Route 66 - Classic Americana

Days 1-2: Arrival - Chicago

Upon arrival make your own way to your hotel for the next two nights where you will experience this magnificent City. Whilst exploring the city make sure you get a photo of the official start of Route 66 sign, located at the junction of Michigan Avenue & Adams Street. Stroll down the lakefront and Navy Pier, browse the shops on the Magnificent Mile, bike the parks, grab a Chicago Hot Dog, or see the city's incredible architecture on a cruise along the Chicago River including the Willis Tower, one of the tallest buildings in North America.

Day 3: Chicago to Springfield, Illinois - 215 Miles

After collecting your rental car, prepare for an unforgettable journey along Historic Route 66. Your journey as you travel south-west embraces the spirit of the Mother Road as you visit Joliet which was on the original Route 66 path and is home to the Route 66 Welcome Centre. Next visit Pontiac and the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and its thousands of pieces of historic Route 66 memorabilia including its iconic Route 66 mural. Continue to Springfield, which Abraham Lincoln called his home for many years.

Day 4: Springfield to St. Louis - 97 Miles

In Springfield, explore the legacy of Abraham Lincoln with a visit to the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to learn about the life of the former US President. In St. Louis, the largest city along Route 66, you can visit the many attractions throughout the city, including the Gateway Arch, the nation's tallest monument which sits proudly by the Mississippi River. For beer lovers, Anheuser-Busch Brewery is a worthwhile visit and by night enjoy the city's buzzy restaurant scene.

Day 5: St. Louis to Springfield - 216 Miles

Your journey continues through the Ozark Mountains, the second oldest mountains in the world to southern Missouri and Springfield, Missouri recognised as the birthplace of Route 66. During your journey, stop at Meramec Caverns in Stanton, an extensive set of natural limestone caves whose colours and formations are both unique and beautiful. In Springfield visit the aptly named Route 66 Car Museum with display cars starting from the early 1900s.

Day 6: Springfield to Oklahoma City - 286 Miles

Today your journey takes you through the south-eastern corner of Kansas on your way to Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma section of Route 66 contains more driveable miles than any other state as well as several miles of the original 9-foot road segment. Your drive to Oklahoma City, will take you through dusty and dry landscapes that was the home to many Native American Indians and cowboys and outlaws. Stop to view the wondrous 20-foot-tall cement Blue Whale in Catoosa, a landmark along Route 66 before arriving in Oklahoma City, the state's capital. Be sure to check out the old Route 66 motels, murals, gas stations, numerous vintage buildings and enjoy its tasty Cajun and Mexican cuisine.

Day 7: Oklahoma City to Amarillo - 260 Miles

Continue to Amarillo, located in the flat plains of the Texas Panhandle visiting lots of unique and interesting Route 66 sights along the way. Worthwhile stops include the Lucille's Historic Gas Station, the Route 66 Museum in Clinton where you can experience six decades of Route 66 history and the interesting National Route 66 Museum complete with reconstructed authentic Route 66 buildings and Americana memorabilia including a pink Cadillac. For lunch or snack a recommended stop is the U Drop Inn where you can sit in the same booth that Elvis Presley dined in. On arrival in Amarillo make sure to drive down Amarillo Boulevard to see its 1950's buildings.

Day 8: Amarillo to Albuquerque - 288 Miles

After breakfast and a quick stop at Cadillac Ranch, a unique display of art featuring a row of ren colourfully painted Cadillac cars buried grille first in the ground, continue to Adrian, the official midway point of Route 66. As you continue west you will pass through the ghost town of Glenrio, and Tucumcari to see its vintage hotels and neon signage. On arrival in New Mexico's largest city, Albuquerque explore Central Avenue, a haven for Route 66 landmarks and Historic Old Town for a taste of New Mexico's Spanish Colonial past.

Day 9: Albuquerque to Holbrook - 233 Miles

Your journey today continues as the state of Arizona welcomes Route 66 travellers with an overwhelming display of trading posts. VIew huge concrete tepees that stand at the foot of red-rock mesas enroute to the Petrified Forest National Park, the only park in the National Park System containing a section of Route 66, where you will see one of the world's largest and most colourful assemblies of petrified wood, historic structures, and archaeological sites. Catch a sunset over the Painted Desert from the park's Kachina Point before heading to Holbrook, for your overnight stay

Days 10-11: Holbrook to Williams - 123 Miles

Continue to Meteor City, a true vintage trading post and its distinctive crater which is over 500 feet deep. Continue to Flagstaff, which is surrounded by large areas of Ponderosa Pine Forest, and by many national Monuments, like Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki, before proceeding to Williams for your two-night stay. Williams has six blocks of shops and historic buildings packed full of Route 66 memorabilia waiting to be explored. On your second day, you will have time to visit and explore the Grand Canyon National Park, a natural wonder that must be seen to believed. Spend the day discovering the South Rim of the Canyon, stopping at one of the numerous overlooks, walk part of the Rim Trail or along the historic Hermit Road.

Days 12-13: Williams to Las Vegas - 220 Miles

As you leave the town of Williams and the Grand Canyon behind you, make your way to Seligman, the first stop heading west on the longest uninterrupted stretch of Route 66. Continue through Kingman whose old Route 66 cafes and motels still thrive, before arriving at one of Arizona's most famous treasures, Hoover Dam. Considered the largest single public works project in the history of the U.S., Hoover Dam Straddles the mighty Colorado River, which forms the border between Nevada and Arizona and brings the necessary water and electricity to the Southwest. Continue to Las Vegas, Nevada, where you have a two-night stay, to wonder in and out of the epic hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, enjoy a star-studded show or dine in the huge array of restaurants.

Days 14-15: Las Vegas to Santa Monica/Los Angeles - 286 Miles

The final leg of your Route 66 journey takes you to the official end of Route 66, the official sign of which is located at Santa Monica Pier. Your drive through the Mojave Desert will take you via Primm, Nevada's border with California and home to the last Nevada Casino's. Visit Calico Ghost Town, California's authentic silver mining town and one of the few original mining camps of the Old West. Rejoin Route 66 in Barstow where a collection of historic photographs and artifacts related to Route 66 and the Mojave Desert communities are on display at the Route 66 Mother Road Museum. Continue your journey to Santa Monica, before heading to your chosen hotel for the last two nights. Spend your remaining time in Los Angeles with a pleasant walk down Santa Monica and Muscle Beach. For the thrill seeker, try one of the plentiful theme parks or for some last-minute retail therapy, there are the shops of the Beverley Centre and Rodeo Drive.

Day 16: Homeward Bound

After a relaxing final morning, it is time for the short journey to the airport to return your rental car before leaving Los Angeles for your homebound flight.