In 2010 a few friends and I will be making the trip down Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. Hopefully the Daytona will be completed by then to make the trip (and the Phoenix Studebaker National Meet on the return trip). What suggestions does anyone have for things to see and do? I want to stay at the Tee Pee Inn, and a buddy of mine wants to see the Cadillac Ranch. I know of all sorts of things to see in Chicago and St. Louis, but what about other places? We have half of the trip laid out with as much of the original roads as possible. So what suggestions have you??? []
The Blue Whale east of Tulsa... Oatman Pass... stand on a corner in Winslow, AZ... Shamrock, TX, Tucumcari, Gallup, Albuquerque (take the first exit west of town on I-40 and double back on old 66 to see the skyline of the city at nite.. priceless)
One of the best vacations I ever had...we flew to OK City and drove it to LA. Plenty to see...I'd say get a few tourbooks on 66...there are parts you cannot access any more and plenty of landmarks to look at. One of the better books was by Michael Wallis. -Scott
Arcadia, Oklahoma has several sights to see it is just n.e. of O.K.C. all of which are on route 66, about 2 miles east of town is John Hargroves place, John is a very talanted guy who has captured many attractions along 66 plus many of his own , you'll notice a recreation of the Blue whale and a V.W. protruding from a building. Johns a great guy plan on 1 hour stop. In town is the round barn, interesting. about a mile out of town is POPS its a gas station resturant gift shop, They sale 500 different types of soda pop and the food is good, be a great lunch stop, you can't miss it theres a giant pop bottle in front. DO NOT SPEED, IT IS A SPEED TRAP!!
Haven't traveled the entire route, but what I saw was great! I've covered most all of the road from Springfield, Mo. to Albuquerque, NM (hope that's spelled right?). Really enjoyed the original road offsets in Oklahoma. If you get the chance, stop by the visitor center in Tulsa and get the newspaper they have dedicated to Route 66 in Oklahoma. It gives you complete directions on where to turn and what to see, county-by-county. Hope to make it farther this summer. Good luck and have a safe trip! Flattop
look up any book by Micheal Wallis he is without the best writer about the mother road.......his book will tell you in detail what and where to look.Ive done the road end to end 4 times and will do it again soon.........FYI he was the tech guy for the movie CARS and also the voice of the police car in the movie
just did it. Came to Pomona Swapmeet and will be heading back tomorrow (Monday)... Stopped at the Cadillac ranch after driving by many times... Cool... Many neet things to see on Rt66... check Google on rt 66 and you will see plenty racinman
Oatman Arizona west of Kingman... Living Ghost Town with Wild ( Tame ) Donkeys roaming the streets looking for a treat. ( You can buy hay cubes from the vending machines )They say they are left over from the prospector days. Barstow Calif still has a Drive In Movie Theatre if you happen to spend night there. Barstow alsohas Calico Gost Town kinda commercialized but a good tourist trap and a 50's Diner right off the 40 Peggy Sue's I think ..you will see the signs
We did the route in October and after looking at dozens of books we'd highly recommend the EZ 66 Guide for Travelers by Jerry McClanahan. You want to be sure and get the second edition though. It's spiral bound and gives amazing turn by turn directions along with everything to see along the way. You can also use it both east to west or west to east.
harley and annabelles curios shop in eric oklahoma the meteor cratetor site in arizona i just did the triop almost a year ago in my studebaker we posted the whole trip in here just look for indy to viva in a gasser
I took about a month to drive Route 66 several years ago. As other people have suggested, I would see the round barn and the cadillac ranch. Angel's barbershop in Seligman, Az is also fun, as is Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis.
While you're in Amarillo for the Cadillac Ranch grab a meal at the "Big Texan" --"Home of the FREE 72oz steak dinner". Good food and neat atmosphere. Take a side trip through Palo Duro Canyon, sort of a minature Grand Canyon, and if you enjoy stage performances "Texas" is a great historical/musical put on in an amphitheater in the canyon. Starts at sunset with horseback riders going across the canyon rim. Spent lots of nights camping there as a kid.
