“Get your kicks on Route 66,” the famed song goes, and that lyric seems aimed straight at the span that crosses northern Arizona. This stretch of the Mother Road is a showcase for the kitsch and nostalgia that have become synonymous with the great American road trip. Railroad hotels built for early 20th-century travelers still stand. Midcentury motor courts adorned with outsized roadside attractions remain open for business. Trading posts that once lured motorists with hand-painted billboards now serve a new generation of road trippers. Together, these markers trace how the highway—which marks its 100th anniversary in 2026—became woven into American cultural mythology. A drive along Route 66 is both a study in the evolution of American travel, from rail to automobile to preservation movement, and a firsthand encounter with the enduring appeal of the open road.