My wife and I, along with our 2 daughters, are heading over to the USA for a 5 week holiday beginning next Thursday June 14th. I thought i would post up our planned route in the hope that some Hambers might be able to suggest some neat things, hotrod & non-hotrod related, to checkout along the way. In short, we land in LA and stay there for the weekend so i can see the roadster show, then head east to Joshua Tree National Park, probably spend a night around Kingman, AZ, then up to the Grand Canyon, over to Monument Valley, back to Lake Powell and then up to Bryce Canyon, UT... We'll spend a week or so on that path, then head north up through Salt Lake City and on towards Cody, Wyoming. Staying in Cody for a few days...then Yellowstone for a few days...then start heading back down to Yosemite in Northen CA. After that head out to the coast (Carmel area?) and down the coast back to LA. We'll be travelling in a motorhome, if any of you guys are along the way and want to catch up for a beer or a bbq (i'll cook), let me know. Here's a link to the spots along the way...it doesn't show the actual route though??; http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=208700402802963856644.0004c1e6c180502bb9d35 Cheers! Dave.
Sounds like a good route. there is so much to see and so little time. if i might also suggest some great sights somewhat near your route but it sounds like youve got it fairly well planned. here are some of my favorite places in the Co Ut NM area if you happen to be close. Canyon DeShelly NM you have to go into the Canyon to get the total affect, best petroglyphs anywhere and neat cliff dwellings. Hwy from durango Co to Silverton Co most beautiful mtns and rich mining history. also near silverton you can drive your rv to within 1/4 mile of an amazing ghost town at near 10,000 ft. Telluride is neat too. Zions nat park is near Brice. cool tunnels and the virgin river narrows. Canyonlands and arches nat park near moab ut. anyway just a few more things for you to google yellowstone is great. I love fishing in yellowstone lake. some nicw size cutthrout trout in that lake.
Utah is fantastic! Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches National Parks. Be sure to stop and climb around the base of Devils Tower in Wyoming. Have fun and post some photos here when you get back. Bob
While you're in Southern Utah do not miss Zion National Park. Yes, its my backyard, but its worth the visit! There's a real nice RV Park just south of there called Zion River Resort. Nice folks own and run it.
Well you will be rolling through Williams AZ as you go from Kingman to the Grand Canyon... Williams is one of the many small towns that were along Route 66. I believe there is still a car museum there. Just outside of Williams on the 23rd of June there is an air show - High Country Warbirds Air Display. If you like vintage piston birds. Plenty to do along the way - have a great trip! B.
We finished driving route 66 from Kansas last year in late May 2011 and went somewhat close to where you will be. Not meaning to hijack your trip, just sharing what we saw and did in the area. After we visited the Santa Monica Pier area, we drove to Porterville(168 miles/3.5 hr), spent the night and next day visited the Sequoia National forest, and the General Sherman tree. The rest of the park was still in snow, so we did not get to drive under the tree. We came home by way of Barstow, Las Vegas, and Bryce Canyon Utah - in my opinion more impressive than the Grand Canyon, but GC was very cool too. We stayed overnight in Tropic Utah at the Bryce Country Cabins - log cabins, very cool if you like that sort of thing. If you are interested, I can pm you the itinerary( a bit long to post here) I used to list/spot route 66 icons along the way. If you have any interest in route 66 and want to give the kids some things to look for, while in LA if you go to the Santa Monica Pier area, at the intersection of Ocean Ave and Santa Monica Blvd, there is a marker in the Palisades park commemorating the "Will Rogers Highway" On the pier http://route66news.com/2009/11/11/end-of-the-trail-sign-dedicated-at-santa-monica-pier/ Photos - not mine http://www.6t6kix.com/pages/rt66/ca.htm http://www.flickr.com/photos/misty_bee/5611526796/ There is a tree sculpture "chain reaction" in front of the Santa Monica city hall made from old anchor chain. I read recently that the city wants to tear it down, so if you want to see it before they destroy it , it is near the pier. http://santamonica.patch.com/articles/commission-gives-sculpture-chance-at-landmark-status Going to Josua Tree National Park is a bit out of line with route 66/I40, so I am not sure how you were planning to go to Kingman. If you backtrack to San Bernardino/Victorville/Barstow/newberry springs it would put you on the route66/I40 alignment. Newberry springs,ludlow, amboy, cadiz summit, essex, needles, topic, boatman, selgrieve pass cool springs station, kingman, hackberry, seligman Along that route to Kingman, there are many landmarks to look for - emma jeans hollandburger, bottle ranch near oro grande, bagdad cafe, newberry springsAmboy/Roys cafe, cadiz summit/graffitti ruins, Oatman - a MUST-SEE mining/tourist town. Burros are native to the area and walk around down - the babies have stickers on their heads to remind you they could bite, so be aware, but lots of fun. Cool springs Station - refurbished station(was in a movie and was shown being blown up) Kingman Cool water tower mural, several others Hackberry (very cool old service station-no gas, the owner has a corvette he drives to work every day and parks in front of the store, Seligman Delgadillo's snow-cap drive-in is not to be missed - that whole town is such a hoot, lots of fun. I agree with JF, so much to see, and so little time. Be SURE to take your camera, and possibly a spare. We downloaded our photos to an iPad every night to insure the picture quality was ok, My wife thinks I have OCD so severe it should be called CDO - to rearrange the letters in alpha order. Anyway, have a safe trip, take lots of pix and have fun, and post some of them when you get back. Willy_P
X2 on that jaunt down old 66 from Kingman , Hackberry, Valentine, Peach Springs and Delgadillo's In Seligman !
