From Chicago to California, almost 4,000 kilometres through eight states. Route 66 is much more than a road from A to B. It is old motels, neon signs, diners, abandoned gas stations, small towns and stops that sometimes make you wonder who came up with them in the first place.

And that is all part of the charm of the Mother Road.

In 2026, Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary. The road has changed enormously over the years and has been replaced by modern highways in many places, but along the old route there are still plenty of spots where that typical Route 66 atmosphere is very much alive.

Here are ten of them.

2. Blue Whale of Catoosa – Oklahoma

A giant blue whale by the side of the road. Why not?

The Blue Whale of Catoosa is exactly the kind of place that makes Route 66 so much fun. The whale was built in the early 1970s by Hugh Davis as a play area for his family, but it quickly became a well-known stop for travellers.

People used to swim here and jump into the water from the whale. Swimming is no longer allowed, but the huge blue structure is still there.

It does not need to be a long stop. Stretch your legs, take a photo and wonder how many more strange things you are going to come across along the way.

4. Tucumcari – New Mexico

Some places along Route 66 are not about one single attraction. The whole street is the attraction.

Tucumcari is one of those places.

Along the old road you will find motels, vintage signs and neon lights that recall the days when thousands of motorists passed through here every day. When the neon lights come on in the evening, you get a small glimpse of what Route 66 must have looked like in its heyday.

One of the best-known addresses is the Blue Swallow Motel, but one of the nicest things to do is simply drive slowly through Tucumcari and stop whenever something catches your eye. The National Park Service lists the motel as one of New Mexico’s characteristic Route 66 sites.

6. Seligman – Arizona

If you want to get an idea of what Route 66 looked like in its glory days, make a stop in Seligman.

The small town grew alongside the road and was once filled with motels, garages, restaurants and eye-catching signs trying to lure motorists inside. When Interstate 40 was built around Seligman in 1978, much of that traffic disappeared.

But the town did not simply give up on Route 66. Local business owners later played an important role in bringing attention back to the historic road.

Today you can walk past colourful façades, vintage cars, neon signs and places such as the Snow Cap Drive-In. It is touristy, absolutely, but here that is part of the fun.

8. Roy’s Motel & Café – Amboy, California

In the middle of the Mojave Desert, a large old neon sign suddenly appears: Roy’s Motel & Café.

Amboy was once a lively stop for motorists on Route 66, with gas stations, cafés and a motel. When traffic moved to Interstate 40, much of that activity disappeared.

Roy’s remained as one of the best-known images of that old Route 66 era. The gas station is back in use and the site is gradually being preserved and restored.

Stop here for the scenery as much as anything else. The empty road, the desert and the old sign together create exactly the kind of Route 66 image many people have in mind before they even arrive.

10. Santa Monica Pier – California

After thousands of kilometres, the Pacific finally appears.

Route 66 has had several official endpoints in Los Angeles and Santa Monica throughout its history. Still, for many travellers, Santa Monica Pier has become the symbolic end of the journey.

The famous “End of the Trail” sign on the pier is not a historic official endpoint of the highway, but it has become the photo many roadtrippers use to mark the end of their journey.

After weeks of diners, deserts, small towns, national parks and endless highways, it feels almost strange to suddenly reach a point where you cannot go any farther west.

Park the car. Walk to the ocean. Take one last photo.

And realise that you have driven all the way from Chicago to the Pacific.