One of the fun things to do on a Route 66 road trip is to find where to get a picture with a Route 66 sign. You will find many opportunities along the mother road. Route 66 is the most popular road trip in the USA. Finding a Route 66 sign photo opportunities is a lot of fun, like hide and seek. Here is a list of my favorite spots along the route.
Amboy, California
If you are heading to Joshua Tree you can take a bit of a detour to drive through Amboy, California. This sweet little ghost town was founded by Lewis Kingman, yes, that Kingman (Arizona). It was a one of several railroad stations spanning the Mojave Desert. Roy’s Motel was a very popular stop for travelers passing through. Although the motel has since closed, the iconic sign remains. You can take a pic with the Route 66 sign in the road with no cars around as the road is not very busy (but still keep an eye out for cars and traffic on the road).
Kingman, Arizona
Kingman, Arizona is one of the best places on our list of where you can take a picture with a Route 66 sign. The city is at the heart of the “mother road“. At one point it was an Army Airfield Training site. It has been a very popular stop ever since. Many motels remain where you can spend the night and even eat at one of the iconic Route 66 diners. Our favorite is Mr. D’z and that is where you will find a great opportunity to take a pic with the Route 66 sign in the parking lot. The other great spot was at our lodging at El Trovatore Motel. Kingman is where you will hop on the longest remaining, continuous stretch of the route which will take you to Seligman.
Williams, Arizona
Williams is easily on our list of where to take a picture with a Route 66 sign because it is the “gateway to the Grand Canyon”. This city is still very much alive with tourism because of it’s accessibility to the Grand Canyon. You can hop on the train from the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel or take a stroll through Main Street and take a walk back in time. This is where you will find the best spot for a picture with a Route 66 sign. It is located one street over from the Goldie’s Route 66 Diner.
Winslow, Arizona
The best place for where to take a picture with a Route 66 sign is literally “standin’ on the corner”. You’ve likely heard the famous Eagles song, “Take It Easy”. This town capitalized on the lyrics and are still attracting tourists today. They have constructed a homage to the song lyrics on the main street corner in the middle of town. You can’t miss your opportunity to take a pic with the sign as you can stand on the corner for an iconic pic.
Tucumcari, New Mexico
A road trip that focuses on where to take a picture with a Route 66 sign should always include Tucumcari, New Mexico. Tucumcari has that lived in, ghost town feel. You get the feeling there are people there but they are hiding. You will find the highest concentration of still operating motels as well as diners. We had a hard time choosing a place to stay so we picked two different motels. The Blue Swallow Motel is where you will find the best opportunity for a picture with an iconic Route 66 sign. You don’t have to be a guest at the Blue Swallow to take a picture, you can simply walk up the sidewalk and snap away.
Where To Take A Picture With A Route 66 Sign
So as you can see there are many places to take a picture with a Route 66 sign. As I mentioned earlier the Route spans from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. Along that route you will encounter many Route 66 signs but these are our favorites from our most recent Route 66 road trip. We hope you enjoy your journey on the “mother road”.
