Few roads carry more legacy than Route 66. Neon-bedecked motels, mom-and-pop stores, diners packed with charm and character, and countless unique waypoints along the path have long enticed countless travelers. It’s a passage so tenacious that even decommissioning it couldn’t remove it from people’s hearts.
The pulse of the Mother Road beats strong in those who love her.
My husband, Patrick, and I love adventure. We’re also passionate about electric vehicles. We started The Electric Duo in 2020 on a mission to share our EV lifestyle and have fun doing it.
When Ford offered to let us drive the 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT California Special, an America classic reimagined, along the storied trail of Route 66, we jumped on the opportunity.
Especially considering that this year marks the route’s 100th anniversary — and the 250th anniversary of the United States — it’s like the stars were aligning for the ultimate adventure.
On many of our previous road trips, we focused on our final destination and the best charging plan to get us there quickly. With our Route 66 trip, however, we wanted to spend more time visiting historic sites and less time thinking about charging. Before we began the trip, we looked at the number of charging stations along the entire 2,448-mile Route 66 path and realized we could do exactly that.
For each day of the trip, we chose up to a dozen iconic Route 66 locations to visit. As we set out for the day, we used Google Maps2 EV Routing for Android Auto to plan the drive. If we needed a charge, it offered route options to fill up easily.
From the planning to the points of interest along the way, our electric journey was about celebrating the past while driving the future.
We deemed the trip “Route 66 Recharged” and headed out from Chicago in the Mustang Mach-E GT — which we decided to name Artemis, inspired by the Artemis II mission that landed in our home city of San Diego just after we set off.
The Ford EV Clubs, a nationwide community of Ford EV owners and enthusiasts, gathered at the kick-off in Chicago to wave Artemis on her way.
Illinois
From Chicago, we continued passing through Illinois on our first day. Through farmland and small towns, I thought about how often we hear from people wary about EV driving that they think their areas are too lacking in charging stations.
But even traveling through rural areas along Route 66, we never had problems finding chargers when we needed them. It seems like it’s the type of thing you only notice if you’re looking for them — much like many of the hidden gems along the path. Take the muffler men of Route 66, for example.
Designed to beckon passing travelers, muffler men are large, molded fiberglass sculptures that became popular in the 1960s. In Illinois, we discovered one named the Gemini Giant, named after NASA's Gemini space program in 1965. Seemed to be the perfect first destination for Artemis.
Later, we also drove on the Illinois Brick Road, a literal part of the original Route 66. This beautifully restored 1.4-mile stretch of hand-laid history offers a unique glimpse into the past. It also brought us a deep appreciation for the smooth suspension of the Mustang Mach-E GT with MagneRide.
Missouri
Crossing into Missouri, we visited the Route 66 birthplace: Springfield, an almost picture-perfect town that emanated evident pride for its historical importance.
We were treated to a tour of The History Museum on the Square’s the Route 66 floor. The museum is housed in a beautifully restored historic department store.
We also stopped to charge in Lebanon, Missouri, at an Electrify America station directly on Route 66. Across from the station is Boswell Park, a Route 66-themed community park dedicated to the Mother Road’s history.
Had we not stopped to charge, we might have missed it. Instead, we had time to reflect on how refueling has changed over the years, but the heart of the road trip remains.
The journey is the destination, especially with all the little discoveries you can make along the way.
Kansas
Although Kansas only has about 13 miles of original Route 66, it’s an essential stop for some legendary sites, and the timing of our visit led to an unexpected moment.
As we crossed into Galena, Kansas, we witnessed the town installing a brand-new Route 66 attraction.
Using a 100-foot-wide barrel truss recovered from nearby high school after the devastating tornado in 2011, the town installed a gorilla to represent a nearby university.
It was a great reminder about communities coming together along Route 66 to work on keeping the adventure alive for a new generation of travelers.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is packed with Route 66 treasures, and we had an exciting Ford EV Clubs meetup planned at the historic Fordson Hotel.
