u/Top_Oil_9473

Nice cactus cutout on the bottom !

This Route 66 Missouri State Park is about 21 miles west of Ted Drewes Frozen Custard (you can’t say you did Route 66 in St. Louis if you skip Ted Drewes!)

From their website -

https://mostateparks.com/page/route-66-state-park/general-information-route-66

“Route 66 State Park strives to keep some of the memories alive through its displays and memorabilia. The visitor center has a historical display area complete with Route 66 memorabilia. Wandering among the display items, visitors will see the rich architecture of the buildings and towns that graced the roadways of Missouri from the 1930s to the 1960s, and souvenirs that long ago travelers bought on their journey across Missouri on Route 66. A gift shop, specializing in hundreds of Route 66 items, is open seven days a week from March through November in the visitor center.”

You will not believe the history of “Times Beach”, where the Park Headquarters is located in a 66 Roadhouse built in 1935.

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From a 1930 brochure for Rainbow Cottage Camps, includes a description of this chain of camps, Directory with prices and full maps of Arizona and New Mexico. Route 66 was 4 years old when this was printed.

Another map from the 1929 Highway Atlas which shows about 90% of Route 66 was unpaved in New Mexico at that time.

I have had a couple of requests seeking better resolution of the areas around Times Beach and Eureka. Here it is, they are almost off the map.

I previously mentioned my recent visit to the Illinois Route 66 Museum in Pontiac, Illinois which is definitely worth a visit. While there, I picked up these 3 free publications. None of these obviously would replace the need for a good detailed map guide, you may find some places of interest and some restaurants you were not aware of. The more informed the traveler, the better the trip will be!

Does anybody have any information on this place?
I have not been able to find any information on this 24 hour restaurant. Kind of boring as matchbooks go, but of interest is the mileage chart for people going east and west on 66. In Barstow, Route 66 and Main Street were one in the same, at least where this place was located.

I cannot locate a copyright year anywhere on this map. I date it circa 1950, as the discussion of the history of St. Louis indicates St. Louis is the 8th largest city in the nation. Based on 1950 census data, that placed St. Louis in 8th place. The map shows RT 66 went around the central city while “City 66” cut through the central city.

Many folks doing the Route 66 adventure start in Chicago and get photos of themselves with the “Historic Route 66 Begin” sign. But many are not aware that there are actually 3 such signs. They are all relatively close to one another, so you might as well get a selfie at all 3 locations. I asked an AI chat to draw a map showing the location of these 3 signs. (Use this map diagram at your own risk, as I cannot vouch for its accuracy. AI can sometimes be very wrong.)

From Gallup’s Highway Atlas of the U.S.
Can you find Route 66?

Copyright 1929 - Gallup Map & Supply Company
Kansas City, Missouri

The Saturday Evening Post (May 28, 1938)
Full page Ad

Wikipedia has a superlative discussion about Coral Courts:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral\_Court\_Motel

I visited this hidden gem many years ago and wanted to share it. I actually bought a small woven Navajo Rug, which is framed and hangs in my living room. If you’re traveling through northeastern Arizona on Route 66, the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site in Ganado is well worth a stop. It is only 60 miles from the Route 66 town of Gallup, New Mexico.

This Navajo Trading Post has been in operation since 1878. Today, it remains an active trading post and is operated in partnership with the National Park Service, preserving the tradition of trade between Navajo artists and the community. It’s also a great place to find genuine Native American art and crafts, including Navajo rugs, jewelry, baskets and other handmade items purchased through the trading tradition—not just tourist souvenirs. (Note, some places in the American West sell FAKE Native American Art.)

You can also visit the historic Hubbell home, barn and homestead, see exhibits, and sometimes join a free ranger-led home tour. The park and trading post are currently open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time, and there is no entrance fee (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Check Facebook for updates or park ranger led tours availability and times.

From Gallup, New Mexico, the NPS recommends taking US-491 north toward Window Rock, Arizona, then AZ-264 west toward Ganado; the site is at milepost 446.3 on AZ-264. The drive is roughly 60 miles.

One tip: GPS and cell service can be unreliable on the Navajo Nation, so it’s a good idea to follow the NPS-recommended route and keep a map handy.

Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site – National Park Service hi

I visited this wonderful RT 66 Museum in Pontiac, Illinois yesterday for the first time. The collection focuses mainly on the Mother Road in Illinois but does include other artifacts and photos and documents as well. Admission is free but donations are appreciated. The Route 66 Association of Illinois and the Government of Pontiac have done a wonderful job with the museum. They have a nice small gift shop with lots of Route 66 items and everything is reasonably priced. If you are a RT 66 fan and are doing the RT 66 journey in Illinois, you are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t spend a little time. 💯

Their Website - Click Here

8 Photos On Flickr