Last update: 01/07/2019
We tell you a little bit about the history of the famous Route 66, Route 66 in English in this post. And as we mentioned, we had already known the beginning (in Chicago, Illinois) and the end (in Santa Monica, California) of this road that is considered a great landmark in the history of the United States that passes through no more than 8 American states (Illinois , Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California).
Our first opportunity to go through it, in fact, happened in the state of Arizona. It was on the way to the Grand Canyon along Route 66 that we had the chance to see some of the famous cities that are part of American history. We passed by little stores, gas stations, restaurants and we could feel closely what this road really represents. There are 645 km of the total 3,940 km that are located in the state of Arizona. Of these 645 km, we traveled around 200 km and got to know some places that were very significant during the 1950s and 1960s.
BOOK NOW your hotel and save up to 50%. Travelers readers are with a SUPER DISCOUNT! And the best, with FREE CANCELLATION*!
*check the hotels with free cancellation on the website
Let's get to know a little more about Route 66? Our route is on the map below:
Following the itinerary of our Road Trip, we left our tour of Hoover Dam (A), which we tell you here in this post, and we were going to visit the Grand Canyon National Park. During 200 km on Route 66, we pass through the cities of Kingman (B), Peach Springs (C), Seligman (D) and Williams (E). After that, we changed roads and headed to the Grand Canyon (F).
Heading to the Grand Canyon on Route 66
-
KINGMAN
The city of Kingman has less than 30 thousand inhabitants and is known for being “The Heart of Historic Route 66”, that is, The Heart of Historic Route 66. During World War II, the city played an important role as one of the bases of the US Air Force for training soldiers.
We still hadn't had breakfast and stopped at Mr. D'z, a typical Route 66 diner, with incredible decor inspired by the great hits of the 1950s and 1960s. Right outside, a super charming old blue car with the Route 66 symbol. because it is very colorful, has a very different facade and a large sign. Shortly after we arrived, a group of about 10 Harley Davidson bikers also arrived at the scene. We felt like we were in a movie! The experience is very nice and the food at the place was one of the best we ate during our Road Trip! It's really worth checking out!
Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner
- Address: 105 E Andy Devine Ave, Kingman, AZ 86401
- Time: every day from 7 am to 9 pm
We continued our journey and went through some places that were once cities in the past and are now abandoned. Or cities that don't have any attractions or something really different to observe.
-
PEACH SPRINGS
Heading to the Grand Canyon on Route 66, we made a quick stop in the town of Peach Springs just to stretch our legs a little and go to the bathroom. The city did not arouse much interest in us, as it did not seem to preserve much of the culture of Route 66 and is quite small (around 1,000 inhabitants). The city is one of those that has a motel, a restaurant, a gas station and some shops.
-
SELIGMAN
We stayed in Peach Springs for a short time and went straight to Seligman to gas up. The city is considered the “Birthplace of Route 66”, ie the Birthplace of Route 66. The city has less than 500 inhabitants. However, she seemed much nicer and had more options than Peach Springs, for example. We took the opportunity to stop at a typical little shop to buy a Route 66 fridge magnet for our travel magnet collection and a local t-shirt.
-
WILLIAMS
The last town on our route to the Grand Canyon on Route 66 was Williams. It was curious as we were leaving Seligman that we suddenly realized that Route 66 was over! That's right, it turned into a dead end road and the GPS took us to a bigger highway with wider lanes. We walked a few kilometers along it until we returned to Route 66 and entered the town of Williams, with its 3,000 inhabitants, the last town on the route before taking the road that leads to the Grand Canyon and where we would have lunch at another typical diner.
This time, after a lot of research during the planning of our trip, we found a typical cafeteria that served 1950s-style hamburgers and that the decor was all made with Coca-Cola brand items!
There is also a store on site that sells T-shirts, wall clocks, mugs and other Route 66-themed items.
