With the end of the Middle East conflict nowhere in sight and the average cost of California gasoline more than $6 per gallon, a road trip is probably the last thing Californians want to do right now.
But if you’re driving an electric vehicle or don’t mind spending more at the pump, we have some ideas for a trip along America’s Mother Road.
You’re reading the Essential California newsletter
Sign up to start every day with California’s most important stories.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
Route 66 is turning 100 this year, and to celebrate the iconic highway’s centennial, The Times put together a mega-guide that covers the entire 2,448-mile route.
From Chicago to Albuquerque in one trip, then Albuquerque to Santa Monica in another, The Times’ Christopher Reynolds spent 17 days on the road.
Across eight states, he scouted out vintage motels, new businesses, neon signs, friendly Muffler Men, road food, vivid characters and 20th century ruins.
“The roadside signs and buildings, restored and ruined, cry out for more than a drive-by snap,” Reynolds wrote. “And people are happy to see you, because Route 66 is what keeps some of these towns alive.”
Here’s more on what Reynolds saw, plus other interesting facts about the famous roadway.
Fascinating stops along Route 66
Reynolds curated a list of more than 66 fascinating, fun and downright cool stops along Route 66.
The highlights include a salute to Cyrus Avery, the man who made Route 66 happen. The Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza in Tulsa, Okla., dominated by a larger-than-life bronze sculpture of a Model T Ford confronting a horse-drawn carriage, commemorates Avery’s contribution.
Farther west, in Arizona, travelers can sit in the historic barber’s chair at Angel and Vilma Delgadillo’s Original Route 66 Gift Shop. Experts say it was the first-ever gift shop along the route.
Scenes from Angel & Vilma Delgadillo’s Original Route 66 Gift Shop on Route 66 through Seligman, AZ.
(Mark Lipczynski/For The Times)
It’s one of the busiest establishments in the very small town of Seligman, which has about 550 residents. Inside, you’ll find coasters, key rings, hats, shirts, shot glasses, books, signs, purses, patches, pins and license plates.
How Route 66 inspired Disney’s ‘Cars’ and Cars Land
Route 66 touches several parts of SoCal, including Pasadena, West Hollywood and Santa Monica. But as features columnist Todd Martens argues, the most loving ode to Route 66 might be in Anaheim at Disney California Adventure.
Although Cars Land, inside California Adventure, is a make-believe area based on the fictional town of Radiator Springs from the film “Cars,” its roots are real.
Visitors to Cadillac Ranch art installation in Amarillo, TX, are allowed to spray the 10 Cadillacs half-buried in the ground there.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
Take the backdrop of sun-scarred rocks and a mountain range that is designed to look like the tail fins of classic cars. It’s a nod to the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, where 10 vintage Cadillacs are buried in the ground, resembling a 20th century Stonehenge.
The perfect final stop on Route 66
Speaking of California’s connection to Route 66, the road unofficially ends at the Santa Monica Pier, but Mel’s Drive-In is at its technical terminus. The iconic diner even declares the “route ends here” on the side of the building, adjacent to the giant looming penguin that greets visitors upon entry.
Mel’s Drive-in Diner in Santa Monica.
(David Fouts/For The Times)
It’s been a beacon for decades, my colleague Stephanie Breijo writes, and though the beloved restaurant space recently was listed for sale at $26 million, Mel’s owners hope it remains a diner and a destination for generations.
For more Route 66 stops and history, here’s our full mega-guide including the astonishing tale behind “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” and five moments in history that still echo along America’s Mother Road.
Today’s top stories 
Spencer Pratt poses for a portrait where his home once stood in Pacific Palisades.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
AI has invaded the L.A. mayor’s raceAI-powered, fan-made videos casting long-shot mayoral contender Spencer Pratt as Batman and Luke Skywalker are electrifying L.A.’s race.Experts warn the surge of hyper-cinematic, user-generated deepfakes heightens risks of voter deception amid a patchwork of state rules, weak platform guardrails and unresolved 1st Amendment battles over regulating synthetic media.Should a high-voltage power line run through California’s largest state park?San Diego Gas & Electric is proposing a 140-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line that would cut through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.The utility and the state’s grid manager say transmission in this part of the state gets pinched during high demand. Opponents say it would threaten the desert landscape.Visitors worry Yosemite’s high season will be a disaster19 Legionella bacteria infections linked to a Kaiser Bay Area hospitalThe infections are tied to Kaiser’s Santa Clara medical center, which is prompting aggressive water treatment measures even as officials insist the hospital remains safe and fully operational.The Santa Clara cases join a string of recent Legionnaires’ outbreaks in California, New York and on cruise ships, underscoring how neglected cooling towers and hot tubs can seed deadly, hard‑to-trace infections.What else is going onCommentary and opinionsThis morning’s must-readFor your downtime 
Strawberry ice cream from Henry’s Secret Ice Cream in West Hollywood.
(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )
Going outStaying inA question for you: With three new stations open on L.A. Metro’s D Line, will you ride?
Janet says, “My husband and I rode it on the day it opened and since then he has ridden it when he has gone downtown for work and out to a conference in Universal City.
My concern in riding it is that I am now disabled and use a mobility scooter. When we rode the Metro on the first day it opened, one of the new elevators at the station near us was already broken by the afternoon, and the elevators that we used downtown (Pershing Square and 7th St/Metro Center) smelled of urine and/or disinfectant. … Also, at the new stations the pathway between the train tracks and the escalator casings is significantly narrower than at the older stations. Navigating these tight passages on a scooter when there is foot traffic in both directions is difficult and unsettling.”
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally … your photo of the day 
The Chicks and Ra-Men cart flies down 1st Street in downtown L.A. on Saturday while competing in the Red Bull Soapbox Race.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Genaro Molina at the Red Bull Soapbox Race in downtown Los Angeles. Forty teams from across the country competed with their non-motorized carts in hopes of logging the fastest times.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.