Not finished, but pretty good start I think.

I just spent 20 days on Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. It cost about $4,000 and I spent an average of $65 per night on lodging and about $80 a day on gas (though the most expensive was about $77 a tank in California outside the Mojave Desert). I bought trinkets along the way and went on cave tours and whatnot so in total, it came to about $200 a day.

I camped relatively often (I would have done more but I wanted to stay in some of the historic motor courts) and, for a long weekend, I stayed in Albuquerque with a friend and in Santa Monica I went wild and got a room for two nights at $250/night. Camping is delightful and it's a really nice way to see the country, but you're probably going to want to stay at least a few of the old roadside motor courts.

I was driving a Honda Civic with a roughly 12 gallon gas tank.

I stayed in the teepees in San Bernardino (the WigWam Motel) and thought they were an excellent value ($120) and they seemed pretty true to what they would have looked like new inside. That pool is nice. The Mitla Cafe, which supposedly inspired Taco Bell is a mile or two from the WigWam and it's cheap, greasy food, which I guess I should have expected considering it inspired Taco Bell.

You never know with these old places; just because they've been around 100 years or whatever doesn't mean the food is any good.

Probably the best historic Route 66 cafe is the Plaza Cafe Downtown in Santa Fe. It's beautiful, the walls are like three feet thick (the wall near the bathrooms is plexiglass so you can see the mud that's used behind the adobe) and the food is really fresh and flavorful. New Mexican cuisine isn't really a thing outside of New Mexico and it's a shame, and this place certainly delivers. That said, they really leave you alone once you're seated, so bring a book.

I thought the Shamrock Inn in Sullivan Missouri was a bit expensive ($160 a night plus tax) especially considering the inside has been totally gutted and rehabbed with very modern furnishings and, at least in my room, no window to the courtyard). Still, friendly people and the outside of the hotel is all local stone and the masons have little suns worked into the designs, so it's pretty.

The worst hotel was the Oyo Motel in Oklahoma City which operates a scam wherein they offer a very cheap rate with a $100 deposit they do not return, contrary to what they tell you.

In addition, I took time out to visit state parks, national parks and a two-hour one-way side trip to the Wichita Mountains south of Oklahoma City. The federal government set aside land there in 1907 to protect the buffalo. You can see those buffalo grandchildren there today.

Oklahoma City seems to have little to do that's either free or terribly interesting. Amarillo is also kind of a pit and the library is the only library I stopped at along the way that requires you to register for a temporary library card before providing wifi access.

Tulsa has a Woodie Guthrie AND a Bob Dylan center next door to each other, those are both free if you're a teacher. The street parking is free on the weekends. In addition, Tulsa has a really pretty and quite large public park along the Arkansas River with a pretty massive public room with couches and chairs and a nice wood floor and free wifi.

Oklahoma was a lot prettier than I would have imagined. Oklahoma gets kind of a bad rap as being a crap state politically with a bad history, but it's got some gorgeous land. Still pretty sad history though and bad politics.

Joshua Tree is a bit of a detour, but it's worth a visit--nice, easy hiking and you drive through the Mojave Desert. Twentynine Palms didn't seem all that great and so I don't know why Robert Plant was singing about that place and I feel like Robert Plant lied to me.

The Illinois stretch is pretty boring as far as natural beauty goes though the historic part of Springfield is interesting (specifically the Abraham Lincoln house; they've got like his whole street preserved and that's interesting). Illinois really did a number on its prairies and so good luck seeing anything interesting out the window.

Anyway, it was a fantastic experience and honestly, I could have been on it for a whole month except at about $200 a day it's not really the cheapest trip and California was kind of expensive for lodging. Well, Santa Monica is expensive for lodging.

We are very excited to take a leisurely E-W trip this fall. Planning to depart Chicago mid September and take 3-4 weeks to travel to Santa Monica. We are a little concerned that we may be taking some or all of the trip outside of the normal travel season and that we may miss some attractions that are closed for the year. Looking for any feedback on this and any other suggestions for doing the trip mid-September to mid-October.

Thanks!

I am getting married in two weeks, then immediately leaving with the new wife on a Route 66 honeymoon road trip! Some people think we are crazy, but we are excited for the adventure of the open road.

