Route 66, but it’s the people who make America’s most iconic highway so unforgettable.

Route 66 is best known for neon signs, roadside motels, and kitschy pie counters, but the road also winds through some of the country’s most striking natural landscapes.
Jackie Bryant, “11 National and State Parks to Add to Your Route 66 Road Trip”
These towering fiberglass figures were America’s supersize salesmen in the 1960s. On this episode of Unpacked, America 250 learn earn how they went from coast-to-coast marketing phenomenon to beloved roadside relics.
Our 2026 picks champion a better way to travel the world: responsibly, creatively, and with eyes on places long overlooked.

Billie Cohen is editorial director of Afar, where she leads editorial strategy for its digital content. Based in New York City but often on the road, she has a soft spot for nerd travel, including maps, libraries, science, dessert, music, and Oreo flavors around the world. Follow her @billietravels.
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