Vega , TX
Vega is a small town that will remind you of an earlier time . Here stands Dot ’ s Mini-Museum , an antique shop that many travelers claim is often left unattended . Of course , no one steals anything , but the tourists still debate whether the memorabilia are art or junk .
Hackberry , AZ
Heading west , you ’ ll cross mountains and deserts through New Mexico and Arizona . Along the way , catch a train in Williams to visit the Grand Canyon . Also plan a stop in Hackberry , a remote outpost of civilization 28 miles northeast of Kingman .
The Hackberry General Store , one of the true gifts of Route 66 nostalgia , appears on the cover of this issue of Suite Vacations Magazine . The town dates back to 1874 , when rich gold and silver ore were being mined in the vicinity . The store offers a lot to see , with vintage cars outside , and the interior full of artifacts , billboards , gadgets , mementos , and signs from the 1940s through the 1960s . It ’ s like taking a journey through time .
Kingman , AZ
A regional metropolis of about 33,000 people , Kingman began as a railroad town and remains so today . The Amtrak Southwest Chief departs from downtown Kingman to Los Angeles or Chicago any day of the week . In the station is a model railroad display .
Also visit the Kingman Railroad Museum and Locomotive Park for rail history , and Mohave Museum of History and Arts to explore the city ’ s past . The Powerhouse Visitors Center depicts Route 66 history , and a room is devoted to the late western film and TV star Andy Devine , who grew up in Kingman .
Santa Monica , CA
Santa Monica , CA , the western terminus of Route 66 , officially ends at Lincoln and Olympic boulevards , but continue west to the end of Interstate Highway 10 and Colorado Avenue . At the Santa Monica Pier , you ’ ll find a Ferris wheel and other amusement-park rides , restaurants , a popular public beach , and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean . A couple of blocks south of the pier is the original Muscle Beach gym , where famous body-builders including Arnold Schwarzenegger trained decades ago .
How long ?
Most families may spend just a week or two along Route 66 , but some might get soaked up by the atmosphere . As Roadtrippers
Magazine stated , “ If you want to savor the entire experience — strolling historic downtowns , sipping a root beer float at a soda fountain , and sleeping at a retro motel with a blinking neon sign — you could spend up to a month or longer .”
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