2023-05-31 07:00:00
The route is world-famous as the “Mother Road” or the “Main Street of America”. It is approximately 3900 kilometers long and runs from Chicago to Los Angeles or vice versa and crosses 3 time zones in 8 states in the USA. Route 66 is not just a road. It is a way of life and a cult. The road builders of the Old West planned and built US Highway 66 as early as 1926. In 1938 it was finally completely paved. At some point in between, the mass exodus to the golden west had begun, as thousands of cars and families with all their belongings, bumper to bumper, tried their luck there. Many of them have returned frustrated or have settled elsewhere. Our journey through this sad-romantic story leads through seemingly endless landscapes through the most diverse areas of the USA. We visit historic hotels, motels, gas stations, classic diners and restaurants. Car wrecks can be seen everywhere on the left and right of the road. Some of the classic routes and historical sights have been lovingly restored and left in their original 1950s condition. Today, sections of the route are interstates in order to cover large distances more quickly. Wherever possible, we stick to the original Route 66 route. That makes the difference.
Come with us on a historic journey through the USA and “get your own kicks on Route 66”!
Estimated course of the tour:
Day 01: Fly to Chicago (IL)
The tour begins with your flight from your departure city (connection flights possible) to Chicago. Your guide will meet you at the airport and organize your transfer to your well-located mid-range Chicago area hotel. Afterwards, over a cozy welcome drink, he informs the group regarding the schedule for the next day. The rest of the evening is at your leisure.
Overnight stay in the Chicago/St. Charles/Rosemont.
Tag 02: Chicago (IL)
In order to get the best impressions of the “Windy City”, as Chicago is also called, you have the option of taking part in a guided city tour in the morning. See the city on a guided double-decker bus tour, snap pictures at the Route 66 start sign, and visit the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower for amazing views of the city. The evening is at your leisure.
Overnight stay in Chicago.
Tag 03: Chicago – Bloomington (IL)
Your personal Route 66 tour experience begins now. First thing in the morning, your luggage will be loaded into the escort vehicle. We then organize the transfer to the rental station and take over our motorcycles. After leaving the city, we will already see the first few parts of the old Route 66, which can be found here and there next to the new route. We cruise along the Pontiac Trail through the coal mining districts of Illinois. The attractions on today’s route are so numerous that we have to limit ourselves to selected highlights, such as the Launchpad Drive Inn in Wilmington or the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame & Museum in, Pontiac, IL where we got one of the most beautiful photos of the Tour will shoot. Of course, we will get to know other well-known sights along the road. Overnight in Bloomington, IL.
Tour length approx. 225 km
Tag 04: Bloomington – St. Louis (IL/MO)
Today, too, there are numerous sights along Route 66 on the program. Key stops include the well-known Dixie Truck Stop and Abraham Lincon’s Tomb, the famous Auburn Brick road and in Litchfield, the Ariston Café. Passing the historic “Chain of the Rocks” bridge, we continue to St. Louis on the Mississippi River. The landmark of the city is the Gateway Arch, from which you can get a good overview. The elevator ride (optional) up the arch and the Lewis & Clark Museum are well worth a visit. A steamboat ride (optional) across the Mississippi is also recommended.
Tonight is in St. Louis.
Tour length approx. 300 km
Tag 05: St. Louis – Springfield (MO)
Today’s route leads to the so-called “The Middle of Everywhere” in Springfield, MO. Via Rolla we drive along the northern Ozark mountains. None of these mountains are particularly high, but you get a breathtaking view of the steep slopes. These are densely overgrown with oaks, elms, hickories and the beautiful Royal Redbud trees which offer a very special autumn atmosphere. Along the way we visit sleepy but well-known places like Devils Elbow, Lebanon and Conway in deepest Missouri. Here you have the opportunity to visit the very interesting stalactite caves of the Fantastic Caverns with the so-called jeep train.
Overnight in Springfield, MO.
