Get your kicks on Route 66
A little bit of history first: Route 66, also known as the Mother Road was one of the first highways established in the US. It runs from Chicago to Los Angeles across 8 states for about 2500 miles. During the Great Depression, tens of thousands of people migrated from the Dust Bowl to the West in search of work. This migration took place along Route 66 and hence gave birth to numerous Motels, Diners and Gas Stations catering to the travelers. However the former President Eisenhower, inspired by Germany’s Autobahn, started building the Interstate highways. Unfortunately the Interstates bypassed most of the small towns and cities linked by Route 66. This has gradually reduced the traffic on Route 66, hence most of the old route has been decommissioned and the settlements have become abandoned ghost towns.
The aim of this road trip was to follow the Mother Road, stay in the Historic Motels, dine at the Classic Diners, witness the Vintage Neon Signs and refuel at the Old Gas Stations as done by the travelers during the mid-20th century.
Freedom of the open road
My mind said a Harley Davidson but my heart said a Classic Indian motorcycle. I followed my heart and rented an Indian Chief Vintage and totally pleased with my decision. I removed the wind shield from the motorcycle to feel the wind in my face but I wouldn’t recommend this unless you are a motor-head. Also, if you want to earn the respect of the Americans then ride an Indian motorcycle. I felt like an overnight celebrity as many locals wanted to take a selfie with me and my machine
I have done this road trip accompanied by an incredible bunch of motorcycle enthusiasts, Yen, Fernanada and Carl, who all have traveled from England to feel the freedom of this open road. We did this route from Chicago and to LA as the landscape gets better and better as you drive towards the West. We tried to stick to the historic route as much as possible but we had to cheat sometimes by taking the Interstate as we were running behind the schedule. We also did a detour to the Monument Valley, Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. The two weeks we spent on the road would turn out to be one of the best road trips I have done so far. I had a feeling of exciting and fear at the same time which I took it as a sign that we are going to do something great.
We did this trip in Sep 2016 and the season runs between May to October. However, you might still get a couple of rainy days as you’ll be travelling across different terrains, so be prepared. You need at-least 2 weeks to do the entire route but 3-4 weeks would be ideal.
Chicago ain’t no sissy town (Illinois)
Chicago, the home of Al Capone and Jazz, is truly a vibrant world class city. Take a river cruise to appreciate the architecture of the city or go to the Sky deck in Willis Tower or the Signature Lounge at 96th to get a bird’s eye view of the city. Chicago is also famous for its food, especially the Deep-Dish pizza. Giordanos and Lou Malnatis are some famed places to try out this local specialty.
The official starting point of Route 66 is on the Adams Street near the Millennium park. If you are looking for a photo opportunity, there are few Route 66 Begin sign posts on this street. For some, Route 66 starts at the iconic Lou Mitchell Restaurant after a big breakfast. They are in operation since 1923 and apparently serve the world’s best coffee. They also server free doughnuts while you are waiting for your table.
Exit Chicago at I-55 and follow the road for other attractions in Illinois. If you are looking for recommended places to eat on the route, then take a look at this is great forum http://forum.historic66.com
Gateway to the West (Missouri)
The Mississippi river forms the natural border between Illinois and Missouri. Exit I-55 to cross the river to enter St. Louis, the capital of Missouri. It’s a beautiful city that welcomes its visitors through the Gateway Arch, which is a representation of the gateway to the West. While you are in St. Louis, don’t forget to get the frozen custard from Ted Drewes.
Cuba was our next pit stop as it hosts the Route 66 attractions like The Wagon Wheel Motel and Missouri Hick Barbeque. As you travel further down following the historic route, you’ll come across another popular motel, Munger Moss in the town called Lebanon. If you are lost at any point in Missouri you can always get back to I-44 and work out your route again.
The Prairies (Kansas & Oklahoma)
As you travel across Kansas and Oklahoma, you’ll notice the Great Plains covered with Prairie grassland opens up. Watch out for the crosswinds if you are riding a motorcycle. There’s a small section of Route 66 that passes through Kansas and quickly leads to Oklahoma. This section of the route gets you close to the countryside with its barns, meadows, farm animals, mailboxes and wavy roads.
Americans love their soda so deeply, that they’ve dedicated a Soda Ranch for their love. Pops in Arcadia near Oklahoma City serves 700 different varieties of soda and its definitely worth a quick visit. While you are in Oklahoma City, don’t forget to stop by Jimmys Egg for a tasty breakfast. There is a popular Route 66 museum in Clinton and by far this is the best museum to understand the history of Route 66.
The Cowboy State (Texas)
Guns, Cowboys, Cattle ranches and BBQ, that’s the image comes to our mind when somebody mentions the name, Texas. You can be forgiven for this stereotype as every proud Texan in this Gun friendly state owns a Cowboy boot. It’s also home to some of the largest cattle ranches in the country and has four different styles of BBQ.
Everything is big in America, for example, The Big Texan Steak Ranch serves a 72oz (~2kg) steak. If you could eat that within an hour including the sides its totally free. If you couldn’t you have to pay $72 for the tasty Texan steak. Amarillo in Texas is a must pit stop for the Route 66 travelers. The Cadillac ranch here is an art installation where the cars are partly buried serves as canvas for the amateur graffiti artists. While you are in Amarillo, you can also visit Palo Duro, the second largest canyon in the country which is about an hour drive from Amarillo.
Its not New and its not Mexico (New Mexico)
New Mexico with its large Hispanic population is probably the best place in the US for authentic Mexican food. It was Green Chile season and hence the food was extra spicy. So, we dropped our ego and kindly requested the waitress to go easy on the chile. Tucumcari in New Mexico is a popular stop for the travelers across the country. The Blue Swallow Motel in this city has been in operation since 1939 and is a popular choice among the Route 66 pilgrims.
My Indian chief has been sailing smoothly so far without any issues but it picked up a nail and produced a flat tyre in Tucumcari. Luckily, Clay Face who runs a quirky garage nearby fixed the tyre and got us back on the road. Things would have been very different if we had a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere, so we considered ourselves very lucky and continued our journey. Also, we’ve booked the motels in advance to avoid disappointment, so we cannot afford to lose a day.
We left Tucumcari and took the scenic route 104 to Santa Fe, the capital of NM. It’s a very beautiful city with Pueblo style Adobe houses. Once you are in Santa Fe, you’ll feel like you are in a different country. We thoroughly enjoyed walking down the streets of this adorable city and admiring its architecture.
Our next point of interest was Gallup, a small town on the Route 66 between Albuquerque and Flagstaff. We stayed in the beautifully decorated El Rancho motel whose clientele made up of Hollywood stars during its glory days.
The Wild Wild West (Arizona)
We took a detour from Route 66 and headed for the Monument Valley and Grand Canyon. As we approached the Monument Valley, the landscape quickly changed from semi-arid to red-sand desert spotted with massive red rocks. You could drive inside the Navajo Tribal park to get a close up view of these red towers. However street motorcycles are not allowed inside the park as they are not suited for off-road driving. So, we decided to hitchhike on a cool convertible. We also visited the Goose Neck State Park which is another natural wonder on the Arizona-Utah border.
Grand Canyon is about 3 hours drive from Monument Valley. The beauty of the canyon carved by the winding Colorado river is hard to describe with words. We explored the busy Southern Rim of the canyon. However, if you need some solitude then try the Northern Rim. We made Flagstaff as our base for the night and visited another small town called Sedona. The drive from Flagstaff to Sedona was very scenic with its Pine forest and steep canyons.
