Destinations

It’s day one: You’re going to need a good breakfast. Fuel up on monster omelets and bottomless coffee at local favoriteLou Mitchell’s(you might just meet fellow Route 66 road-trippers in a neighboring booth). If you want to stretch your legs before the first phase of your journey, Chicago’sMillennium Parkis an excellent place to do it. From there, it’s just one block to the Historic Route 66 Begin sign. Snap a selfie — you’re officially on your way. If you couldn’t bear the wait times for breakfast in Chicago,Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basketis your first stop. The 1930s gas station/lunch counter is now a Route 66 icon for its superlative fried chicken. Look for the restored neon sign — so retro you’ll half-expect to see chrome-stripped Bel Airs parked below it.

With summer upon us and countries lifting travel restrictions, international beach destinations are once again gaining popularity. Demand for sun-drenched beaches is now outpacing pre-pandemic levels significantly, according to new data released by Expedia toGoTravelDaily. Most travelers are drawn to the shores of the Dominican Republic in July, as Expedia reveals that the most-searched beach destination for this month is Punta Cana.