This magnificent building started off in 1916 as a Ford Model T assembly plant. It stands as a tribute to the past of Route 66 and Ford and was an excellent backdrop for connecting with fellow Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning owners.
A bit further west, after passing countless wind turbines generating energy from the prairie winds, we pulled into Weatherford, Oklahoma. Nestled in a local park is a retired 122-foot wind turbine blade that has been painted by local artists. Wind has become a key part of Oklahoma’s energy supply, providing over 40% of the state's electricity.
Just one of those turbines could power our Mustang Mach-E GT for around 10 million miles in a year — yes, 10 million miles!
New Mexico
New Mexico is known as the Land of Enchantment, and it is easy to see why as the landscape turned to scenic desert views.
In Santa Rosa, we visited the Blue Hole, an 80-foot-wide, 80-foot-deep spring-fed artesian well. The glistening oasis with bright shores and dark depths looks man-made, maybe even impossible — but it’s not.
It’s a naturally occurring phenomenon, and it was a popular stop even in the early days of Route 66 in the 1920s. Can you imagine encountering this sparkling haven amidst the arid desert back then?
We had many miles to cover in the Southwest, but charging was always easy. Our Mustang Mach-E GT made it simple to find charging stations, and it also let us know how much we needed to charge during our stops.
Our vehicle was equipped with Ford’s Level 2 driver assistance system, BlueCruise, which allows you to drive hands-free on designated highways, with your eyes on the road.1 BlueCruise came in handy as we drove long stretches of highway, such as on I-40 to save time along the way.
Especially with the Automatic Lane Change feature to help keep us moving at the speed of traffic, it eased the fatigue of the long drive and helped us enjoy our journey just a bit more.
I thought back to the early days on Route 66, wondering how those travelers would react to seeing us drive hands-free in an electric vehicle.
Arizona
In Arizona, we stopped in Petrified Forest National Park, the only national park that Route 66 crosses along its 2,448 miles.
The old Route 66 path is now gone, but you can still see the original telephone poles that lined the road, along with a rusted 1932 Studebaker that was installed as a tribute in 2006.
The breathtaking view of the painted desert carried the gaze with its rolling striations and brought a moment of pause — a shiver of reverence as we breathed in a landscape carved by millions of years, whilst celebrating a century of Route 66, driving an electric Mustang made in 2026. Goosebumps!
Just outside of the National Park, Patrick got to recreate a photo he had from a family vacation back in 1983 with the “World’s Largest Petrified Tree.” We’ve recreated this photo twice before, and it’s always a heart-warming moment to fondly recall the family road trips of our childhoods.
Western Arizona is a treasure trove of Route 66 history. Seligman, Arizona, is considered by many the place where the rebirth of Route 66 started.
It is also home to the “Arizona Sidewinder," a section of the old highway that features 191 curves in 8 miles through the Black Mountains. And it’s famous for the donkeys that roam freely along the road — some of which watched with interest as we silently rolled by, the Mustang Mach-E GT handling the winding curves with ease.
California
On our final day of the trip, we arrived at the Santa Monica Pier with conflicting emotions, sad that our journey was over but joyful for the life-long memories we made on the Mother Road.
Route 66 is thriving for future generations of travelers, and we’re already planning our next electric expedition of Route 66 Recharged!
Liv Leigh and Patrick Anderson are the two electric vehicle enthusiasts who make up The Electric Duo.
1Available feature on select vehicles. BlueCruise requires an active plan or trial — see ford.com/bluecruise or lincoln.com/technology/bluecruise for details. Terms apply. BlueCruise is a driver-assist feature and does not replace safe driving, driver’s attention, judgment, and need to control the vehicle. Only remove hands in a hands-free Blue Zone. Always watch the road and be prepared to resume control. See Owner’s Manual for details and limitations.
2Google Maps is a trademark of Google LLC.
