Atlas Obscura Itineraries

The Explorer’s Guide to Route 66 in Arizona

“Get your kicks on Route 66,” the famed song goes, and that lyric seems aimed straight at the span that crosses northern Arizona. This stretch of the Mother Road is a showcase for the kitsch and nostalgia that have become synonymous with the great American road trip. Railroad hotels built for early 20th-century travelers still stand. Midcentury motor courts adorned with outsized roadside attractions remain open for business. Trading posts that once lured motorists with hand-painted billboards now serve a new generation of road trippers. Together, these markers trace how the highway—which marks its 100th anniversary in 2026—became woven into American cultural mythology. A drive along Route 66 is both a study in the evolution of American travel, from rail to automobile to preservation movement, and a firsthand encounter with the enduring appeal of the open road.