Traveling is a thing everyone should get to experience. Whether it be solo traveling, with your partner, best friends, it is a beautiful thing to see new places, people, and cultures. It can be hard to figure out where you want to go especially if you only have limited time. For me and my best friends we only have so much time to spend until the summer hits and we all have to leave. We want to be able to experience driving route 66. The different spots you can hit along the way, all the sites during the drive, it looks incredible.
Route 66 al
so known as the “Mother Road” is one of the most famous highways in the United States. This route opened in 1926, running from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. Route 66 passes through 8 states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. This route has inspired things such as songs, books, movies and road trip culture. It is the ultimate classic american road trip highway.
Today, Route 66 is now known as Historic Route 66 as it was officially removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985 because newer interstates replaced it. Many parts of it still exist and people travel it for fun road trips. As my best friends and I are deciding to do. We want to experience every aspect of this road trip. Taking in all of the sights, places to visit, and making lasting memories before the three of us have to part ways.
Road trips are somewhat unconventional nowadays, no one wants to spend the money on gas or sit in a cramped car for hours on end. Everyone wants to take the easy way out and book those plane tickets to places such as Florida or the Gulf. Road trips are what make the destination more exciting. Granted being cramped in a car for 2 weeks on end doesn’t sound the most enticing, but think about the places you’ll see, the memories you’ll make in the car, all the people you would meet along the way. It would be an unforgettable experience.
Attractions to see along Route 66 such as Cadillac Ranch, Blue Whale of Catoosa, Arcadia Round Barn are all free sights to see during your drive. These places you can pull over and get out to take pictures and get a closer look. Museums and historical shops such as Route 66 Car Museum which is about $15 a person and Route 66 Historical Village is free of charge to go and explore their outdoor grounds. There are tons of fun and quirky sights to see along the way such as the American Giants Museum, Route 66 Shield Mural, World’s Largest Catsup Bottle, and so much more!
As my bestfriends and I are all still mostly teenagers and living with our parents it might be hard to get permisson for a trip like this. With strict parents it might be a hard no especially because of road safety hazards and not being experienced drivers. Here’s a quote from our very own principal, Mr. Holmgren, former driver’s ed teacher! “Have good plans! Be well acquainted with what you are doing so your parents are at ease and they know what
is going on at all times. Means of communication is a necessity and NO distractions. Don’t leave the driver lonely, try to stay awake and most of all, have fun!!” Really all this drive is interstate and its you and your best friends in a car together having the time of your life. First, acquire permission from your parents/guardians, then go on the roadtrip of a lifetime!
This trip is something not everyone gets to experience, it would be life changing to travel across the United States, the things you would see and doing it all with your bestfriends is the best part. All of the new additions to this drive you get to see as well as the older, more modern sights still left from the old interstate. This entire road trip is very cost effective, every sight is free and most of the museums are also free or relatively cheap. The most you would spend is on gas and food! Not a lot of planning is needed either, everything is laid out for you, waiting for you to go experience it.
Everyone should experience this interstate or a roadtrip once in their lifetime. The memories made, random sights seen, old museums, incredible murals, and even more along this scenic drive. Realistically this trip could take about 2 or 3 weeks in total if you were to stop all the time and really enjoy everything this drive has to offer. One way, no stops, would generally be about 38-40 hours, but the trip itself would be 10-14 days. Here’s a little more of what the trip actually looks like on a map!
This experience with my two bestfriends would be an absolute dream. I know it would be so much fun because I’ll have them. My advice to all of you is to take the risk, go on that roadtrip, do what you love, see that one place, do that thing you’re scared to do, because you don’t have very much time. I know I don’t, I part ways with them in the summer, I only have this time until we graduate before I never see them regularly again. This roadtrip for us is more than sight seeing, it’s about one last memory for us to hold on to before we each start our individual futures. Take the risk, go on this adventure and remember you only get one life, do what you want with it!
