Route 66: from east to west

Los Angeles – the land of Hollywood, Disneyland and Universal Studios, where life is as carefree as can be. With its ever-shining sun, palms in the breeze, movie stars with their fancy houses in Beverly Hills, wonderful museums, futuristic buildings, and surfing spots, Los Angeles truly makes for an unforgettable destination.

Santa Monica overlooks the ocean, on top of a sheer cliff rimmed with palms. From here, several paths lead down to a vast beach – the kingdom of surfers, joggers, skaters, bikers, yoga lovers, and mere sunbathers. The pedestrian area of Third Street Promenade brims with shops, restaurants and bars. This is also were the legendary Route 66 ends.

Set out for the Mojave desert, dotted with Joshua trees. With its canyons, hills, mesas, dunes, cinder cones, and – when the fleeting spring arrives – boundless wildflower fields, the desert is a peaceful, lonely oasis far from the turmoil of the metropolis. Las Vegas is beyond words. It shines like a diamond the middle of the desert, dazzling with its extravagant luxury hotels, bustling with all sorts of shows and revelry. A place – but can such a place even exist? – without equal in the whole world.

Get your kicks on iconic Route 66 crossing the Mojave desert. The tour takes you through Seligman and Kingman to the Kaibab National Forest and the Canyon Region. The Grand Canyon is the most famous and most spectacular example of river erosion - an inconceivable abyss formed by the wear of the Colorado River. The Canyon is 1,500 m deep, 450 km long and 16 km wide. Its layers disclose the geological history of the last 2 billion years and its rocks change color according to the time of the day - your first glimpse of this majestic landscape will leave you speecheless. The Grand Canyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a truly unforgettable sight.

At the heart of New Mexico beats the pulse of a vibrant city. In Albuquerque, diverse cultures, authentic art and dynamic traditions have helped shape our centuries-old story. No matter your interests, the city has countless opportunities for you to explore. Sample traditional New Mexican cuisine that takes minutes to make and hundreds of years to prepare, experience world-class museums, stroll along Central Avenue under the vintage neon glow of Route 66, or soar high above the city in the hot air ballooning capital of the world — a sight sure to change your perspective. Immerse yourself in our painted skies, abundant space and more than 310 days of sunshine, which make it possible to ski the slopes of the Sandia Mountains and play a round at one of our award-winning golf courses, all in the same day. Albuquerque is an oasis in the high desert, full of rich history and inspiring ideas.

Amarillo, whose name in Spanish means yellow, is due to the color of the clayey soils when wet. It is located along Route 66 and near Palo Duro Canyon National Park. The city offers excellent Tex-Mex cuisine, thanks to the numerous cattle ranches in the area.

The actual capital of the homonymous state, Oklahoma City, has a strong economy based on the energy industry, aerospace, and agriculture. The historic Route 66 passes right in front of its majestic Capitol, the only government building in the world surrounded by active oil wells.

Springfield is located in the Ozarks region, a mountainous and wooded area in the state of Missouri, and along Route 66.

St. Louis is located downstream from the confluence of the Missouri River with the Mississippi River and experienced a boom in the 19th century as a gateway for caravans heading westward. It was from St. Louis that the legendary Lewis and Clark expedition departed in 1804, becoming the first to reach the Pacific coast by land. The iconic arch for which the city is now famous, a gleaming 192-meter-high steel parabola, was installed in 1965 to commemorate this expedition. Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, St. Louis played a fundamental role in the development of jazz and blues.

As soon as you catch sight of Chicago – the most important city of the Midwest, standing on the shore of Lake Michigan –, its skyline will leave you awestruck. After the devastating 1871 fire, Chicago was rebuilt by the most famous architects of the day – namely Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies Van de Rohe. The city is now one of the finest examples of contemporary architecture in the world. Chicago also boasts plenty of modern artworks, on display at the Millennium Park and in virtually every square, museums as outstanding as the Art Institute and an extremely thriving music scene, with several top-notch jazz, blues and rock clubs and festivals.