Route 66 Road Map

06/24/2026

Route 66 might be known for its neon signs and quirky attractions, but don’t sleep on the ice cream scene! These scoop shops are the cherry on top of your road trip.

📍 Plan a sweet road trip at Route 66 Road Map:

Get your licks on Route 66! Discover the best ice cream shops along the Mother Road, from classic diners to quirky stands serving up sweet frozen treats.

06/23/2026

The Crowell Bank Building in Baxter Springs, Kansas is the oldest brick building in town and a notable stop on Route 66. Built in 1870, it originally housed the Bank of Baxter (also known as the Crowell Bank), the town’s first bank.

The two-story, 9,000-square-foot building made history in 1876 when it became the scene of a robbery carried out by Jesse James and an accomplice, possibly Cole Younger, who stole $2,900 before getting away. The bank closed in 1887, but the building continued serving the community as a grocery store, several restaurants, an event space, and other local businesses. While the front facade was updated in 1926, much of the original structure remains.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the building was home to The Café on the Route, a local diner that became a popular Route 66 stop and was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2007. It closed in 2013, briefly reopened in 2014, and closed for good in 2015 — as did the Little Brick Inn bed and breakfast that once operated upstairs. A mural celebrating the café once decorated the building’s side, and while it has faded, a Hampton Hotels Save-A-Landmark sign still shares the building’s story.

Today, the historic building is home to Lion Rojo, a Mexican restaurant where you can enjoy a meal in one of the most historic buildings on Kansas’s stretch of Route 66.

In 2026, Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary. Established in 1926, the iconic Mother Road is in its Centennial year, and I want to bring that celebration to you. Every day throughout 2026, I’ll be showcasing a different Route 66 attraction that you won’t want to miss on your road trip.

Add the Crowell Bank Building to your custom itinerary at Route 66 Road Map and come back tomorrow as we keep exploring more of the best stops on The Mother Road.

06/23/2026

Your dream road trip just became a checklist! From giant roadside attractions to iconic diners, this Route 66 guide will help you check off every stop worth seeing.

📍 Get your checklist: https://route66roadmap.com/checklist/

06/23/2026

Built in 1870, the Crowell Bank Building in Baxter Springs, Kansas is the oldest brick building in town. And in 1876, Jesse James and an accomplice robbed it of $2,900.

After the bank closed in 1887, the building became everything from a grocery store to a diner featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Today it's home to a Mexican restaurant where you can dine inside one of the most historic buildings on Kansas's stretch of Route 66.

📍 Add this Route 66 restaurant to your Route 66 Road Map: https://route66roadmap.com/attractions/crowell-bank-building-in-baxter-springs-kansas/

06/23/2026

Hungry for history and a great sandwich? Nelson’s Old Riverton Store in Riverton, Kansas is your stop. Built in 1925, it’s been feeding and outfitting Route 66 travelers for generations—with no plans to stop anytime soon.

📍 Add this roadside shop to your Route 66 Road Map: https://route66roadmap.com/attractions/nelsons-old-riverton-store-in-riverton-kansas/

06/23/2026

Want to see the best of Arizona’s Route 66 but only have one day? Our itinerary guides you from Petrified Forest National Park to the neon glow of Kingman, with plenty of classic stops in between.

📍 Plan your road trip at Route 66 Road Map:

Ready to step into the past and create memories that will last a lifetime? Buckle up and explore our Arizona Route 66 1-Day road trip itinerary.

06/22/2026

Boots Court Motel in Carthage, Missouri first opened its doors in 1939, and it’s still welcoming travelers today, making it one of the oldest operating motels on Route 66.

Conceived by Arthur Boots and built in the Streamline Moderne style — a variant of Art Deco inspired by aerodynamic designs of the time — the motel features curving lines, horizontal shapes, black Carrara glass, and green neon. Arthur and his wife Ilda opened Boots Court after his brother’s success with Boots Cottage Court in Eldon. The original setup offered four rooms (later expanded to eight) and a service station-turned-office, each with its own carport and a “Radio in Every Room” — all for $2.50 a night. Celebrities like Clark Gable, Mickey Mantle, and Gene Autry stayed here during its heyday.

Over the years, ownership changed hands multiple times, and parts of the property fell into decline. In 2011, Boots Court landed on the Society for Commercial Archaeology’s list of the ten most endangered roadside attractions in America and was recognized as one of Missouri’s most endangered buildings.

The Boots Court Foundation stepped in to rescue the property when it went up for sale in 2021, and by 2022 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, travelers can stay in one of its 13 restored rooms, furnished to match the 1930s and 40s. You won’t find a TV, but you’ll have WiFi and, yes, still a “radio in every room.”

In 2026, Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary. Established in 1926, the iconic Mother Road is in its Centennial year, and I want to bring that celebration to you. Every day throughout 2026, I’ll be showcasing a different Route 66 attraction that you won’t want to miss on your road trip.

Add Boots Court Motel to your custom itinerary at Route 66 Road Map and come back tomorrow as we keep exploring more of the best stops on The Mother Road.

06/22/2026

Every epic road trip deserves a keepsake, and picking up a Route 66 souvenir is a bucket list experience all on its own. From mugs and magnets to t-shirts and postcards, the Mother Road is lined with shops ready to help you remember the journey. Don’t miss quirky favorites like Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios or the Uranus Fudge Factory and General Store, where the souvenirs are as fun and unique as the road itself. What will you bring home from Route 66?

📍 Plan your bucket list road trip at Route 66 Road Map: https://route66roadmap.com/route-66-bucket-list-experiences/

06/22/2026

Open since 1939, Boots Court Motel in Carthage, Missouri is one of the oldest operating motels on Route 66: a Streamline Moderne gem with curving lines, black Carrara glass, and green neon.

Once home to guests like Clark Gable, Mickey Mantle, and Gene Autry, the motel later fell into decline before the Boots Court Foundation rescued it in 2021. Now restored and on the National Register of Historic Places, its 13 rooms feature period-accurate art deco furnishings, chenille bedspreads, and yes — a radio in every room.

📍 Add this Route 66 motel to your Route 66 Road Map: https://route66roadmap.com/attractions/boots-court-motel-in-carthage-missouri/

06/22/2026

The Twin Arrows Trading Post opened in the late 1940s and quickly became one of Arizona’s most iconic Route 66 stops. Travelers knew they’d arrived when they spotted the two giant wooden arrows jutting from the desert floor.

📍 Add this roadside attraction to your Route 66 Road Map:
https://route66roadmap.com/attractions/twin-arrows-trading-post-ruins-in-flagstaff-arizona/