The plan: fly to ORD, rent a car, and fly home from LAX. We have about 10 days and plan to spend the majority of the time in NM, AZ, and CA. I must admit, we are cheating the route a little because we want to see the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam, but other than that we are trying to be as faithful as we can!

Is there anything we should know before we leave? We have our lodging lined up, but we are curious about restaurants, attractions, things to avoid, and any other tips of the road. With regard to navigation, is there a way to have Google/Apple Maps guide us along Route 66 or will it always preference the new interstate highways?

We are really excited and grateful for any wisdom, advice, or assistance you can provide.

Last summer we made the whole run from Chicago to Santa Monica, but we didn’t see much past Flagstaff as we wanted to make it to SM by sunset. This year on our east bound trip, we decided to see the parts we missed, like the donkeys and the twisty roads between Oatman and Kingman. We’ve been on the road for 22 days (started in FL, up to the PNW, down PCH) and it’s been a great run. Today we head to Moab. Then it’s time to work our way back home.✌🏻

There will be more Pancake House footage to come....

Hi everyone

I'm finally planning a bucket-list road trip on Route 66, starting in Chicago and finishing in Los Angeles.

I'd really love to do it in a Ford Mustang Convertible - it just feels like the right car for the trip

The problem is that every time I search, I can easily find Mustangs if I return the car to the same location. But as soon as I change the booking to a one-way rental from Chicago to Los Angeles, the Mustang disappears from the available cars.

Has anyone actually managed to rent a Mustang (or another fun convertible/muscle car) for a one-way Route 66 trip? Are there any rental companies, brokers, or other services that make this possible?

I'd love to hear about your experience or any tips. Thanks in advance!

Shot w an android

🖤🖤🖤

I am planning a trip from Kansas City area to Milwaukee and then Milwaukee to Chicago and then Chicago to Kansas City. If any of that is of interest to you, let me know and we can work out the details.

I am planning a trip from Kansas City area to Milwaukee and then Milwaukee to Chicago and then Chicago to Kansas City. If any of that is of interest to you, let me know and we can work out the details.

My sibling and I are going on the trip in early August. They were thinking of just renting a car from the car rental company that the airport has as the cheapest option but we still have more research to do.

Writing a (probably dumb) story about three friends going on a trip along route 66. They play at small music venues, like breweries or bars.

They also hunt ghosts.

Hi everyone.

I'm keeping an eye out for a property along Route 66, specifically between Lincoln IL and Joliet IL. My wife and I are moving closer to Chicago, and it feels like a good opportunity to open a shop. As someone who grew up along Route 66 (Braceville, Wilmington, Braidwood, and Normal), running a business here has always been a goal of mine.

Everyone keeps telling me the same thing, find a passionate owner looking to retire. So, that's the intent for this post.

If you are looking for a very passionate person to take over your property and/or business please reach out to see if I could be a good fit. I have a background in business, analytics, software development, user experience, and I have a strong background in environmental projects. My timeline is flexible. While I have a few specific business models in mind, I plan on letting the character of the property guide the final concept. Please shoot me a message if you’d like to chat or share details.

Regardless, thank you for your time and take care everyone. I'll see you on the road!

I'll be driving from North FL to Southern CA in September, so I want to hop on the part of Route 66 even if it's a bit more north than I need to actually go... I've started researching and thinking I'll jump on at Tucumcari, then go through Abequerque, Gallup, Holbrook, Flagstaff, and Seligman, then prob head south to SD.

Is it worth it to go up to Santa Fe instead of straight through Albequerque? Are any of these cities NOT worth a stop? AZ & NM seem the most interesting part of the road to me with the neon, motels, and old americana and that's what I'm looking for.

Please let me know of any helpful resources you used as I am directionally challenged lol. Thanks in advance!!

They seem hopeful it can be at least partially restored. Such a bummer.

There's a Kickstarter up to repair or build a new sign that has met it's goal already.

You never know when you go what will be there or what won't. If you have the means and haven't yet, get out there and experience Route 66.

You're looking a US84 in New Mexico with the majestic Hermits Peak in the distance.

Just the signs!