Since its 1926 founding as one of the first highways linking east and west, Route 66 has been a road of supersize proportions: big skies, monster steaks, giant balls of twine. Given its epic nature, a family trip on the road can seem daunting. But there's no question it will be hugely fun. The key is to limit your trip to a manageable stretch of the 2,450-mile Illinois-to-California road. We've laid out a greatest-hits itinerary in New Mexico and Arizona that promises an all-American vacation in under 350 miles. The corridor offers an authentic frontier feel as well as a high concentration of wonders, both natural (pink cliffs, expansive mesas) and man-made (teepee motels, a 10-foot-tall jackrabbit). And yes—in case you were wondering—Route 66 itself is still largely intact, despite having lost its official highway status in the 1980s. In a few spots, patches of freeway have replaced it, but for most of your journey, the historical two-lane road is rarely interrupted. As it curves with the landscape rather than plowing through it, you'll experience the old-fashioned notion of driving as not just about getting somewhere, but about rolling down your windows and seeing the country. You might never even need to turn on the DVD player.
Before You Go
Plan it Right
The best time to take the trip is in spring or early summer, when temperatures are less than scorching. The journey on these pages can be comfortably done in a week, but it can also be extended or shortened, depending on the ages and attention spans of your kids.
Know the Road
For most of this drive, you'll be on historic Route 66, but in some spots, the road has been replaced by a freeway. Buy a Route 66–specific map, which will make the detours that keep you on the scenic route extra clear.
Get the Kids Psyched
Watch Cars and download some road music (e.g., anything by Ry Cooder). Also, visit Kids on 66 to print out coloring pages of the sights you'll pass.
Bring Provisions
Stock up on healthy snacks at home or in Albuquerque. Route 66 offers many things, but organic granola generally isn't one of them.
Next Page: Route 66 Road Trip: Albuquerque to Holbrook
