Route 66 trip - May/June ?21

[ride4now_imp]

I’m seriously thinking of taking a Route 66 road trip this year, in May and/or June. I’d start in Chicago and then head west to Santa Monica.
Have any of you done this trip and if so do you have any observations you could share? I keep my bikes in Georgia, so I’d have to ride to Chicago from Atlanta first, and when done I’d ride back to Atlanta from California. I thought about shipping the bike to California, flying out to get it, and riding the route in reverse... but I’m not sure if that’s a smart idea or not. If I ride round trip, I’m thinking the trip would take 30 days, give or take, and would cover somewhere around 5000 miles. If I shipped it, I could save a week but the hassle seems a bit much. If anyone has done this ride, in any fashion, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

[Lord Popgun]

I envy you!! That trip would be so awesome to do. Always wanted to get my kicks on Route 66 but it ain't going to happen.

When you get to Winslow, AZ take a pic of yourself on the corner and see a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford slowing down to take a look at you. Google Winslow, AZ and the images will show the setup they have for that. Ferret missed his chance when he went through there.

Until then, Take it Easy.

 

[Cormanus]

Should I ask, “I’ve gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me”?

Just get on the CB and ride4now.

 

[Lord Popgun]

What happens in Australia stays in Australia

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Sounds wonderful ride4now. That is something in my bucket list. I have only done a portion of Route 66 in AZ and CA. Would consider doing it proper like what you are considering.

 

[the Ferret]

I did that trip in 2014 with my buddy Jnor. We called it the "Bucket List Trip" since it was on his bucket list to ride Rt 66 and it was on mine to stick a toe in the Pacific. We started in St Louis rode 66 to San Luis Obispo Cal, up the coast on PHC to San Fran across to Bonneville Salt Flats, Pikes Peak etc then back home. 5500 miles in 11 days. It was a great trip. Once in a lifetime kinda trip. We both did it the year after we retired. (Sound about right? lol..BTW checkout post #27 on my ride report below)

Here's my report on the trip I originally posted here, but thanks to Photobucket the pics are all gone.

http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3235&highlight=Bucket+List


Pacific Ocean toe dip in Monterey Cal.

Jnor on PCH California

me on way up Pike's Peak

me at Salt Flats

Waypoints :
starting in Cincinnati Ohio
Indianapolis Indiana
St Louis Missouri
Oklahoma City Oklahoma
Amarillo Texas
Albuquerque New Mexico
Kingman Arizona
Barstow California
Bakersfield California
St Luis Obispo California
Santa Cruz California
Sacramento California
Reno Nevada
Salt Lake City Utah
Laramie Wyoming
Colorado Springs Colorado
Kansas City Kansas
St Louis Missouri
Indianapolis Indiana
Cincinnati Ohio

BTW I suppose you know that a lot of old Rt 66 is no longer rideable, but there are sections you can ride. Mostly you ride along beside it on a 4 lane and can look over and see it about 100 yards away. Doesn't make the trip any less meaningful.

Can't imagine what you do for a month other than extend the trip and ride up the coast to Oregon, and hit Crater Lake, then over thru Idaho to Glacier, then south to Yellowstone and the Tetons then east to South Dakota for the Badlands Natl park.

 

[cj599_imp]

I basically live off of 66 let me know when ill ride a few miles down that rough ole road

Central oklahoma

 

[Inhouse Bob]

I don't recommend riding it in reverse. Heck, my bike doesn't even HAVE a reverse! :angel:
Seriously, though, I think it should be done heading west. It's just more natural. And think of all the cool memories you will pick up on the ride to Chicago and home from San Bernadino.
It'll be an epic ride. Color me jealous.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

I don't recommend riding it in reverse. Heck, my bike doesn't even HAVE a reverse! :angel:
Seriously, though, I think it should be done heading west. It's just more natural. And think of all the cool memories you will pick up on the ride to Chicago and home from San Bernadino.
It'll be an epic ride. Color me jealous.

Yeah, (+1).

 

[Cormanus]

And you’ll be able write us a ride report!

Bob! No reverse? You were robbed.

 

[ride4now_imp]

Should I ask, “I’ve gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me”?

Just get on the CB and ride4now.

Unfortunately, I don’t think it’ll be on the CB...

