Route 66 trip- NY->CA and back

[shaeff]

Hi, all!

My wife and I are about two weeks from taking a one month long cross country road trip. Plan is to drive from NY to IL, pick up 66 and take it southwest, jump off to visit New Orleans, then catch up again in time for Cadillac Ranch in TX. We'll be visiting a good amount of roadside stuff, half the fun for me is the drive. Once we get to CA, we'll be taking the coastal highway up toward Redding to visit one of my wife's friends. While we're in CA we will be visiting Yosemite, sequoia Nat'l Forest, Lake Tahoe, among other things.

We'll be visiting big places like the Grand Canyon, Crater Nat'l park, etc... Are there any things that we just should not miss while on this journey?

On the way back we'll be driving through some of the northern states for some Nat'l parks, etc... We're starting to plot our actual course now, push-pins on a large USA map. I figured with the diverse culture of people we've got here from all over the place, you guys and gals might have some secret places that are "must-see" kind of things.

Thanks for any advice!
-Chris

 

[bcp]

Besides the natural sites, visit some museums along your route that are in your areas of interest. (truck, tractor, car, airplane, railroad, toaster, quilt, dollhouse, etc)

Yes, there is one. ANTIQUE TOASTERS for TOASTER COLLECTORS

Bruce

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Very little of the actual rt 66 remains. Bits and pieces. We did springfield il (lincoln house, grave, cozy dog) to st l, (soulsby service station in mt olive) getting off interstate at various locations to see some of highlights. Then down to springfield MO. Dont remember any significant rt66 items on that stretch.
then did okcity to williams az last yr. See Tucumcari. Santa rosa blue hole, Holbrook wigwam hotel, stand on corner in winslow,

 

[rekees4300]

Sounds like fun ... ENJOY :steeringwheel:

Road Trip Tips

 

[ericm979]

In CA if you go up 1/101 from SF to Eureka consider taking 36 (from Fortuna) over to Red Bluff instead of 199. Both are interesting and fairly remote, 36 is just more so. It's also a fun motorcycle road. If you have time check out Ferndale near Fortuna- lots of nicely restored Victorian houses.
If you can get over there check out highway 395 on the eastern side of the Sierras. Scenery is spectacular and it's much less crowded than Yosemite (esp. the valley) and Sequoia.

 

[WVBill]

When in San Diego, visit the USS Midway Museum. The folks there have done a magnificent job restoring, renovating and presenting the United States' longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century, from 1945 to 1992. Their focus is on education and they do it with enough entertainment to be voted the #1 Museum in the state of California. The Midway was also my home-away-from-home for 11 months in 1972/73 and one of the planes I flew in while aboard now sits on the aft flight deck - the EKA-3B.

When you're finished in California and Oregon, come on up to my neck of the woods. Stop in and see the sights of Seattle then continue up I5 until you get to the off-ramp for Mukilteo/Whidbey Island. Enjoy the ferry ride over to the island then stop at some of the small towns (Langley, Freeland, Coupeville) and at Fort Casey/Admiralty Head Lighthouse for some spectacular views of the Admiralty Straits and the Olympic Mountains. On your way North along the "Cascade Loop Scenic Highway" (Hwy 525/20), stop at the Deception Pass bridge which takes you off the North end of the Island The Bridge is Washington's #1 tourist attraction. Continue along the "Cascade Loop Scenic Highway" via Route 2?north Cascades Highway which will take you across the Cascades into Eastern Washington and beyond. On your way, stop by Winthrop WA, a replica of an "Old West" town, and Leavenworth WA, a German/Bavarian replica town. Caution on timing your trip - the North Cascades highway is closed from sometime in November until sometime in May due to snow and avalanche danger. Enjoy your trip!

 

[jeff9366]

Hi, all!

My wife and I are taking a one month long cross country road trip. Plan is to drive from NY to IL, pick up 66 and take it southwest.
-Chris

I did Route 66 west to east, forty years ago on a BMW R60/USA motorcycle. Interstate runs over much of the "old" route 66. Where the interstate is a few miles away, the interstate and Walmart have sucked the life out of small communities along old 66. You pass through many sad small towns. Sometimes you encounter really good pie, but not often. Give it a try and see what you think.

 

[mddorange]

My wife and I are about two weeks from taking a one month long cross country road trip. Plan is to drive from NY to IL, pick up 66 and take it southwest -Chris

I drove Rt. 66 when it had no speed limit in the parts of IL. Followed it all the way to Santa Monica, CA. A lot of it was 2 lane road back then. In parts of AZ it had no speed limit either. There would be a sign when leaving a city saying: "Resume Safe Speed." What a trip. Back then there were some real weird places, like: a Teepee Motel. All vehicles were stopped and inspected when entering AZ and CA. Since almost no cars had A/C back then, they sold small "Swamp Boxes" that fit in a car's window to cross the desert. If you wanted some cooler air, add ice. :laughing:

 

[mddorange]

That's like in Texas where I40 took over most of Rt. 66. In Amarillo, Rt. 66 went through the north part of town but I40 went through the southern edge of town.

