A Texas Route 66 Road Trip has Several Panhandle Stops Along the Way

I get it, a road trip isn't exactly at the top of everyone's list of things to do right now with the ridiculous gas prices. That doesn't mean you can't pencil in a trip in the future. One trip that is probably on a lot of people's bucket list is traveling Route 66. The roadway runs from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California with a portion running through the Texas panhandle. There's a few stops to make if you travel the Texas portion of Route 66.

Get our free mobile app

The Texas portion of Route 66 runs for 186 miles and will take about three hours to cross if your not making any stops. The thing is, there are some stops that would be nice to take along the route.

We'll start from the east with Texola which is technically in Oklahoma but right on the state line with Texas. Its a super small town with a small restaurant and country store. The next stop will be Shamrock, Texas which has the U-Drop Inn. Here you can pick up some Route 66 knick knacks from the gift shop.

The next stop as you head west will be McLean, Texas which was a big tourist stop in the early days of Route 66. There's not much to the town except for a Phillips 66 station that's still great for taking pictures. Next up is Groom, Texas which is home to a 19 story cross and The Leaning Tower of Texas (technically a water tower).

The biggest stop on your Route 66 Texas road trip is Amarillo. There are all kinds of touristy things to do including Cadillac Ranch and trying to win the food challenge at the Big Texan Steak Ranch. If you're taking your time, this would also be the best place to stop for the night before continuing your trek west.

Your next stop will be in Vega, Texas. Here you will see a multitude of historic buildings and the oldest hardware store on Route 66. Next will be a lunch stop in Adrian, Texas. This town has a population just over 100 and is home to Midpoint Cafe which is famous for its homemade pie.

Your final stop on the Texas portion of Route 66 is actually a ghost town right on the Texas-New Mexico state line, Glenrio. Here you can explore several abandoned buildings that are still in pretty good shape.

This could be a really cool trip once gas prices get to a more reasonable level and we really wouldn't have to leave Texas to have a good time.