Art & Inspiration Need advice on driving Route 66

Yep what I remember is even relatively short trips took forever. With modern 4 lane divided people commute to work the same route year round. The road bed itself was often just not laid out for safe high speed travel, with reverse banked curves, blind or weird intersections and obstacles, sometimes all at once. Dangerous as hell, especially at night.

 

I did much of this trip in the late 1990's, bought a Lincoln Continental in Palm Springs and drove it home to Wisconsin, trying to follow Route 66 wherever possible. We did make a slight detour to Vegas and Grand Canyon/Hoover Dam, then got on the Route and tried to stay with it. I remember several hours of dirt road driving, also the weather was pretty dicey going through New Mexico -- this was in March or April, and we were getting snow and ice storms. The heater and defrost did not work in the Lincoln so this was nerve wracking, and our toes were freezing. (Hard to tell if the heater works when you buy a car in 115 degree weather.) You forget how big this country is -- had a couple of days of driving 15 hours a day, feels like you are barely moving across the map. Some very remote stretches. Most of the stuff I remember seeing was long since abandoned, maybe some of it has been restored in the last 20 years though. Shot this one in Palm Springs.

 

You should look up Roamin Rich Route 66 videos on you tube. Very informative.

 

Looks like I'm set for early September with a bit more than 2 weeks. There is almost too much information. I already have three Route 66 specific maps and two mile by mile guides. Too much to see! Thanks for the advice.

 

I live 10 miles west of Lebanon,MO. about a mile off RT. 66. There's a pretty cool museum in Lebanon. If you need anything when you're in our area give me a call. PM me if you want my number. I'd love to do all of Rt 66 someday also.

 

Very nice museum, must see if you have the time.

 

Here's a pic from a family 8-week camping trip out west in 1967, somewhere in Wyoming:


OK I'm done, won't muddy up your thread anymore. Good Luck and have a great trip!

 

I did it last summer and 4 years ago. Allowed about 300 miles a day.
Detoured to Grand Canyon, Lake Havasu and Santa Fe.
Lots of museums
Great trip
Saved all info if you need it


Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

we try to do a bit of it each year we visit USA
ave stopped in Ludlow many times

 

Hey I was looking for an old thread and came upon this one. Might be some new info in here for you:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/route-66-road-trip-what-not-to-miss.568537/

 

Thanks, I'm figuring about 150 a day and the GC, but if we do more miles then there are lots of places I'd like to see on other highways.

 

Our T-bird club just had its 50th Anniversary convention in Tulsa - two days revolved around Route 66 and driving. First day went to a new car museum in an old National Guard Armroy in Salupula (sp?) with "world's tallest gas pump" and then drove through downtown Tulsa. Next day we took a trip to Afton to see Darryl Starbird's museum - MUST SEE! Then got onto old 66/US 60 back to Tulsa. Forgot the diner we stopped at, worked our way off the highway to a totem pole "tourist trap" then back to The Nut House and The Blue Whale before driving into downtown Tulsa. That alone took most of the day (including the drive from near Oral Roberts University up to I-44 and I-44 to get off the beaten path to Afton).