Route 66: The Perfect American Road Trip

First created in the early 20th century, Route 66 has become an icon for the United States, representing the journey to prosperity and small town, middle America. The highway in addition to being recognized by the Smithsonian as one of the fifteen most endangered world treasures has been immortalized through film, music and literature.
If you are considering taking a road trip on Route 66 here are a few of the most famous locations along the highway.
The Wigwam Motel
Built in 1949, the wigwam hotel resides in San Bernardino, California. The motel was masterminded by Frank Redford whose patented wigwam design has brought him much fame. The motel complex is composed of several individual wigwams buildings. The hotel boasts BBQ facilities, a kidney shaped swimming pool and a historic experience. This is a must see if you are doing a Route 66 road tour.
The Cozy Dog Drive In
This cute place is the home of the first hot dog on a stick! The Springfield, Illinois drive in was the idea of Ed Waldmire Jr. who after receiving some interesting baking flour from a former student to batter hot dogs with decided to turn a small cooking recipe into big idea. Not only does the restaurant sell dogs on its premise but they will also send their flour mixture to those who seek to make this fairground treat at home.
Meramec Caves
These caves made are the largest caves on the west side of the Mississippi. They were made known to the wider world after the French explorer, Phillipp Renault, was shown to their entrance by the Osage native American tribe in 172. Their history is a varied and interesting one. They were filled with large potassium nitrate deposits, an essential ingredient in gun powder, and were heavily mined. In the late 19th century these caves, oddly enough, would be the site of many parties as some of the caverns were large enough to hold ballroom-sized occasions, providing a cool escape from the hot summer months. And a series of cave discoveries eventually led to the finding of Jesse James hideout and the financial success of one of America´s greatest treasures!
Foss- Ghost Town
This is one of the many ghost towns along Route 66 that grew in population to take advantage of the heyday of the highway. It cycled through population sizes, in the early 20th century boasting an opera house, but shortly died in the 30´s after the construction of the interstate highways and the loss of Air Force revenue from the neighboring installation in Burns Flat. The ghost town is near a Foss State Park which has camping grounds, hiking trails and a lake.
Route 66 has many stops, not just the ones mentioned here that are worth visiting. The highway, going from Illinois to Los Angeles County is a historic stretch of road that should be a part of any road trip adventure.