Route 66 ideas

I'm looking to go from Chicago to L.A. on the old Route 66 this summer - Anybody have any tips, recommendations, sites to see, places to stay, people to meet, etc.?

You're gonna need the song

Bobby Troupe wrote it:

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This is the version I grew up with (and played when I was a kid):

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And then there's the modern version from "Cars":

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I am somewhat of a Route 66 buff, as I live near 66 and my office is right on 66. I have travelled extensively on Route 66 both on my bike and in a car. There are so many different attractions to see along the way it is hard to recommend any particular ones. For instance there are old motels, old diners, filling stations, various museums, old car collections, visitors centers, drive-in movie theaters, etc.

I bought a two volume set of books entitled The Complete Atlas and The Complete Guidebook to Route 66 by Bob Moore (no relation) and Rich Cunningham. One volume contains detailed maps showing the present highway system and highlighting the old route. The other volume includes turn-by-turn instructions to follow the old route, as well as some historical information and points of interest. A great resource IMO.

On-line, you can find a wealth of information tailored to your specific areas of interest.

The route through Missouri and eastern Oklahoma (From just west of St. Louis to Oklahoma City) for me is the best part, but then again that is the part I know best. West of OKC, much of the old route has been absorbed into I-40, or exists as an outer road to the interstate. You definitely should make a point of taking the old highway through the towns which are bypassed by I-40 at present. In Albuquerque, I would recommend taking the south alignment down to Los Lunas as the most interesting.

In Arizona go through the Painted Desert and Petrified forest. Stay at the Wig Wam Motel in Holbrook. Visit Meteor Crater. Side trip to the Grand Canyon.

I could go on and on, but whatever you choose, you are bound to have an excellent adventure.

Tom Moore
Joplin, Missouri
Gettin' my kicks on Route 66

GSTom said:

In Arizona go through the Painted Desert and Petrified forest. Stay at the Wig Wam Motel in Holbrook.

Click to expand...

I drove from Boston to LA with a friend in 1971. It was essentially a "we're not stopping" ride and the interstate was far from complete. What I remember most was the two lane blacktops through the southwest, including the Painted Desert in full bloom (must have been June). There was no real prep for that ride except drawing a straight line on a US map and taking the roads that were closest to it.

I never knew it was called the Painted Desert until many years later. If I ever do get back there, I'll bring a camera. Spectacular an hour after sunrise when we went through...

Cool series here: http://vimeo.com/4804636

Watch for indians

Much of the RT66 out west goes through indian reservations and speed is dangerous to your purse, so beware this little tid bit when on their lands. I have too, road the entire Route66 and its chopped up and hard to find in many states and maybe getting better nowadays. The 66 roads in AZ and CA are not always well maintained and can get rough in some sections, so use blue locktite on your bikes likely nuts and bolts you suspect! Great road with lots of hidden history you have to find. I still do the SW sections every year, a few times over. Tips for SW 66 attractions; OatmanAZ(very neat), KingmanAZ, Hackberry SpringsAZ(nice roadside stop), SeligmanAZ(has everything66), Ash ForkAZ(famous rockslab capitol), Williams(GCanyon nearby) and FlagstaffAZ and so on and on. NeedlesCA, AmboyCA(Ghost townOLD), BarstowCA(Rail history) and into the masses of people after that. Too many people! A worthy ride. Randy

Route 66

Thanks to all who've responded to my asking for Rt. 66 info - Hope to hear more before I leave -

Route 66

I was down in Santa Fe recently and did a little local loop on Route 66. Before going, I bought a book, "Route 66 Adventure Handbook" by Drew Knowles. It has received good reviews.

Route 66 only went through Santa Fe for a short time. Seems that a governor lost re-election, and blamed Santa Fe since he didn't carry it. So, in revenge, he had Route 66 re-routed, by-passing Santa Fe after 1937!!

Nevertheless, Route 66 did go through Santa Fe for a time, and it's worth your trip to go there as well. Santa Fe is the oldest capital in the U.S., having been designated as such in 1610. You'll enter Santa Fe on the old Santa Fe Trail, which is historic in itself. Santa Fe has the old Spanish style plaza downtown (it's about 1 block off old Route 66, don't miss it). See the La Fonda Hotel that is at the spot where the Santa Fe Trail ended. There are museums and art galleries. See the "miraculous stairway" at Loretto Chapel, also downtown. This has been featured on several TV shows.

Stay at the Silver Saddle Motel on Cerrillos Blvd for a trip back in time. Built in 1953, it would have been the kind of motel that Buzz and Todd would have stayed in. Buy some gifts next door at the Jackalope and have them shipped back home.

There's a BMW dealer in Santa Fe. I stopped there, looking for something like a cool BMW t-shirt in southwest colors. No luck.

So, don't overlook Santa Fe. Lots of history, beautiful scenery, wonderful New Mexico style Mexican food and things to do.

Safe travels,
piperjim