Situated along Route 66, Amboy, Calif. once boasted 200 residents, three gas stations, three motels, two cafes, a post office, a school and a church. Now it’s a ghost town.

In Kingman, Arizona, an 8-mile section of Route 66 at the western edge of this state may be one of the most scenic — and white-knuckled —drives this country has to offer.