I live on the East Coast but have taken two seperate trips out that way . 1st one after a week of bike week in Sturgis S.D.1997 Four of us rode our Harleys to Yellowstone via. Cody Wy. check out the Mueseum there with a Real Nice Gattling Gun ,then Old Faithful from there before you head north its a close enough drive south to see Jackson and the Grand Tetons (worth the trip) When we exited the Park to the North on The Bear Tooth Highway 10,000 or 11,000 ft elev. where you can look back down and see where you've been. There were signs warning of Grizzley Bears and still snow in August very Cool that road leads to Red Lodge Montana. In 2011 my wife and I rented a Harley in Pheonix (because my brother lives there)Some of the High points were The Grand Canyon , Sedona, Jerome, Oatman where the miners let thier mules loose back during the Gold mining days and their decendants (the mules) wander anound town looking for handouts (the family might enjoy that.) We rode quite a bit of the old Rt.66 out that way . Also the Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam) is quite a sight.Have a Great trip there is too much to see in one trip,enjoy.Bruce
That'll be a cool trip. My wife and I & our 2 daughters did a similar trip back in 1998. Great way to travel and you get to see plenty. We are over again from 7th August for Bonneville and a bit of R N R in Vegas, Orlando & NYC. Your gonna need more than one trip, believe me!!!!!
If you head North from Bryce Canyon to Salt Lake City, I'm on Highway 89 in Salina. You are welcome to stop by the RODGE MAHAL on your way through. Wayno
No, Just confused I meant Canyon De Chelly, I have been to Mesa Verde as well and it is well worth a visit too. the hard part about Canyon DeChelly is that you have to take jeep tour and or hire a guide to ride in your truck to go into the canyon. (well worth it) if you just drive around the rim and look in I wouldn't recommend it as you would miss so much detail.
You can stay on CA 62 on the north side of Joshua Tree, or if you drop back onto I-10, you can take Rice Road (CA 177) at Desert Center and go north to CA 62. That road takes you to Vidal Junction. From there you can either turn and go on US 95 to Needles or go straight through towards Earp, CA and cross the Colorado River to Parker, AZ. From there you would go north on AZ 95 following the Colorado on a scenic drive and arrive in Lake Havasu City where the London Bridge and myself are located. There are lots of RV places here if you wanted to stay overnight and I might even arrange a garage tour or two. Kingman is 60 miles from here. If you wanted to backtrack about 8 miles to Exit 1 when you reach I-40, you could pickup Route 66 at that point and travel through the old gold mining town of Oatman, where the burros run wild. From there you could stay on 66 and end up in Kingman but it's a somewhat winding road through a canyon with switchbacks. I agree with Willy here. From the east end of Kingman, get on Route 66 and imagine what it was like to go though this part of Arizona back in the 40's or 50's. Other towns you'll go through are Valentine, Truxton, Peach Springs and the tourist trap Grand Canyon Caverns before you arrive in Seligman. Have an ice cream cone at the Snow-Cap Drive In and head to Williams on I-40. This is the longest stretch of the old road from Topock, AZ to Seligman, AZ and you can travel all or a good part of it, depending on which way you decide to go. Sounds like a great trip and I hope you enjoy your stay in the States.
Sounds like fun! Do a search here for Denise( hotrodladycrusr) and Megans (chevygirlrox)adventures...they took a trip and did a photo chronicle that was pretty damn good!
Thanks for all the responses and info so far guys...so much too see! Willy_P we'll be staying in Santa Monica so i'll keep an eye out for the landmarks you mentioned, cheers mate. I'll definitely be posting up some pics along the way. Cheers, Dave.
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