A Photo Essay

Route 66 with Dad

Twelve days and thousands of miles ahead of us, we started here in Chicago where the city lights meet the dark water.

Story by MIRA Studio · May 2026

We left the skyline behind for the open road, chasing the ghosts of Route 66 across the desert. It was just the two of us, a map, and the slow unfolding of the American landscape.

Chapter I

The Windy City

The city skyline stood still against the morning light, as if the lake itself was holding its breath before our journey began.

Chapter II

Neon and Asphalt

The diners started to appear like old friends, each one a piece of history left behind on the roadside.

Sunset brought the neon to life, casting a golden glow against the stainless steel of the diner.

The road itself became our compass, pointing us west toward something we could not quite see yet.

“There is a specific kind of quiet that only exists in these places after the sun goes down.”

Chapter III

Chasing the Horizon

The landscape opened up, turning from city concrete into the vast, dusty expanse of the desert.

Every curve in the road felt like a new discovery.

A quick stop for lunch, eating hot dogs and drinking milkshakes topped with flags.

Driving toward those mountains felt like driving toward the end of the world.

“Isolation starts to feel comfortable after enough miles. It is just the road, the fence, and us.”

Chapter IV

The Canyon's Shadow

We reached the edge of the world, or at least it felt that way, staring down into the Grand Canyon.

Looking down into those deep crevices made everything else seem small.

Dad stood there for a long time, just watching the shadows stretch across the rock.

Chapter V

The Final Stretch

The last few miles were the hardest to drive, knowing the trip was coming to an end.

We finally made it to the pier, watching the sun fade behind the Ferris wheel.

The ocean air finally replaced the desert heat, and we were done.

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