Anyone ever driven the whole thing, or at least what’s left of it?

Bits and pieces in SoCal. Not crap. No real desire to drive the whole thing though.

As I live in New Mexico (the state with the largest stretch of Route 66), I feel like this state is best described by this highway, including and especially in its present day state. I make it a thing to watch the Vice Abandoned episode on Route 66 about every year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tedJdhb6QJI
All those towns sprung and busted through Route 66 and it does feel New Mexico really encapsulates that phenomenon.

in my memory, the section between Albuquerque and OK City is now all interstate, and it's godawful. Maybe other parts are more scenic or engaging.

However, I've also driven to the southwest via US and state highways in western KS, OK and northern NM and that's all awesome, highly recommended. you can go miles with an endless horizon without seeing another car. At least it was like that when I did it.

joelb wrote: Fri Feb 13, 2026 12:45 pm in my memory, the section between Albuquerque and OK City is now all interstate, and it's godawful. Maybe other parts are more scenic or engaging.

However, I've also driven to the southwest via US and state highways in western KS, OK and northern NM and that's all awesome, highly recommended. you can go miles with an endless horizon without seeing another car. At least it was like that when I did it.

There was an older alternative path that Route 66 took from Albuquerque to Santa Fe to near Las Vegas (New Mexico, not Nevada) that is largely now Interstate 25. That would've way more scenic as you'd be driving on the southern end of the Rockies. It also would've be a longer drive going from Albuquerque to Oklahoma City since you'd still have to go through the usual Tucumcari and north Texas route (present day Interstate 40). Also, far less fuel efficient because of the elevation climb (even from Albuquerque to Santa Fe alone) versus the more flat way of heading directly east.

I've driven to Denver a lot and is quite nice. Only from Walsenberg to Pueblo does it get a bit dull-plain (fortunately, the speed limit is 75 mph).

I used to live on it in Flagstaff. Noisy.

As far as the more populated areas go, it’s kind of crap. Just an excuse to sell knickknacks and R66 merch. There are places on I-40 that try to cash in on R66, which is lame. If you take some of the forgotten stretches, it can be pretty great. Ash Fork to Seligman is desolate, but definitely worth the drive. Some friends and I went wandering around an abandoned mental hospital outside of Peach Springs and found canvas restraints that looked like straight-jackets, along with discarded literature on caring for mental patients. It was eerie, and I wonder if it’s still there. I had one of the weirdest sleep paralysis episodes I’ve ever had while napping on the side of that stretch of road in broad daylight. Lots of dilapidated buildings and old road signs. What was once bustling has long since been forgotten since I-40 took its place.