Twisters 50's Soda Fountain
- Address: 417 E Rte 66, Williams, AZ 86046
- Time: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00 (summer and spring and 20:00 in winter and fall) and closed on Sundays and some holidays
- see the menu in this link
Right after lunch, we left Route 66 and headed towards Grand Canyon National Park, one of the most incredible landscapes on the planet. But that's history for the next post!
VIDEO
We made a video with a summary of some photos of our passage to the Grand Canyon on Route 66. Check it out on our Youtube channel below!
Save these tips to Pinterest!
Keep reading about the Grand Canyon…
- Planning a trip to the Grand Canyon
- Itinerary to visit the Grand Canyon
- Where to Stay and Eat at the Grand Canyon
- Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour from Las Vegas
What a great post and tips!
The cities mentioned in the post of route 66 went towards the south part of the grand canyon ne? Still deciding which part to visit, I'm going in June this year.
Hello Vanessa!
How cool that you liked it! Yes, the stretch of Route 66 we suggest is for anyone planning on going from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon.
We wish you an excellent trip!
Hugs
Good Morning,
In July 2019, we are heading to Las Vegas and then taking a tour of the Gran Canyon south Rim. I would like to know which is the best route? How many nights and in which city is a good hotel?
Could you help us?
Grateful
Thanks.
Hi Gabriel! What a nice trip you are planning.
we already wrote a post which is a summary with many tips. Our itinerary was as follows:
DAY 1: We leave very early from Las Vegas and we went through Hoover Dam: the dam between Nevada and Arizona. Then we did the stretch of Route 66 we described in this post. you can if host inside the Grand Canyon or in the city of Kayena, which is close by and where we stayed.
DAY 2: Full day at the Grand Canyon (see attractions on the blue line and red line in the post Itinerary to visit the Grand Canyon (South Rim). We slept in the same hotel as the day before.
DAY 3: We checked out of the hotel and went to explore the area orange that was missing from the Grand Canyon.
DAY 4: We leave the Grand Canyon and head to the city of Page to see the Horseshoe Bend. We slept in Page in a very simple hotel.
DAY 5: We did the tour of the Antepole Canyon. We took the road because our goal was to visit Monument Valley in Utah the next day. Our idea was to sleep at the hotel inside the park, but there was no more space and we slept in a nearby town that we mentioned in the post.
DAY 6: Visit Monument Valley and start the return trip to Las Vegas, passing through the Zion National Park, also in Utah, which is just a few hours from Las Vegas.
We hope to have helped!
Hugs and an amazing trip to you!
I'm loving the blog!!! Never stop doing this!!! my entire trip will be through your itineraries and tips!!!
Hi Bruna!
What a joy to read your comment! You can't imagine how nice it is to have this feedback from our readers!
We hope to continue helping you on many amazing trips around the world!
A big hug! 🙂
[…] On the way to the Grand Canyon on Route 66 […]
[…] We had already had the opportunity to see the beginning (in Chicago, Illinois) and the end of the route (in Santa Monica, California), but we hadn't ridden it yet. And we had the opportunity to drive approximately 200 kilometers in the state of Arizona during our Road Trip. And it is this adventure that we describe in this post. […]
[…] On the way to the Grand Canyon on Route 66 […]
[…] Arizona: Heading to the Grand Canyon on Route 66 […]
Hi! Thanks for sharing your tips. Do you remember how long it took to make this way to the Grand Canyon, including all the stops? Thanks!!
Hello Ana Cristina! We left Las Vegas in the morning and did this route in 1 day. We recommend sleeping one night in the Grand Canyon region so you don't do anything in the rush. See more tips:
– Where to Stay and Eat at the Grand Canyon
–Planning a trip to the Grand Canyon
–Itinerary to visit the Grand Canyon
–10 things to do in the Grand Canyon
Hugs and a great trip to you! 🙂
Good afternoon, great post, great tips, I would like some tips.