 

[Tomtint]

Hi, all!

My wife and I are about two weeks from taking a one month long cross country road trip. Plan is to drive from NY to IL, pick up 66 and take it southwest, jump off to visit New Orleans, then catch up again in time for Cadillac Ranch in TX. We'll be visiting a good amount of roadside stuff, half the fun for me is the drive. Once we get to CA, we'll be taking the coastal highway up toward Redding to visit one of my wife's friends. While we're in CA we will be visiting Yosemite, sequoia Nat'l Forest, Lake Tahoe, among other things.

We'll be visiting big places like the Grand Canyon, Crater Nat'l park, etc... Are there any things that we just should not miss while on this journey?

On the way back we'll be driving through some of the northern states for some Nat'l parks, etc... We're starting to plot our actual course now, push-pins on a large USA map. I figured with the diverse culture of people we've got here from all over the place, you guys and gals might have some secret places that are "must-see" kind of things.

Thanks for any advice!
-Chris

I have done that route on motorcycle, ..Several different trips and different segments at a time. .While you are out in the Utah area, Zion national park is a must see IMO, I think it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Lake Tahoe is also very nice, we stayed at the Hilton and although it was pricy..it was well worth it.Another suggestion is to drive to the Sequoia park first, then drive DOWN the Pacific Coast Highway.. that way you are not looking across traffic to see the coast. .. ask me how I know...

 

[shaeff]

All fantastic suggestions, some of which are on our list already. Thanks everyone, keep 'em comin'!

I know that the original 66 isn't really there for good lengths anymore, but the plan is to stick to as much of it as possible. We've never been out west so this is an adventure in and of itself. Getting to drive all the way out and back has been a dream of ours for about 13 years!

Unfortunately we won't be able to catch the coastal highway going N->S, as we'll be going through Vegas, Death Valley, Sequoia Nat'l Park, Big Sur, then heading up to Lake Tahoe, and eventually up into Redding to visit her friend. Without backtracking southbound I doubt we'll get to do 1/101 North to South.

After Redding, we're headed up into Oregon and Washington, then starting our way back east.

 

[ericm979]

Sounds like a good trip though I'd skip Death Valley in summer- it'll be too hot to do much hiking down in the valley where a lot of the historic things are. There's interesting stuff in the mountains around it where it'll be a little cooler. There's so much in California that you can only see a fraction of it on any one trip. I've lived here for almost all of my 57 years, traveled a lot and there's still stuff I have not seen.

89/70 from Tahoe to Lake Almanor is nice and you can go to Lassen on the way to Redding.

 

[Shadetree03]

Galena KS Cars, Catoosa Blue Whale, Arcadia OK round barn, ....

 

[EarPlug]

Wyoming Forts - Travel Wyoming

 

[davrow]

Sounds like a good trip though I'd skip Death Valley in summer- it'll be too hot ...

No kidding. Supposed to be 111 here on Friday. I hate to think what Baker and Death Valley are going to be.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Well Shadetree3 left out the Arcadia OK round barn picture and I just happen to have one. If you stop be sure to go inside and go upstairs and LOOK UP. Absolutely incredible view, the rafters all curve up and are different lengths to meet the peak. Keep in mind its a wood shingle roof.

That stretch of rt 66 is nice. Just a couple of mile west of the round barn is a soda pop shop. Incredible amount of flavors. They have burgers etc also. Hard to miss since they have a great big pop bottle / light on the edge of the road.

 

[ericm979]

No kidding. Supposed to be 111 here on Friday. I hate to think what Baker and Death Valley are going to be.

They're expecting a high of 120 in Stovepipe Wells on Friday.

 

[Wood_Butcher_Dav]

Very little of the actual rt 66 remains. Bits and pieces. We did springfield il (lincoln house, grave, cozy dog) to st l, (soulsby service station in mt olive) getting off interstate at various locations to see some of highlights. Then down to springfield MO. Dont remember any significant rt66 items on that stretch.
then did okcity to williams az last yr. See Tucumcari. Santa rosa blue hole, Holbrook wigwam hotel, stand on corner in winslow,

Nice to see reference to my home town of Mt.Olive We also have the Mother Jones Monument. If you have not had your fill of greasy fried foods, highly recommend Cozy Dogs in Springfield IL - 2 corn dogs and fries

Dave

 

[MacLawn]

I'd want more than one month. Last August I drove from Missouri to Anaheim much of it by 66, but not much left of it. Had a flat tire right at lake Havasu exit on I-40, didn't even break a sweat in that dry heat. Felt good to me. Not like our eastern heat at all.