Tour length approx. 350 km
Tag 06: Springfield – Kansas – Tulsa (MO/KS/OK)
First we visit the Gay Parita Sinclair Station, one of the famous Route 66 gas stations. Then we drive through Carthage with its very beautiful courthouse, as well as through the mining town of Webb City, before we drive through the sunflower state of Kansas, which has the shortest route of the 66 at just 20 km. The March Rainbow Arch Bridge is one of the attractions in Kansas. Arriving in Oklahoma we visit the old town of Miami and see the famous “Coleman Theater”. US star Will Rogers (1879-1935) has performed here regularly and is considered one of the fathers of Route 66 in Oklahoma. Other highlights today include Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park and the Blue Whale of Catoosa.
Tonight is in Tulsa.
Tour length approx. 340 km
Tag 07: Tulsa – Oklahoma City (OK)
Today we have a short leg through former Indian country, but this stretch is enormously impressive and very characteristic of Route 66. We explore this rural state with its cattle ranches, western hat shops, custom cowboy boot shops, stables and auction halls. Today’s highlights are Rock Cafe Stroud, Arcadia Round Barn, Arcadia and Pops on 66. In Oklahoma City we made time to visit the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, which is a “must see” for anyone who Traveling Route 66 is.
Overnight in Oklahoma City.
Tour length approx. 200 km
Tag 08: Oklahoma City – Yellow (OK/TX)
Oklahoma is rightly called “America’s Heartland” and for all Route 66 travelers it is definitely worth taking a few extra impressions with you. After leaving Oklahoma City, we pass Clinton – the “heart and soul” of Route 66, where one of the most beautiful Route 66 museums awaits us. In Texola we cross the border to Texas. The U-Drop Inn, one of the old original Route 66 motels in the oil town of Shamrock, the Devils Rope Museum in McLean, the Leaning Water Tower and the 58 m tallest cross in the western hemisphere in Groom are some of the many highlights of today’s stage before we reach Amarillo. The hungriest among you can sample a famous Route 66 specialty here: a “Texas-style” steak such as the 4 1/2 pound T-bone at the Big Texan Steakhouse. Of course you will also find food for the normal appetite in the menu.
Overnight in Amarillo.
Tour length approx. 430 km
Tag 09: Yellow – Santa Fe (TX/NM)
Our first destination today is the Harley-Davidson dealer and then stop at the famous Cadillac Ranch. This monument, meant to remind us of the glory days of Route 66 and the freedom that the automobile brought us, is represented by ten Cadillacs anchored to the ground. The angle at which the vehicles are buried is said to correspond to the angle of inclination of the Pyramids of Giza. Here we are exactly halfway on our tour: at Adrian Texas Midpoint Route 66 we are 1139 miles from Chicago and 1139 miles from Los Angeles. Passing endless cattle farms, we reach the border to the state of New Mexico near Glenrio in the morning, where we gain an hour. From Tucumcari and Santa Rosa we continue through the High Plains of Comanche country via the pre-1937 alignment of Route 66 to Santa Fe, where we will also stay overnight.
Tour length approx. 450 km
Tag 10: Santa Fe – Madrid – Albuquerque – Gallup (NM)
Today we drive through New Mexico, also known as the Land of Enchantment. The dominant colors of the beautiful landscapes along the way are violet and blood red. In the morning we make our way to Madrid, the small town that was made famous by the film “Wild Hogs / Born tob e Wild” with John Travolta and Tim Allen. We will arrive in Albuquerque’s historic Plaza in time for lunch. Among other things, Albuquerque is famous for the annual balloon festival in October. We then cross the famous Rio Grande. Over long roads we reach the final destination of today’s stage, the old railroad and Indian town of Gallup in New Mexico.
Overnight in Gallup.
