Route 66 Road Trip

One way to get to Quartzite

 Tony and I have always been a bit restless so this life of one long, long road trip fits us well. We don't go fast but we do go far. We usually don't plan much more than a day ahead but a lot of the time even that doesn't work because we get distracted by something along the way.  We stop for everything!  We've driven along many of the well known historic and scenic roads - the Natchez Trace, Skyline Drive, Route 1 on the west coast, the roads that follow the paths of Oregon Trail and Lewis and Clark - but we haven't driven any of them from start to finish. So I thought it would be fun to drive along old Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica and keep a running account of the trip. This is one road that we actually have driven from start to finish but it was long ago and we didn't have a very good guide book so we weren't on the old road most of the time. Supposedly it's possible to still drive on 85 % of the road. I can see us getting lost a lot!
 
  I've made a map marked with all of the places that looked interesting. I think a lot will just be snap-a-picture stops. We're interested in the old neon, art deco architecture, decaying signs and quirky roadside attractions.  Most of the restaurants have been in business for decades, some run by the same families. The motels are still in business, either unchanged over the years or restored to their former glory. The old gas stations have been restored but are no longer in business. Many of the town museums and newer Route 66 museums are free. I used a variety of sources to pick and chose sites but I'm sure that I missed some good ones. If you know of any please let me know.

  If any forum members live along the route and would like to get together please contact us. I'm going to try to keep the posting on this thread up to date. We usually drive 50 - 100 miles a day, sometimes less. Two other forum members are going to be driving along part of the route and we're hoping to get together with them too.

 We wanted to spend a few days in Chicago. This is one of those times that a stealthy van would have been so nice. Instead we dry camped in the McCormick Place Truck Marshalling Yard. Almost everything in the city is within walking or biking distance but it comes at the steep price of $35.00 a night.

 A few scenes from the city:

Marshalling Yard


Biking/walking Trail


Vegetable Garden in Park


Lighthouse at Navy Pier

Ohhhh - That's wonderful!

I want to do as much of the whole Route 66 as well but I put it on the jello schedule for next fall. This fall I'm starting with the Natchez Trace Parkway.

I'll be following this thread carefully and making notes!

Couldn't see the map though - I got a denied access page...sigh!

Sorry about that Almost There. I forgot to make it public. It should work now. Map

We're near Flagstaff and drive on 66 at least once a week. Let us know if you get here before it turns cold. Once it gets cold we move south.
Bob

We're so slow that you'll probably be long gone by the time we get there. I'm a little concerned about taking so long that we'll hit snow in the mountains. When does that usually happen?

Oh! You just made it so much easier to stalk you!

21 days and counting!

See you out there! (I can't wait!)

this should be fun to watch and follow along with!

Have a fun trip kids...and don't forget our pictures!!

Yes , pictures for all of us that haven't been there so we can all follow along.........well sorta !

Most of my trips across country were in winter so I have always done the run south till it warms up somewhere , maybe to I-20 or I-10 and THEN slow down and head west.
Spring trip back is usually scheduled around tornado warnings !!

Someday , I want to be able to stay in the west and just follow the temps with altitude changes like Bob.

Hope you miss the snow and cold , you're leaving kind of late.
Not impossible though.

If don't beat the cold stuff , just hang a left and high tail it to the sunbelt.
You can go back and finish next spring. No one will think less of you .
Drive smart. Stay alive.

Very cool. Have a blast
See y'all down south.

I strongly suggest that you do not take anything large down "Route 66" (Central Avenue) in downtown ABQ. the traffic is bad. The drivers are terrible.

I would suggest that you get off the interstate (I-40/Rt 66) at Santa Rosa (Vaughn exit) and run US60 thru Mountainair (see the sights and the protected historical sites) there is an RV park at the intersection of 60 & I-25. Run I-25 N to Los Lunas (you can park overnight at the Wal-Mart there). The rt 66 from Los Lunas to the west side of ABQ/I-40 dumps you out near a couple of campgrounds. Stay in a campground in ABQ to sight see. The traffic is terrible. The Rail Runner (commuter train) runs from Belen to SantaFe with stops in Los Lunas and many in ABQ, particularly downtown and Old Town. Santa Fe has the art museums that you will miss if you only stay on Rt 66.

Bandolier Nat. Monument is north of ABQ. Nice, cool, cliff dwellings. Has a campground or two.

Wow, I've been going to Chicago (and occasionally living there) since the early 70's and I never knew about the Marshalling Yard, that is super cool!!!

Have fun on your trip, the pics are great so far.

a heads up here, I checked your map, great adventure. I didn't check the whole route just some parts that I know. I saw you had the Bagdad café marked. just want to let you know that is not the original Bagdad café. that one you posted is from the movie. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagdad_Café

the original café was in Bagdad, CA. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagdad,_California . unfortunately there is nothing left of Bagdad except for a few foundations.

though most people think it's just desert. I like that section of route 66. Roy's restaurant should be open it was real close to opening last time I was there. highdesertranger

I have to respectfully disagree with compassrose on missing that much of the ABQ area. I was going to write you a note about that area anyway.

I am relying on memory for this.. but I lived in the East Mountains of ABQ and also in the city itself for about five years. When you are coming from the east, you for sure want to get off I-40 (if you are on it at that point) at Edgewood. Old 66 parallels I-40 much of the way all across central NM.

