Mel’s Drive-In Demolition: 2,448-Mile Route 66 Budget Before It Closes

Takeaway	Detail
Mel’s Drive-In faces demolition	The Los Angeles Times reports that the Santa Monica Route 66 landmark faces demolition.
Budget for all 2,448 miles of Route 66	A Los Angeles Times centennial drive covered the full 2,448-mile route.
Use an open-jaw routing	Fly into Chicago, rent a one-way car to Los Angeles, and fly home from LAX.
Compare Chicago-area airport options	Price the one-way rental from ORD or MDW, and re-price weekly until the booking is locked.

This guide situates the journey against renewed centennial traffic in 2026 and the demolition threat facing Mel’s Drive-In in Santa Monica; the open-jaw pricing method and the 2,448-mile route figures are set out in the sections below.

Why the 2,448-mile clock is ticking

The 2,448-mile Route 66 drive has a timely reason to begin, but not a confirmed final deadline. The Los Angeles Times reports that Mel’s Drive-In, the landmark diner at the Santa Monica end of the highway, faces demolition. That makes the western finish emotionally—and potentially practically—urgent. It does not establish when, or even whether, the diner will close. Treat any “drive before it closes” claim as unconfirmed until a demolition date appears in an official document.

Use two specific checks before setting your travel date. First, monitor the Los Angeles Times for an update identifying a permit, hearing, or scheduled demolition. Second, check the City of Santa Monica planning records and published City Council agendas for the property’s permit status, demolition applications, hearing dates, and decision notices. A permit filing is not the same as an approved demolition, and a hearing is not a final closure date. The reliable rule is simple: use an announced date, not a rumor or an inferred countdown.

Meanwhile, the same Los Angeles Times coverage marks Route 66’s 100th anniversary in 2026, giving the trip its own timing pressure. Centenary travel is likely to increase attention along the corridor, and peak-season availability can tighten as travelers compete for lodging, attractions, and vehicles. Reprice the route weekly, compare the current quote with the prior week, and lock the booking only when the rate and terms hold. Availability itself should be checked as well: a lower price is not useful if the relevant one-way vehicle cannot be reserved for your dates.

Because the available reporting does not establish a precise peak-travel calendar for the 2026 centennial, shift the drive toward a shoulder period rather than assuming one. Before selecting your months, check published schedules for anniversary events, school holidays, and regional conventions along the corridor. This is especially important if Mel’s remains open: a shoulder-month trip may preserve the chance to reach Santa Monica without competing for the most heavily demanded travel dates.

Keep the two deadlines separate in your planning. The 2026 centennial is a known commemorative milestone; Mel’s demolition is a reported threat without a verified closure date. Check the diner’s status again at booking, then again shortly before departure. If a published demolition schedule appears, verify it against the city record and factor it into the trip. If no official date appears, do not invent a deadline—the safest plan is to complete the 2,448-mile drive while treating the diner as a destination that may change.

How to price the open-jaw route

Price the open-jaw arrangement as one three-leg booking: an inbound flight to Chicago, a one-way rental from Chicago to Los Angeles, and an outbound flight from Los Angeles. The airfare comparison matters because legacy carriers often price an open-jaw itinerary as two half-round-trips rather than as two unrelated one-way tickets. Search for a single multi-city itinerary with the inbound arrival at ORD or MDW and the outbound departure from LAX, then compare that total with the cost of purchasing the two flight segments separately. On legacy airlines, separate one-way purchases often cost more, although the actual result must be checked for your dates and cabin.

Southwest does not sell connect-through multi-city itineraries in the same way, so use a separate comparison for MDW inbound and LAX outbound. Price each direction as a one-way ticket, then add the results and compare that total with the lowest legacy-carrier multi-city quote. Make sure each search is labeled one-way and that the displayed total includes taxes and fees. Do not treat a one-way fare as a round-trip fare, and check the baggage rules for both legs if you plan to carry luggage.

The rental quotation needs the same scrutiny. Enter the Chicago pickup location and the Los Angeles return location, select one-way pricing, and request a vehicle that can cover the drive without an unexpected restriction. A Chicago-to-LAX rental can carry a drop fee, and the amount depends on the company, branch, vehicle class, and current rate rules. Compare the final checkout total—not merely the advertised daily rate—and check whether mileage, fuel, tolls, airport charges, taxes, and fees are included. If the car must be returned at a different branch, verify the rental company’s one-way procedure and any advance-return requirements before paying.

Re-price the airfare and rental weekly until you are ready to lock them. Volatile prices can move independently, so a better flight fare does not necessarily offset a more expensive car, and a discounted rental may still leave the total higher. Keep each quote in a simple comparison sheet, recording whether the amount is one-way or round-trip, what fees are included, and when the price was checked. Recheck at the same practical booking interval rather than at irregular intervals.

Before purchasing, run one final comparison using the same passenger count, cabin, baggage allowance, rental category, pickup area, and return area. Confirm that the flight arrives early enough to collect the car and that the return time leaves enough margin for the outbound flight. If the multi-city legacy quote is lower than Southwest’s two one-ways, use it; if the Southwest total is lower, keep the separate searches. The decision rule is the lowest all-in total with workable timing and no hidden one-way rental charge—not whichever booking method appears most sophisticated.

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Options compared: four ways to drive it

Four practical arrangements compete for the Route 66 drive. The useful comparison is not simply which itinerary lists the lowest airfare; it is which one adds the least driving, preserves a coherent direction, and leaves you at Mel’s Drive-In when the trip is complete.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much of Route 66 did the Los Angeles Times centennial drive cover?

The centennial drive covered the full 2,448-mile route.

Is there a confirmed deadline for driving Route 66 before Mel’s Drive-In closes?

No, the article does not establish when or even whether the diner will close, so any “drive before it closes” claim remains unconfirmed until a demolition date appears in an official document.

What should travelers watch for before choosing a date to begin the Route 66 drive?

Monitor the Los Angeles Times for an update identifying a permit, hearing, or scheduled demolition.

What is the recommended open-jaw routing for the Route 66 trip?

Fly into Chicago, rent a one-way car to Los Angeles, and fly home from LAX.

Which Chicago-area airports can be compared for the one-way rental?

Price the one-way rental from ORD or MDW.

How often should travelers recheck the one-way rental price?

Re-price the rental weekly until the booking is locked.

Quick answers

Why is the proposed Route 66 journey described as timely?	Mel’s Drive-In, the landmark diner at the Santa Monica end of the highway, faces demolition.
What does the demolition threat establish about when the diner might close?	It does not establish when, or even whether, the diner will close.
How should travelers treat any “drive before it closes” claim?	Treat it as unconfirmed until a demolition date appears in an official document.
What source should travelers monitor for news about a permit, hearing, or scheduled demolition?	Monitor the Los Angeles Times for an update identifying a permit, hearing, or scheduled demolition.
What open-jaw routing does the article recommend for the Route 66 journey?	Fly into Chicago, rent a one-way car to Los Angeles, and fly home from LAX.