Tour length approx. 350 km
Tag 11: Gallup – Petrified Forest NP – Winslow – Williams (NM/AZ)
The New Mexico-Arizona border is soon reached and a little later we reach the entrance to the beautiful Petrified Forest National Park with many very interesting photo stops. Not far from the park’s southern exit is Holbrook, home to the famous Wigwam Motel. Afterwards we stop at the old “Jackrabbit Trading Post”, then we visit Winslow, which was already sung regarding by the Eagles with their hit song “Take it Easy”. Passing Twin Arrows and Flagstaff, we now reach the end point of today’s stage, the town of Williams. A lot of the old west flair with the historic houses and the old entertainment district right on Route 66 is still left here.
The next two nights are in Williams.
Tour length approx. 410 km
Tag 12: Williams – Grand Canyon – Williams (AZ)
Today it’s either putting your feet up and having a good time in Williams or enjoying the Grand Canyon. In the morning you have the option to take a helicopter tour over the stunning Grand Canyon before we depart Williams for this unofficial wonder of the world. Here you are spoiled for choice, either the longer tour over the south rim of the Grand Canyon, Cameron, Flagstaff and back to Williams or following a short visit to the national park back to Route 66.
Overnight in Williams.
Tour length: approx. 210 – 365 km
Tag 13: Williams – Seligman – Oatman – Laughlin (AZ/NV)
Early in the morning we leave Williams on Route 66 to take the interstate to Crookton Road and thus a newly restored section of Route 66. In the small town of Seligman we visit the barber shop of Angel Delgadillo, probably the most famous hairdresser in the world. Angel is also one of the co-founders of the Historic Route 66 Association and is considered the father of historic Route 66. We then drive through the Hualapai Indian Reservation and then visit the General Store in Hackberry with its vintage cars. We spend our lunch break in Kingman, where we can also visit the interesting Route 66 Museum. Via Cool Springs and the Sitegreave Pass we reach the small western town of Oatman, which is a preferred stage destination for many motorcyclists, along a winding route. Apart from the tourist traffic, it seems as if time has stood still here in the wild west. The wild donkeys there, as well as the real cowboys, look forward to your visit. In the followingnoon we reach the Colorado River and the gambling town of Laughlin, Nevada, where we will spend the night.
Tour length approx. 310 km
Tag 14: Laughlin – Amboy – Bagdad – Barstow (CA)
In the morning we drive once more through the Mojave Desert and back on the old Route 66. Via Goffs we reach the famous Roy’s Café in Amboy, where a stop is an absolute must. Many of the small towns here on Route 66 are gone these days. We then drive via Ludlow and en route visit the Bagdad Cafe, the location of the cult film “Out of Rosenheim”. Our destination today is Barstow. Overnight stay in Barstow.
Tour length approx. 295 km
Tag 15: Barstow – San Gabriel Berge – Los Angeles (CA)
Finally, one of the most beautiful motorcycle routes on the tour awaits us today. The road takes us along the famous Angels Crest Highway through the San Gabriel Mountains. This route has more than 80 km almost exclusively curves and winds over mountains and through canyons. We take our lunch break at Newcombs Ranch, the region’s well-known biker hangout. Topanga Canyon is another highlight on our route before we reach the famous coastal road, Highway 1. We’ll pass Santa Monica, where Route 66 will end (or begin in the other direction) before reaching the final destination of our trip in Los Angeles. We drop off our machines at our local Eagle Rider rental station and organize the transfer to your hotel from there.
Overnight in Los Angeles/LAX.
Tour length approx. 335 km
Tag 16: Los Angeles
Today is at your free disposal. In the morning you have the opportunity to take part in a guided city tour (optional) with a local guide (advance booking required). You will then be picked up from the hotel in a 12-person van and the city tour will begin. From Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, via Hollywood and back to the hotel.
Overnight in Los Angeles.
Day 17: Return flight
Today it’s time to say goodbye. During the day you will be transferred to LAX Airport in Los Angeles for your return flight home. (Transfer connection possible).
Day 18: Arrival in Europe
Arrive at your departure point. end of the journey.
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