Heading West on I-40
Route 66, Wigwam Motel & Winslow, Arizona
Day 4 — heading west on the Mother Road. I-40 follows the old Route 66 alignment through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Day 4 was a Route 66 day.
I-40 follows the old Route 66 alignment across the southern tier of the country — through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Mother Road, the Main Street of America, the road that carried the Dust Bowl migrants west and the postwar tourists to California.
Elk City, Oklahoma was the starting point — home of the National Route 66 Museum. A group of Corvette owners had shipped their cars to Chicago and were following Route 66 back to California. Ray was going the other way.
Amarillo, Texas. A detour north to Santa Fe, New Mexico — the oldest state capital in the country, founded in 1610. Then back south to I-40 and west through Arizona.
The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona: one of the great Route 66 landmarks, with teepee-shaped concrete cabins that have been welcoming travelers since 1950.
Winslow, Arizona for the night. Take it easy.
Photos from the Day
The Day's Route
National Route 66 Museum — Elk City, OK
The National Route 66 Museum in Elk City — celebrating the history of the Mother Road, which ran from Chicago to Santa Monica. A group of Corvette owners had shipped their cars to Chicago and were following Route 66 back to California.
Amarillo, TX
Amarillo — the largest city in the Texas Panhandle, on the old Route 66 alignment. Cadillac Ranch, the famous art installation of half-buried Cadillacs, is just west of town.
Santa Fe, NM
A detour north to Santa Fe — the oldest state capital in the United States, founded in 1610. The Plaza, the Palace of the Governors, and Canyon Road's gallery district are all within walking distance.
Wigwam Motel — Holbrook, AZ
The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook — one of the most iconic Route 66 landmarks, with 15 teepee-shaped concrete cabins built in 1950. The motel is still operating today.
Winslow, AZ
Winslow, Arizona — immortalized by the Eagles in 'Take It Easy' (1972). The famous corner on Route 66 has a mural and a bronze statue of a man standing on a corner. Ray was standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.