As you leave Edgewood, it won't take long to start seeing some old motels (mostly deserted and run down) or even just the old signs for the tourist route businesses. You'll know they are from the Rt. 66 days at a glance. As you go along there is an old gas station built like a UFO into the hillside --- and they have a reasonable and nice RV park hidden up the road that runs along the east side of it. LOL

As you get closer to ABQ proper.. yes, the traffic will get heavy. But most of the stuff to see (in my recollection) is on Central (Rt. 66) on the outer parts around the actual downtown. Actual downtown ABQ is a nightmare all over for everyone in my opinion.

So, I'd say stick on Central for as long as you can feel safe about it.. and then veer north back on to I-40 if you need to. Another tip is that you will likely need to drive up and down the eastern side of Central a few times to see the quirky old stuff.. or park and use the sidewalks. There are several RV sales lots in that section of town.. so it is doable to drive rigs like yours for sure. And there are several closed businesses.. so you should be able to find places to pull over every couple of blocks if you need to.

Great trip. I'd love to make it some day.

Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions! We only drove about 40 miles yesterday, from the eastern edge of Chicago to Joliet IL.  It wasn't bad driving through the city but there isn't much of the character of old 66 left along the first 8 miles. It's mostly just gritty city. Unless you want to drive on every inch of the road this section can be skipped.

 The beginning of Route 66. Route 66 originally followed Jackson Blvd. but by the 1950s Jackson was one way eastbound and Adams St. became the westbound route.  A nice valet guy offered to take our picture.


Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant and Bakery, a family business since 1923, is a favorite with both locals and tourists. Breakfast seems to be the most popular meal but we arrived in mid afternoon and weren’t hungry so we had pie and a small salad. Mediocre at best so maybe stick to breakfast?


Apparently Chicagoans put fries on top of their hot dogs.
Henry’s Drive-In has been in business since the 1950s
and has a very cool sign. Large lot with room for RVs.


The Berwyn Rt 66 Museum is a tiny gift shop and museum. Not much to see but the volunteers are very friendly. On the street parking.


Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket has been frying up chicken since 1946. Unfortunately the opening of I-55 cut off easy access to the restaurant and it takes some effort to find it.  RVs will fit on the edge of the lot.



  White Fence Farm which opened in the early 1920s is more than a restaurant. It’s also a museum with antique cars, clocks, motorcycles, dolls and other memorabilia, plus a petting zoo and quarter games. We didn’t get to see any of that or taste the chicken to decide if it is wonderful or flavorless ( differing internet reviews) because the restaurant is closed on Mondays. Large lot with room for RVs.


Kicks on 66 Park is a great photo stop. Look for the ice cream stand with the Blues Brothers dancing on the roof  (in The Blues Brothers movie Jake Blues was released from Joliet Prison) and pull into the parking lot. Across the street is Dick’s Towing with old cars on display. Follow the paved trail to a big Kicks on 66 sign. The park also has two nice sculptures. Large lot with room for RVs.

White fence farm? We have one in Colorado and I can tell you the chicken is okay but, I like their sides and the cheesecake with homemade strawberry jam.

As far as when we expect snow in the mountains, in Colorado, we expect the snow to start in the next couple of weeks. We're just now past the peak of the aspen leaf changing.

Scott

WriterMs said:

I have to respectfully disagree with compassrose on missing that much of the ABQ area.

Click to expand...

I did not say miss it. I said not to take a large vehicle down in into that area. I was there two weeks ago. I'm up there fairly often. One of my daughters lives in the South Valley. She works in downtown on Rt 66/Central. Parking is a bitch and she drives a two door Fiat.

I am not exaggerating when I say the traffic is bad. Every trip involves a near miss or two (or more). Traffic in ABQ is worse than Atlanta. The rush hour back up only lasts about 30 minutes. We try to not be on the roads at those times. We just pull off and either find a restaurant to eat at or go wander around an air conditioned store.

There's lots of things to see in Old Town. But parking is NOT plentiful and it's costly. Most of the parking lots you see are pay or private and only employees of the businesses renting the space can park there. They WILL boot your vehicle and you WILL pay a minimum of $75 to get unbooted.

Take the rail runner to get between towns and ABQ has buses that run routes all over town. ANY ONE who wants to sightsee in ABQ would do best by checking out this website for self-guided sight seeing tours. http://www.visitalbuquerque.org/things-to-do/tours-sightseeing/self-guided/rail-runner/ (Please don't take pictures of the pueblos).

This is the Route 66 tour "All Stops Are Bus Accessible" (means you can take the ABQ transit buses) http://www.visitalbuquerque.org/things-to-do/tours-sightseeing/self-guided/route-66/

thanks T&K, are you going to post pics the whole trip? that would be cool if it wouldn't be to much of a hassle. highdesrtranger

Highdesertranger - I'm planning on posting pictures of the whole trip. There are many photo opportunities so there will probably be a few every day.

 Joliet has a great little history museum. Admission is $6.00- worth it if you like history.
 


 Even if you don't go to the museum stop anyway because the first floor is a free visitor center and gift shop where you can pick up Route 66 brochures and pose with Jake and Elwood.
 



 Free parking in the museum lot. Small RVs and vans will fit. Lots of metered on-the-street parking where long RVs will fit.  Joliet is not a super RV friendly city. Neither of the two casinos allow overnight RV parking. At least one of the Walmarts doesn't either but we're on our third night (gone during the day) at Sam's Club and it's all been fine.

how great of you to share. highdesertranger