I have 4 days, leaving a city in California, passing through vegas and having the grand canyon as the final destination, which route do you recommend to visit highway 66? this stretch from california to grand canyon can you go through it?
I would like some help with the script.
Thanks
Hello Jessica! The stretch from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon has none of these marks on the asphalt. But on the stretch that goes from Los Angeles to Las Vegas there is, we just can't say exactly where.
Las Vegas is a city that deserves at least 2 full days. There are a lot of cool things to see there and there are several beautiful parks and attractions nearby. Some tips:
– What to do in Las Vegas – 3 days itinerary
– Las Vegas: Visiting Red Rock Canyon
– 15 things to do during the day in Las Vegas
–Hoover Dam: the dam between Nevada and Arizona
We do not recommend the Las Vegas-Grand Canyon day trip because it is very tiring and the park is huge, with a lot of interesting things to see. Some information for you:
–Planning a trip to the Grand Canyon
–Itinerary to visit the Grand Canyon
–Where to Stay and Eat at the Grand Canyon
–Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour from Las Vegas (a good alternative for those who have little time)
If you have more time, it's worth trying to include:
–Arizona: Guide to Visiting Antelope Canyon
–Arizona: Guide to Visiting Horseshoe Bend
An excellent trip to you! 🙂
[…] Canyon was built in the 19th century and trains still run daily from the town of Williams on Route 66 and Flagstaff. See options for […]
Goodnight!!!! I'm here searching for my parents. Your blog is awesome! Congratulations!
My parents are in Los Angeles and are going to San Diego (they will be there for 2 or 3 days). From there, with a rental car, they will continue their journey with two objectives: Grand Canyon (South rim) and Las Vegas.
I'm from Brazil researching for them the best route and way to go. Their flight back from Las Vegas.
Their intention is to make the way through interesting roads (if you need to sleep so you don't get too tiring, no problem). From San Diego to the return flight is approximately 7-8 days).
My father loves cinema and they heard about a path with ghost towns, route 66…..at last real movie sets and they were excited. They considered leaving San Diego and going to the Gran Canyon. And from there to Las Vegas.
Then, afraid of getting tired, they considered leaving San Diego, sleeping in Las Vegas and then continuing to the Grand Canyon. Then go back to Vegas.
Sorry for so many questions, but if you could help me, I would be very grateful.
Again, congratulations for the blog! Hug,
Luisa.
I wrote so much and didn't finish it lol
Which option do you think is better? What is this path they heard about? Are these cities that you passed and described above on their path? We read a lot about LA-Mas Vegas but little is read out of San Diego.
What is your suggestion?
Thanks
Hello Luisa!
How nice to know that you are planning such a nice trip for your parents! We are super happy to know that the blog has helped you to make this programming! Let's see we can help you because there were many questions at the same time. 🙂
1. The famous ghost town of California is Calico and it lies between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
2. The journey of Los Angeles for Las Vegas lasts between 4h to 5h, and San Diego for Las Vegas around 5am to 6pm. They will practically have to go back to Los Angeles to go to Las Vegas because the road passes through there.
3. Some people visit the Grand Canyon making day trips from Las Vegas, but honestly, we don't recommend it. It's a very long and tiring trip to spend so little time in such a beautiful place and full of cool things to see.
4. Going from San Diego to the Grand Canyon on the same day, passing through these cities, will take more than 10 hours of travel, as you have to take small roads and deviate a little from the route. It's hard to enjoy the places. It would be more interesting to think about spending a night somewhere along the way, so Las Vegas is a good option, even if it is to stay overnight and leave the next day, calmly, to the Grand Canyon. It is recommended to spend at least one night there before heading back to Las Vegas for more days in the city.
We hope we helped and we wish you an amazing trip!
