1. Shamrock – Irish Roots & Art Deco Gems

  • 🏛 U-Drop Inn and Tower Station
    This restored 1936 Art Deco gas station and diner is a Route 66 icon (and the model for Ramone’s Body Shop in Cars). It now houses a visitor center and museum.

  • 🛢 Magnolia Gas Station
    Another great example of classic service station architecture, just a quick stop for photos and vintage vibes.

2. McLean – Barbed Wire & Route 66 Past

  • 🏛 Devil’s Rope Museum
    Yup, it’s dedicated to barbed wire, but it's surprisingly cool. It also includes an extensive Route 66 Museum in the same building.

  • 🏚 McLean-Alanreed Historical Business District
    Step back into the early days of Route 66 with old storefronts and fading ghost signs.

3. Groom – Leaning Tower & Crosses

  • 🗼 Leaning Water Tower
    Originally a marketing gimmick for a truck stop, it’s now one of the most photographed Route 66 oddities.

  • ✝ The Giant Cross
    At 190 feet, it’s one of the largest crosses in the Western Hemisphere. Surrounding it are life-size Stations of the Cross and a biblical museum.

4. Conway – Cadillac Ranch’s Quieter Cousin

  • 🛢 Bug Ranch
    A parody of Cadillac Ranch, but with Volkswagen Beetles planted nose-down. It’s less crowded and full of graffiti history.

5. Amarillo – Museums & Motor Courts

  • 🎨 Cadillac Ranch
    An undeniable piece of pop art history and protest. Bring spray paint, it’s encouraged.

  • 🏛 Route 66 Historic District (6th Street)
    This area preserves classic 1920s-30s architecture and vintage neon signs. Look for old motor courts, diners, and antique shops.

  • 🏛 Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (in nearby Canyon)
    The largest history museum in Texas, covering everything from dinosaurs and Native American life to frontier settlement and oil boom days.

6. Vega – Western Heritage

  • 🏛 Milburn-Price Culture Museum
    Small but packed with history about Vega and Oldham County, plus Route 66 memorabilia.

  • 🏚 Old Vega Motel & Magnolia Station
    Both are lovingly preserved reminders of Route 66’s heyday.

7. Adrian – Midpoint Magic

  • 📍 Route 66 Midpoint Café
    Official halfway point between Chicago and Santa Monica. The café dates back to the 1940s, and its history is well documented inside.

  • 📸 Midpoint Sign & Photo Op
    A must-stop for history lovers tracking the evolution of the Mother Road.

Bonus Detour (History Nerds Only 😄):

  • 🏞 Palo Duro Canyon State Park (30 minutes south of Amarillo)
    Second largest canyon in the U.S., full of Native American and early settler history—plus stunning views.