Day 1 → On arrival at Chicago airport collect your Alamo rental car and drive to your Chicago hotel for overnight. With a beautiful lakefront setting, stunning architecture, beautiful green parks and fantastic shopping, Chicago is truly a city worth exploring.
Day 2 → Take the following morning to explore the ‘ Windy City’ of Chicago. Take a walk down the Magnificent Mile with its world class shopping or visit the 95th floor of the John Hancock Tower for amazing views of the city’s towering architecture. In the afternoon start your historic drive across America. Head west from Chicago to Springfield in America’s heartland which is the birth place of Abraham Lincoln. Approx. 204 miles.
Day 3 → Depart Springfield today to St Louis, Missouri, located on the banks of the Mississippi River and best known for its graceful stainless steel ‘ Gateway Arch’. Tour the home of the world’s largest brewery at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. Take in the sights, like the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis and Missouri Botanical Gardens or take a river cruise on a traditional paddlewheel riverboat along the mighty Mississippi River. Approx. 98 miles
Day 4 → Today continue through Missouri, the land of Mark Twain. You’ll find Meramec Caverns, one of the most well know attractions on Route 66. It claims to be the hideout of the notorious outlaw ‘Jesse James’. Tonight you will stay in the ‘City of Ozarks’, Springfield, the third largest city in Missouri. Approx. 219 miles
Day 5 → Todays’ drive follows Historic Route 66 through small towns and farmland. Continue through the southeast corner of Kansas on it’s mere 13 miles of Route 66 before entering Oklahoma. If time permits, stop in Claremore to visit the Will Rogers Memorial Museum. At the end of the day arrive in Oklahoma City, the State Capitol. Approx 320 miles
Day 6 → As you continue along the Mother Road, stop in El Reno to see, Fort Reno, established in 1874 to protect the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians. Then proceed to Clinton, OK to visit the Route 66 Museum with its vintage cars and Route 66 memorabilia, before heading to Amarillo in the “Lone Star State” of Texas. Approx 258 miles
Day 7 → Located just west of Amarillo is the legendary ‘ Cadillac Ranch’ where 10 Cadillacs have been buried nose down in the ground at the same angle as the Great Pyramids of Egypt as homage to the road. Make a stop at the Midpoint Café in Adrian, located at an equal distance to both Chicago and Los Angeles. You’re half way there! Continue into New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment and home of the Pueblo Indians. Pass through Tucumcari then Santa Rosa and admire the many historic buildings downtown. Be sure to stop at the Route 66 Auto Museum to marvel at the collection of classic cars and Route 66 memorabilia. Continue north to Las Vegas, New Mexico, filming location of several movies including 1969’s “Easy Rider” and most recently “No Country for Old Men”. Approx 234 miles
Day 8 → On the road to Albuquerque, pass through the old ruins of Pecos National Monument, then head north to Santa Fe, the oldest capital city in North America. This city is best known for its art and the unique Southwestern Pueblo architecture dominating the city landscape. Visit the colourful local Indian crafts market held daily in front of the Palace of Governors. Continue to Albuquerque, the city of the Rio Grande and New Mexico’s “Big City.” Approx 123 miles
Day 9 → Before entering Arizona, make a stop in Gallup, known for its mix of indigenous people and native culture. Enter Arizona and visit Petrified Forest National Park where you will witness petrified wood. This area was once the site of an ancient forest later covered by a lava flow. Continue to Holbrook where Trading Posts, old cafes and colourful hotels still line the old Route 66 . Approx. 230 miles.
Day 10 → Today carry on to Flagstaff, a city rich with the Route 66 legacy. Then carry on your historical self-drive to one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. the Grand Canyon, a place of breathtaking beauty and grandeur. Take time to enjoy a walk, visit the numerous viewpoints and just take in the amazing scenery that surrounds you. Approx. 188 miles.
Day 11 → Sunrise is the perfect time to view the spectacular interplay of colour, shadow and light on the horizontal strata of the Grand Canyon. After revelling in the beauty of the canyon, depart for the return back to old Route 66. Continue west to Seligman, once a bustling town on America’s ‘Mother Road’ and still very much as it was during the heyday of Route 66. From old town Seligman, head to the modern day sights and sounds of Las Vegas. Las Vegas can not fail to impress with its neon lights, jaw dropping hotels and exciting way of life. Enjoy two nights in Las Vegas to relax by the pool or take a trip out to Death Valley or Red Rock Canyon. Approx 294 miles.
Day 13 → Today’s journey will lead you through the Mojave Desert. If you have time you can turn off the highway just before Barstow and drive into the Mojave Desert for a few miles to see Calico Ghost town and its old silver mine. Continue to Los Angeles, home to swaying palm trees, beautiful people and the city that everyone visits to live the ‘American Dream’. Extend your self-drive with a stay in Los Angeles or return your car to Los Angeles airport in time for your onward journey.. Approx. 307 miles.