Hugs
[…] https://casalcalifornia.wpcomstaging.com/a-caminho-do-grand-canyon-pela-rota-66/ […]
Good Morning. Nice post, but I have a question. I plan to take a road trip from LA, passing the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley (I think that's the name of those mountains that always appear in movies that have Rte 66). But by Google Maps Monument Valley is not on Rte 66! Could you help me with this question?
Hello Adriano! This trip you intend to take is very cool! Monument Valley is quite far from Route 66 (see its route here). Famous for appearing in several Hollywood movies, Monument Valley is in the state of Utah and Route 66 doesn't even pass through it.
in the post The cinematic Monument Valley between Arizona and Utah We talked about the best way to get there, which is via US 163.
We hope we helped and we wish you an amazing trip!
Hugs
Congratulations on the blog!!! The tips are amazing! I made my trip to the Grand Canyon on Route 66 based on your tips and I loved it!!!
Hello Natielli! What a beautiful message! 😀
There's nothing better to receive feedback like this from our readers knowing that our tips helped on the trip!
Our big thanks for the love! We also hope to be able to help you on your next trips!
A big hug!
Hello good afternoon….
Amazing summary of the trip. It gives you a good idea of what to expect from the trip.
We will take the same route, only leaving Vegas for the GC South Rim. Our question is similar to Camila's, As we will be going in the last week of January, the fear is the cold and not enjoying the trip. We are planning to spend an entire weekend at the park, first to get to know it if not fully, get to know it almost all of it. And we want more days, because if it happens to close the time, we can have other opportunities for open skies.
We will take route 66 (original) as you did, stopping and knowing everything. At first we were going to rent a convertible, but I don't think it's worth it for the cold (correct me if I'm wrong).
Anyway, if you can give us tips so we don't go wrong because of the weather, staying in the park or in Williams?, etc.
Thank you very much and may more trips like this come!!!!!
Hello Heuston! How nice to know that we are helping you plan your trip!
Look, it's not even worth renting a convertible. You will spend more and you won't even be able to enjoy it because of the cold. If your idea is to spend a lot of time in the Grand Canyon, it's worth staying inside. In high season it is necessary to book hotels inside at least 6 months in advance, but it should be easier during winter. If you can't make it inside, the closest city to the Grand Canyon is Tusayan. We have a full post about Grand Canyon accommodation. By the way, we have several really cool posts about the Grand Canyon! Worth taking a look: https://casalcalifornia.wpcomstaging.com/category/estados-unidos/arizona/grand-canyon/. A tip: don't miss out on taking the opportunity to get to know the city of Page and see the wonders of Horseshoe Bend It's from antelope canyon. You will not regret! 🙂
Hugs and an unforgettable trip for you!
Thanks for the comments and tips!!… I'll look at all the posts for sure….Big hug!
Hello!! Congratulations on the posts! After countless Google searches to plan our family trip I came across here and your days are helping me a lot, thank you! Well, I have some doubts.. At the end of December, we will do the Los Angeles – Las Vegas route by car.. From Las Vegas, we will do a day trip to the Grand Canyon West, and not the “real” Grand Canyon, because of lack of time. The question is: will we take a route on Route 66? Or, will we be close to some emblematic stretch of Route 66? That's because this is my father's dream lol to take pictures on the plates, etc. I've searched and searched, but I can't find the answer! From the map it looks like it does, but is it with beautiful landscapes that remind us of the movies, that is, that Route 66 we imagine? Looking at your photos I was enchanted by the script, but unfortunately, we have very little time. In fact, we don't know anything! lol
Hi Camila, what a nice comment! We are sure that this trip will be super cool and you will have a lot of fun!
We have several posts about Grand Canyon, Los Angeles and Las Vegas on the blog with lots of cool tips. Nice that you've been researching about the grand canyon west also.
