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Here’s a continuation of a prior Thursday 13 post about traveling on Route 66. There were plenty of things we didn’t get to due to time constraints that make a return trip very, very worthwhile.

1. Wagon Wheel Motel, Cafe and Station
   This should be familiar to anyone who saw the ruins of the fictional Wheel Well Motel in “Cars.” Luckily, this Missouri establishment is still open.

2. Drive-In
   There used to be a time when drive-ins like this one in Missouri were plentiful. Most have died over time, but this one has hung on.

3. Miami Original Nine-Foot Section of Route 66 Roadbed
   It was well worth the bumps to drive this original 1920s stretch of Route 66 in Oklahoma. The story goes that they were tight on cash so they decided to complete the road at only 9-feet wide rather than do a wide road that was only half as long.

4. Route 66 Bridge
   This bridge in Oklahoma is just like what motorists on Route 66 drove on before the 1950s.

5. Oklahoma Route 66 Museum
   There are a lot of Route 66 museums on the route, but this one is a must-see. It’s run by people who have a true love of the Mother Road.

6. Leaning Water Tower
   This should be familiar to anyone who saw Luigi’s Leaning Tower of Tires in “Cars.” This Texas monument was built to lure in tourists. It works.

7. Midpoint Cafe and Gift Shop
   Located halfway on Route 66, this is a major milestone on any trip. I’ll admit to feeling bummed that this Texas café wasn’t open when we stopped by. I really wanted to try their famous ugly pie.

8. Aztec Motor Court
   You’ve got to figure that any motel named Aztec is going to look interesting. This is one of the many classic motels located on Route 66 in Albuquerque, NM that take you back to the road’s heyday.

9. The Snow Cap
   For pure fun, this Arizona spot ranked among the top parts of the trip. They’re known for their cornball humor, such as having two doorknobs on the entrances. The owners are constantly telling jokes, such as offering you rags when you ask for more napkins.

10. Oatman, Arizona (west side)
    As I mentioned in the prior post, you have to stop in at this town when you’re traveling Route 66 in Arizona. Aside from the wild burros on the street, it just exudes old-fashioned Route 66 life.

11. Wigwam Motel
    Its location near the end of the trip in California probably doesn’t help, but it gets less business than the other wigwam motel in Arizona. I’ve got to give the owner kudos for trying to restore this place’s reputation. The last owner was a slime who rented rooms by the hour and advertised the slogan, “do it in a wigwam.”

12. Rialto Theatre
    I was saddened to hear that this California landmark recently closed. There are times when you don’t want to go to a megaplex. It had the longest-running showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

13. Will Rogers Highway
    This marker is the no-brainer end to any Route 66 trip when you finish up in California. Some drunk recently smacked into the marker, but it survived.

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