Also stop at the 66 casino in New Mexico, west of Albuquerque. Good food and a lot of nostalgic stuff. Gallup is also a must, a lot of neat shops plus they have nightly, authentic, Indian dancing over by the old R/R station, during the summer months. We did 66 on the Harley back in '03 and had a ball! Have fun........
PM Brad54- he rode on as of 66 as possible coming back from California to Georgia a little while ago.
Eat at Barnaby's Beanery Downtown Amarillo on Historic Rt. 66. It will be on your left hand side as your headed West! Then roll the windows down on your way out of town. The last part is for your own safety! Great place to eat!
i always stop at the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa NM for a dip and cool off when i'm out that way in the summer time.
As mentioned before, blue whale Catoosa Oklahoma, Rock Cafe in Stroud, Oklahomathe old gas station and lincoln motel in Chandler, 66 bowling alley okc, if you come through the weekend of Aug. 14 2010 you could participate in Okie Twist Off 4, a rockabilly, car show and bands... My fav is the old Route 66 bridge in Bethany, heading out of OKC to Yukon, the city parkin elk city has a carousel, old train ride mini golf, Lucilles out west... if you stop at Lucilles as you leave you have to walk across 66 to the fence that divides 66 from I-40, spit at I-40 and curse, she always did as you left her store. If I think of more I'll post, should be able to fill your agenda in Oklahoma...
Haven't seen anyone mention Winslow, Ar. yet. We stopped by to see the Eagles' statue on the corner and had a great meal at an old hotel where the Duke and other movie stars used to stay. I can't remember the name, but it's easy to find, right along the railroad tracks. It's the only GOOD restuarant in town.
Good for you! I drove a '62 Chev Impala from here in Kalamazoo to my son in Vegas last fall, and did some Rt 66 stuff, and we drove 66 on the way home several years ago pulling our '48 Spartan Manor, thru Arizona, New Mexico, TX and OK. Definately check out the Tee Pee, but the Blue Swallow in Tucumcari is neat, and the owner is a nice guy. Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest, Dinosuaur monument, the Crater are all worth a side trip, but there's stuff all the way along. Get a guide book and plan your rt. Lot's of great stuff in TX and OK too, and don't forget the monument to the bombing in of the federal building. Very moving. You've got to drive over the Hoover Dam if you haven't done that, and the tram to the top of the mountain in Palm Springs is worth the time. Not intending to hijack this thread, but thought you might like to see some of the photos I took along the way!
I live on RT 66 in Amarillo--east of me in Shamrock Tx is a cool old gas station restored and west of me is Tucumcari NM and Santa Rosa Nm,both worth the drive thru,after you see the blue hole in Santa Rosa go to the car Museum, you can't miss it it has a yellow 32 on a tall pole, and almost forgot Tucumcari has an interesting dinosaur museum
leaving from chicago, (a few hours out) i would stop for a late breakfast at the "dixie truckers home" in mclean,il. great blueberry pancakes and french toast. been in continuous operation, at the same location on old rt.66 since 1928. you can see the old right of way between the building and parking lot. we took the rt.66 trip from chicago to the L.A. roadster show in `05, stopped at "johns modern cabins" a little west of rolla,mo. but they were closed.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=167995&highlight=klaus Here's a thread from our journey two years ago. My advice is planning the travel but be very openminded to all the adventures along the way.
this old rt.66 bridge (still in use) was bypassed with a 4 lane divided in the 50's, crosses the big piney river near the devil's elbow, a ways west of rolla,mo.
WORD OF ADVICE!!! Plan your trip in a way to be sure you're not traveling through Amarillo on a hot day. It is home to the world's largest cattle feed lot. I made the mistake of doing it in August. That was 1982 and I'm still trying to get the smell of cow shit out of my beard! (or maybe that's related to something else entirely. I did have a few whiskey blackouts while I was still in Kansas.) Should be a great trip, though. It's one of my goals in life. Drive the whole route in a classic or hot rod. Take a million photos and do a giant thread on here when you get back.
if you like old bridges, this cast concrete jewel once carried rt.66 traffic over diablo canyon, in the now ghost town of two guns,AZ. just west of the meteor crater. i've read it was built in 1926.
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