Where is the scenic drive on Route 66 in Arizona?

For desert lovers, Arizona's most striking Route 66 scenery lies between Flagstaff and the New Mexico border. Chiefly, you'll travel I-40 as not much remains of old 66 in eastern Arizona. Along the drive you'll see a petrified wood forest, a gorgeous “painted” desert and a massive meteor crater.



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Route 66 crosses eight states and three time zones. Some of the best-preserved sections include the stretch between Springfield, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma; the road west of Seligman, Arizona; and the Oatman Highway through the Black Hills of Arizona.

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Practicalities of driving Route 66 You need around three weeks to complete Route 66. There is no perfect time to drive Route 66. Due to its sheer size, you're likely to experience some adverse weather conditions, whatever the month.

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May and September are considered good months to travel Route 66 if you're not a fan of the intense heat that comes with the summer months - you get the benefits of fair weather and reduced tourism. June, July and August are the peak months in terms of both tourism and temperature.

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Is Route 66 still dangerous? Stretches along the original Route 66 have been realigned over the years, and about 85 percent of the original U.S. 66 highway is still driveable, per The Route-66. Most of the road is paved, making it safer to travel on than it has been in the past.

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If you want to start from the “official” beginning you can start your Route 66 journey from either Jackson Boulevard at Michigan Avenue or Jackson Boulevard at Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. These beginning points are just a couple of blocks apart.

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While the Grand Canyon isn't technically on Route 66, it's worth a detour. The South Rim is the most accessible from the route and has the best viewpoints; although that does make it the most popular with visitors.

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Of the original 2,448 miles that made up Route 66, about 80-85% is still drivable.

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Jericho Gap, Texas This became so profitable that there were rumors that some residents watered down the road to increase the plight of Route 66 travelers. Eventually, Route 66 was rerouted to higher ground in the 1930s and the area dwindled into a ghost town.

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Route 66's popularity led to its downfall, with traffic swelling beyond its two-lane capacity. In 1956, legislation created the Interstate System, and over the course of three decades, five separate interstates bypassed segment after segment of Route 66.

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Much of the route parallels US 29 or State Route 55 (SR 55) in Virginia. I-66 has no physical or historical connection to the famous US 66, which was located in a different region of the United States.

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Driving Route 66 in 1 week will be a bit of a time crunch but if you plan out all your stops ahead of time, you can definitely do it. You'll likely have to take the highway at times but as often as you can, you should follow the original Route 66 route.

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Havasu Falls Lightning McQueen and Sally are awed by a desert waterfall during their drive away from Radiator Springs; Cars fans who visit the Grand Canyon might recognize it as Havasu Falls, one of several located along Havasu Creek within Havasupai tribal lands.

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