Route 66 Road Trip Gems are a food road trip feast

Ready for a food road trip? This Route 66 Road Trip Gems list is definitely a reason to get in the car and travel. Is your appetite ready?

As summer vacation season hits, a food road trip might be just for you. This new list of Route 66 Road Trip Gems is a way to satisfy your food cravings while traveling down the iconic Mother Road. From the best fried chicken to the best diner, a road trip can be a wonderful food discovery. Just remember to wear your comfy pants.

Finding the best road trip places along Route 66 is a daunting task. Luckily, Lipton and Trip Advisor collaborated to create this curated list. Based on traveler reviews and opinions, this list focuses the experiences that come with the road trip experience. Unlike other travel means, a road trip is more about the experience than just getting to a destination.

According to this list compiled by Lipton and Trip Advisor the top must stop places are:

"• Bernardi’s II Restaurant (Pontiac, IL)• Le Roy’s (Monrovia, CA)• Big Texan Steak Ranch (Amarillo, Texas)• Britten Leaning Water Tower (Groom, Texas)• Cozy Dog Drive In (Springfield, IL)• Jigg’s Smokehouse (Clinton, OK)• Meramec Caverns (Stanton, MO)• Old Riverton Store (Riverton, KS)• Ollie’s Station Restaurant (Tulsa, OK)• Singing Road (Tijeras, NM)• The Chili Parlor (Springfield, IL)• Westside Lilo’s Cafe (Seligman, AZ)"

Granted, not all of these locations are about the food, but even a food road trip isn’t only about eating. Since a road trip is about the experience, not the destination, memories along the way can come in many forms. From the epic fried chicken at Bernardi’s II in Illinois to the enormous steaks at Big Texan Steak Ranch, these special locales create lasting memories for years to come.

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Although families today may not want a Griswold family style road trip, these special locations can be the levity that a long road trip needs. When you’re on vacation it is ok to stop just to eat pie at Westside Lilo’s Café. On vacation or road trip, everything is fair game.

Overall, this list focuses on classic Americana. The food isn’t pretty plated cuisine with elevated ingredients. Like Route 66, the Mother Road itself, the food is real and authentic.

Route 66 Road Trip Gems, Lipton Iced Tea with Fruit Juice, photo provided by Lipton

Since not everyone can have the opportunity to take a food road trip this summer, Lipton is bringing some of these road trip experiences to its fans. To kick off summer and National Iced Tea Day, Lipton will be hosting Refreshingly Road Trippin’ with Lipton. Located in Pontiac, Illinois, the event will feature some of the Route 66 experiences.

While at this experience, Lipton will show how its new Lipton Iced Tea with a Splash of Juice is the refreshing complement to classic American fare. These new drinks, available in Berry, Tropical and Pear & Peach, are perfect with a big juicy burger or a big plate of fried chicken. The light, refreshing fruit flavors add a little brightness to the classic ice tea. The flavor is just enough without becoming too sweet.

Don’t feel left out if you can’t make the special Lipton experience. Everyone will get the chance to try some of the delicious Lipton Tea on National Iced Tea Day. “On June 10, the brand is giving away free Lipton Iced Tea 20 oz. bottles (any flavor) to the first 100,000 consumers who register on LiptonIcedTeaDay.com.”

Next: Best frozen treats for summer

Who’s ready for a food road trip? Whether you want to experience the Route 66 Road Trip Gems or create your own memorable road trip, this summer is waiting for your next adventure.

What’s been your favorite road trip stop? Share your recommendations with #FoodSided. We might add the stop to our next road trip.

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