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Cadillac Ranch

From the weird to the wonderful Find a slice of Americana roadside on Route 66

 The history of visitors to the Cadillac Ranch in Texas is spray-painted across the bodies of the cars buried at the popular tourist stop on Route 66. (Image courtesy of the City of Amarillo, TX)

Aug 2026

Cover Story

From the weird to the wonderful

Find a slice of Americana roadside on Route 66

by Corbin Crable

From the quirky to the downright bizarre, there’s plenty of roadside fun to be had on a drive along Route 66 this summer.

Burgers and the aliens who love them

One out-of-this-world experience is the Inter-national UFO Museum, located right outside of the town of Winslow, New Mexico. There you’ll find government conspiracy theories and alien autopsy exhibits, among other features. If you’re out hunting for the infamous 1947 Roswell crash site, brace yourself for a bit of frustration – no one really knows where the exact site is anymore, and the area in general is located on private property.

You’ll find a couple of spooky stops when driving through Missouri (be sure to stop by Red’s Giant Hamburg for a bite – it’s the world’s very first drive-through restaurant). The Pythian Castle in Springfield originally served as an orphanage and was later used to house German and Italian POWs during World War II. Go for an afternoon tour or show up in the evenings for mystery-themed dinners and nighttime haunted experiences in which you can hunt for ghosts. And then there’s the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, a beautiful home with a dark history.

Route 66’s International UFO Museum

Route 66’s International UFO Museum

Otherworldly fun is in store at Route 66’s International UFO Museum near Winslow, TX. (Image courtesy of team_ninja)

“This Victorian-era home was built by the Lemp family, German immigrants who started America’s first Lager beer brewery,” writes Shannon Lowery on visitusaparks.com. “Their business success was unfortunately also met with tragedy, as four members of the Lemp family spanning three generations died by suicide in the home.”

If you make it through the night at the Lemp Mansion and find yourself in Cuba, MO, the following day, swing by the World’s Second Largest Rocker; at 42 feet tall, the site sells souvenirs and even candies made locally (and just so you know, the World’s Largest Rocker – 56 feet tall — can be found in Casey, IL).

Greeting you in Wilmington, IL, will be the Gemini Giant, a spaceman statue measuring 30 feet tall and weighing 483 pounds. He was constructed in 1964 and renovated in 2019 and 2024. The fiberglass Gemini Giant guards the entrance to the city’s South Island Park.

Gemini Giant

Gemini Giant

The Gemini Giant stands tall in Wilmington, IL. He is a 30-foot-tall fiberglass “Muffler Man” statue that was installed in the 1960s to capitalize on America’s fascination with the Space Race. (Image courtesy of Route 66 Information Station)

Fill ‘er up!

Who doesn’t love vintage filling stations that harken back to those days of full service? There are two notable ones along the Kansas stretch of Route 66. The Kan-O-Tex Station in Galena boasts its very own quasi-celebrity on site – a 1951 International boom truck that served as the inspiration for the character Tow Mater in the Pixar animated film Cars. On the outside, you’ll still see a retro façade and vintage gasoline pumps; the interior of the station, however, is now a souvenir shop and café.

Kansas also has the Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station, built in 1930 and designed in the Tudor Revival style to resemble a small cottage. Now the Kansas Route 66 Visitors Center, the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Route Service Station

Route Service Station

The Cars on the Route Service Station, was restored in 2007 by four women from Galena, KS, and hosts life-size
replicas of the vehicles featured in the animated film, Cars. (Image courtesy of Facebook)

Route 66 Begin Sign

Route 66 Begin Sign

The historic Route 66 Begin Sign, on Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL. (Image courtesy fotospot.com)

Mel’s Drive-In

Mel’s Drive-In

Mel’s Drive-In, featured in the film “American Graffiti,” marks the end of Route 66 in Santa Monica, CA. (Image courtesy of Route 66 Information Station)

street corner in Winslow, AZ

Street corner in Winslow, AZ

This street corner in Winslow, AZ, made famous in the Eagles song “Take it Easy” is a popular stop along Route 66. (Image courtesy campinlondon.com

blueberry fudge

Blueberry fudge

The blueberry fudge is one of the more popular flavors at Missouri’s Uranus Fudge Factory. (Image courtesy of Facebook)

Around the corner, fudge is made

Want to give your tastebuds a tickle and your inner 10-year-old a giggle? Head to the Uranus Fudge Factory and General Store (yes, that’s the store’s actual name) in the town of St. Robert, MO. Inside the store, you can find not just fudge staples like chocolate peanut butter, but also more adventurous flavors like blueberry cheesecake and orange cream. The store offers ample photo opportunities both inside and out, where you’ll be greeted by a bright green alien statue flashing a peace sign, as well as vintage cars and neon signs. The visit will be a feast both for your sweet tooth and your eyes.
Drive Route 66 through Amarillo, Texas, and you’ll see a colorful landmark beckoning to you to pull over and take a look. The Cadillac Ranch is best thought of as a kind of automotive Stonehenge (even though a similarly named attraction, Carhenge, draws visitors to Nebraska each year). There, vintage Cadillacs are buried in the ground nose-first. The spray-painted colors that adorn them document all who have come to pay tribute, from artists to roadtrippin’ families and everyone in between. Only last year, Amarillo’s tourism board voted Cadillac Ranch as one of the top five underrated Texas escapes for adventure-seekers. The number-one recommendation? Why, the Mother Road itself, of course.

