By Cheri Sicard
Route 66 feels different when it’s seen from above. In the short video at the end of this post from Travel with a Wiseguy, John Wise shares a compilation of drone clips from his road trip across the Mother Road, starting in Chicago and ending in Santa Monica. It’s the kind of edit that lets the scenery do the talking, with music carrying the pace while the views change mile by mile.
A quick Route 66 trip overview
This video pulls together aerial drone footage from a Route 66 drive that crosses the country, showing off a mix of open land, small towns, and long stretches of road. It’s a simple watch, but it captures the scale of the trip in a way ground-level clips can’t.
The drive crosses eight states:
- Illinois
- Missouri
- Kansas
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- New Mexico
- Arizona
- California
A drone view makes the route feel like a real line on a map. From above, the curves, straightaways, and wide skies read clearly, and the emptiness between stops becomes part of the story.
Illinois: the trip begins near Chicago
Route 66 starts with city energy, then quickly shifts into quieter stretches. Even without narration, the opening section sets the tone, a big start that points west.
A few visuals that tend to stand out from the air:
- The city-to-country shift as buildings give way to open land
- Long road lines that look almost drawn onto the ground
- Patches of farmland that show how wide the Midwest really is
Chicago works as a clean starting point, a clear “before” image before the road opens up.
Missouri: greener terrain and small-town spacing
As the route moves into Missouri, the land often looks softer and more rolling. The drone angle makes towns feel tucked into the landscape, with roads connecting them like threads.
Kansas: short stretch, big sky
Kansas is a quick part of the Route 66 run, but the open feel still comes through. From above, the flatness is the point; it gives the trip room to breathe.
Oklahoma: long roads and classic Route 66 energy
Oklahoma is a core Route 66 state, and the drone footage fits that vibe well. The road looks endless in places, and the sense of distance is clear. Even in a music-only edit, the route’s identity shows up in the shapes of highways, older alignments, and the way stops sit right along the road.
Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona: the land turns rugged
West of the plains, the views shift toward drier ground and sharper colors. The drone clips highlight how quickly the terrain changes once the Southwest takes over.
- Texas brings broad, open stretches and a tougher, drier look.
- New Mexico adds more texture in the landscape and bigger horizons.
- Arizona leans into desert scenery, with bold contrast between earth tones and sky.
California: the finish in Santa Monica
The last part of the trip heads into California and closes in Santa Monica. After so many miles of inland views, the finish feels like a payoff, a clear endpoint to a cross-country line.
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RVDT2809
Thank you for finding, sharing, and summarizing the video, Cheri! He did well to avoid all the drone-flying restrictions. Have a great day, a grand 2026, and safe travels!