If you want to go back in history of America there is no place better than to take a drive through historic Route 66. It was one of the original highways in the U.S highway system and also known as Main street of America. I will share with you the points of interest we visited on our way back from Arizona to California.
To start let me give you a little history behind this route and why it was so important. This road ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before terminating in Santa Monica in Los Angeles County, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). It served as the main route for those who migrated to west during the phase of Dust Bowl and gave a new lifeline to the people. The communities around the road prospered in this time. The route reflects the origin and evolution of road transportation in US. All of this is very well depicted in some of the museums we visited in Arizona.
There are many places in US where you can catch a glimpse of the bygone era. On our way back from Sedona, we decided to travel in a portion of it. We took I 40 from Williams to Kingsman and from Kingsman to Oatman we drove on it. You can drive through the route from Williams to Oatman, but we didn’t have much time and that route takes more time too.
I will list the towns we stopped at, and the attractions there you can check out.
Table of Contents
Williams Route 66 Stops :
- Route 66 Sign near petrol pump opposite to Visitor Center.
- Williams Visitor Center
- Pete’s Route 66 Gas Station Museum
- Route 66 Museum and Gift store
- Vintage Gift shopping at Addicted to Route 66 Shop
- Grand Canyon Railway to South Rim
Take a stroll in the streets and shop for some vintage items there. Revel in the nostalgia factor and grab a bite in the restaurants nearby for a relaxed outing. For more activities check out their Visitor center site.
Kingman Route 66 Stops:
- Arizona Route 66 Museum
- Mohave Museum of History and Arts
- Kingman Railroad museum
If you want to learn more about, the Route 66 Museum is perfect place for you. It has some great artifacts and displays depicting the era when the Route was of great importance. If you want to visit only one museum about Route 66 this this should be it. For more activities check out their Visitor center site.
Oatman Route 66 Stops
- Route 66 Leather and gifts
- Spend some time with the burros or donkeys roaming around.
- Watch a comedy gun fight daily at 1.30pm and 3.30pm
- Shop from the quirky shops on the road
Visiting Oatman felt like you just went back in a time machine and came upon this Wild West Country. You can see how real American towns were back in the day when mining was main occupation and there was hunt for gold in the remote parts. The drive to Oatman is thrilling as well with narrow winding roads and it certainly does not feel like you are on a Highway.
Check out more activities to do here.
These are the places we visited but you can also stop at Seligman. Some attractions you can visit there are :
- Return to the 50s Museum
- Browse the specialty gift shops in town
- Motoporium
You will find vintage cars and motorbikes in display in the museums along with Route 66 Memoribilia.
The picture below is the Electric Car museum inside Powerhouse visitor center in Kingman.
America is filled with places of natural wonder and modern cities but if you want to have a piece of history I highly recommend visiting these towns. We purchased a lot of vintage posters and memorabilia for our home decor. They have such unique and quirky items in the local shops you don’t find else where. Definitely do some shopping if you visit here.
If you have some other recommendations do share in comments below.
Route 66 Map Arizona
If you like this post please share it. Thanks!