“The Mother Road called and wants you to get your kicks on Route 66! Explore history, culture, shopping, restaurants and more on your cruise through the inspiration for countless books, movies, TV shows, and songs,” the organization’s website exclaims. “Amarillo is the largest city on the Oklahoma-Texas-New Mexico stretch of Route 66 and is central to honoring the history of the first road helping connect Americans.” 

 

Route 66’s Blue Whale of Catoosa

Route 66’s Blue Whale of Catoosa

Route 66’s Blue Whale of Catoosa, located in Catoosa, OK. (Image courtesy of For the Love of Wanderlust)

Amarillo’s Route 66 Historic District

Amarillo’s Route 66 Historic District

Unique surprises appear everywhere you look in Amarillo’s Route 66 Historic District, which is chock full of antique stores, retro eateries, and classic cars. (Image courtesy of the City of Amarillo, TX)

The Pink Elephant Antique Mall

The Pink Elephant Antique Mall

Move over, Dumbo. There’s a fabulous pink pachyderm on site at The Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston, IL. (Image courtesy
of The Pink Elephant)

A whale for your wife

For a whale of a good time, point your navigation system to Catoosa, OK, where you’ll feast your eyes on the Blue Whale of Catoosa, an 80-foot-long blue whale built in the 1970s by artist Hugh Davis as a surprise anniversary gift for his wife. But don’t just stroll into the mouth of the whale; you can make an entire day of it by bringing a picnic lunch and fishing in the pond, feeding the turtles, enjoying the retro-style visitors center, and playing in the nearby park. Restoration efforts by the city of Catoosa in recent years have breathed new life into this quirky roadside attraction.

“The Blue Whale is a gem! Love this quirky Route 66 attraction! Must see if you are traveling through Oklahoma. The whale will just make you smile and great photo opportunity. Cute little gift shop with some cute gift items. The story behind the whale is sweet, and I’m so glad the town of Catoosa saved this wonderful landmark!” one reviewer gushes on Trip Advisor.

Speaking of larger-than-life attractions featuring animals, say ‘hi’ to the pink pachyderm at the Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston, IL, where you’ll find not just antiques aplenty but also an ice cream parlor and a giant pink elephant statue greeting customers in search of that ideal Route 66 souvenir. The antique mall opened in 2005 and is housed in Livingston’s old high school building, which was built in 1929.

“The Pink Elephant is a favorite stop for those traveling Old Route 66. The mall has welcomed guests from all over the world, and a map in the diner allows guests to place a pin for their place of origin,” according to owners Tonia and Wayne Pickerill.

Finished with your shopping but craving a sweet or savory treat? The antique mall has you covered.

“The mall also has two retro shops — The Mother Road Fudge Factory and Candy Shop and The Twistee Treats Diner. The Mother Road Fudge Factory and Candy Shop is a 1950s-themed candy store that sells homemade fudge that is made on site in a variety of flavors, caramelized roasted nuts made on site, vintage candies, bulk candy, bulk salt water taffy, chocolates, and Route 66 souvenirs,” according to the Pickerills. “The Twistee Treats Diner is a kitschy 1950s-themed diner. The diner is in an original Twistee Treats ice cream cone shaped building with the dining area decked out in a hot pink tile floor. The Blues Brothers overlook the dining area and the jukebox.”

millions of t-shirts

You never know whom you’ll run into

You never know whom you’ll run into at The Pink Elephant Antique Mall. (Image courtesy of The Pink Elephant)

Two vintage Volkswagen vans

Two vintage Volkswagen vans

Two vintage Volkswagen vans sit outside the Uranus Fudge Factory in St. Robert, MO. (Image courtesy of Facebook)

With so many options for quirky and kitschy roadside Americana adventures, Route 66 proves that even as it reaches a milestone anniversary, the siren song of the road remains powerful.

A quick online search will provide several websites and Facebook groups to guide you on your journey along Route 66 if you want to be part of the centennial celebration. Here’s one to start with: www.facebook.com/66InfoStation.

Have you taken a journey down the Mother Road? Send us your pics to editor@discoverypub.com and tell us about it!

Map of the entire Route 66

Map of the entire Route 66

Map of the entire Route 66 journey. (Image courtesy route66roadtrip.com)

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