As for your question, will you be able to get the Route 66 in California. It does not pass through the state of Nevada (where Las Vegas is), but passes through California and ends at the Pier of Santa Monica. So, it is possible without taking a small stretch of Route 66. A few years ago those famous signs were replaced and they are different and more discreet, unfortunately. The landscape is arid, with vegetation of an almost desert climate. One suggestion is to head from the Santa Monica Pier to the city of San Bernardino (the city of the first McDonalds – 1398 NE St, San Bernardino, CA 92405) and then head towards Barstow before taking the road to Las Vegas. Look in this figure cities in this section. We hope we helped and we wish you an amazing trip! If you want to share your experience with us, it will be our pleasure! 🙂
Hugs
Ahh why didn't I come across your blog before!! I went through all the links in your comment and found very useful information that I hadn't found on other sites!! They sure helped a lot!! This was something that worried me, because I had to find a way to include in our little itinerary a trip along Route 66, so I'm glad it's going to work to take these "detours" lol mass if it's possible I'd like to do one more little question kkk I know the Grand Canyon West is beautiful and closer to Las Vegas, but I saw in the other post that the Grand Canyon South Rim is not as far away as I imagined, in three drivers in the car we have already made similar trips back and forth and it was easy, for example, to go from Miami to Orlando, spend the day at Disney and then come back!! What's your recommendation? I'm afraid to go only to the Grand Canyon West and then still get that feeling that something was missing.. ahh important, as our trip will be at the end of December, that is, winter, will these tourist spots be open? What's more, does it get very, very cold in Los Angeles and Las Vegas? opss I think it was more than a little question right, sorry for the bother lol
Hi Camilla!
Let's do it by steps!
1. GRAND CANYON: We do not recommend that you do a day trip to the Grand Canyon National Park because it would be at least 4 hours to go and another 4 to return. As you go during the winter, the days are shorter and you won't be able to enjoy much. Another observation regarding winter: it can snow in the Grand Canyon and it is cold. If it snows, some roads may be closed. THE forecast for end of december is maximum of 6ºC and minimum of -12ºC. See more information about the Grand Canyon in winter in this link.
2. LAS VEGAS: At this time of year, Las Vegas usually has mild days and cooler nights. Don't be fooled by the blue sky and the sunny day! The forecast for the end of December is a maximum of 13ºC, a minimum of 2ºC.
3. CALIFORNIA: And for those who think there is no winter in California, temperatures drop a lot in the winter months and you will hardly be able to go to the beach in Los Angeles because the water is freezing and it can be very windy. Although it rains little in California, winter is the rainy season. In Los Angeles, in December the maximum is around 20ºC and the minimum is 8ºC. If you're interested, you can even go to a ski resort in California. See the list of stations here.
We hope to have helped! An excellent trip to you! 🙂
Hugs
They sure helped a lot!! Thanks for listening!! hugs!
We are planning to travel from LA – Las Vegas, via Route 66, Williams, Grand Canyon South Rim, Zion, Vegas. All this now in December, between the 16th and 26th of December. We know that the beginning of winter is quite mild in Nevada, Arizona and California, but I'm worried about Zion Park.
Is there a history of the Park closing in this period?
Any tips on my script?
Thanks
Hello Dalvillar! This trip you are planning is excellent! We have a lot of content on the blog about all the destinations you mentioned: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Grand Canyon. O Zion has no history of closing completely in the period, but many trails close for safety reasons due to excess snow. And that can spoil your trip. An alternative is to replace Zion with Death Valley, for example, which is in California on the way to Las Vegas. O death valley, because, unlike the other parks, it is recommended to visit it in the winter because the temperatures are insane in the summer (we got 51ºC in the place to give you an idea). Other parks in and around Las Vegas can also be interesting options for a day trip like the red rock canyon it's the Valley of Fire. Other alternatives involve going a little further and meeting Page in Arizona (Horseshoe Bend and antelope canyon). It is worth going to the official website of each place, as they talk about the weather conditions to be expected during the winter.
Hugs
very good your tips we are going to travel next week along Route 66 and we have already written down the addresses.
Glad you liked it, Fernando!
We wish you a great trip!