I did that trip in 2014 with my buddy Jnor. We called it the "Bucket List Trip" since it was on his bucket list to ride Rt 66 and it was on mine to stick a toe in the Pacific. We started in St Louis rode 66 to San Luis Obispo Cal, up the coast on PHC to San Fran across to Bonneville Salt Flats, Pikes Peak etc then back home. 5500 miles in 11 days. It was a great trip. Once in a lifetime kinda trip. We both did it the year after we retired. (Sound about right? lol..BTW checkout post #27 on my ride report below)

Here's my report on the trip I originally posted here, but thanks to Photobucket the pics are all gone.

http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3235&highlight=Bucket+List


Pacific Ocean toe dip in Monterey Cal.

Jnor on PCH California

me on way up Pike's Peak

me at Salt Flats

Waypoints :
starting in Cincinnati Ohio
Indianapolis Indiana
St Louis Missouri
Oklahoma City Oklahoma
Amarillo Texas
Albuquerque New Mexico
Kingman Arizona
Barstow California
Bakersfield California
St Luis Obispo California
Santa Cruz California
Sacramento California
Reno Nevada
Salt Lake City Utah
Laramie Wyoming
Colorado Springs Colorado
Kansas City Kansas
St Louis Missouri
Indianapolis Indiana
Cincinnati Ohio

BTW I suppose you know that a lot of old Rt 66 is no longer rideable, but there are sections you can ride. Mostly you ride along beside it on a 4 lane and can look over and see it about 100 yards away. Doesn't make the trip any less meaningful.

Can't imagine what you do for a month other than extend the trip and ride up the coast to Oregon, and hit Crater Lake, then over thru Idaho to Glacier, then south to Yellowstone and the Tetons then east to South Dakota for the Badlands Natl park.

Mickey, I remember that post and went back and looked at it. I even posted a reply stating that (in a few years...) when I retire, I’m going to look to do a similar bucket list ride. Well, those few years have passed and here we are. You did it in 11 days??? And I’m planning 30? Guess I need to rethink my timing. I bought a Route 66 planner and they suggested 21 days to do it. I added the week to cover getting to Chicago and then back from LA. Guess I need to rethink it. The bigger issue is what to ride? It won’t be my CB... too small for my 6ft. frame for that long of a trip. It’ll either be my Harley or perhaps a new one. My Harley has been a good bike and only has 22,000 miles on it, but she’s now 17 years old... so we’ll see. But I’m going to try and make this happen.

 

[the Ferret]

Yea post #27 that I referred to was your post about future plans.

The Harley can do it, it's not a hard trip, but it is a long trip.

 

[Offroad]

I don't recommend riding it in reverse. Heck, my bike doesn't even HAVE a reverse! :angel:
Seriously, though, I think it should be done heading west. It's just more natural. And think of all the cool memories you will pick up on the ride to Chicago and home from San Bernadino.
It'll be an epic ride. Color me jealous.

Lol, I wish my mind was that clever ...just isn't :-(

The almost 6000 mile trip I took in 17 days to Canadian Rockies was 250-450 miles/day.

300 seemed about right...250 a little short.....400 almost too much.... Depends if you're on the interstate or side roads.... miles click away pretty quickly at 80 miles per hour.

Ride 75 stop for a break
Ride 75 stop for lunch
Ride 75 stop for a break
Ride 75 stop for hotel and dinner with beer within walking distance ;-)

It was a good routine....could've kept that up for a month!

I retire in 9 weeks, PCH is on my bucket list!

 

[bflint]

I’m seriously thinking of taking a Route 66 road trip this year, in May and/or June. I’d start in Chicago and then head west to Santa Monica.
Have any of you done this trip and if so do you have any observations you could share? I keep my bikes in Georgia, so I’d have to ride to Chicago from Atlanta first, and when done I’d ride back to Atlanta from California. I thought about shipping the bike to California, flying out to get it, and riding the route in reverse... but I’m not sure if that’s a smart idea or not. If I ride round trip, I’m thinking the trip would take 30 days, give or take, and would cover somewhere around 5000 miles. If I shipped it, I could save a week but the hassle seems a bit much. If anyone has done this ride, in any fashion, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I have ridden most of Route 66 (I-40) both ways from San Diego to Flag Staff to St Louis and back several times. Its basically the quickest way for me to get from west coast to east coast. I have always been fascinated with this route since I re-started riding 5 years ago. Love the motels and bridges and old towns and Blue Whale and etc. Segment thru TX panhandle runs parallel to new highway (just like 50 feet away) and is well maintained. The problem is that the "mother road" has so many segmented sections that are glued together with so many tangents. You have to spend time planning what you want to see because the segments not all posted/signed very well. Best signage for me was in Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, & Arizona ... PS I did not plan anything .. I just spun off the I-40 when I caught site of something. I have always thought that this would be a cool route to do with family/friends in a car because several times I have met groups, from all of over the world) at the 1/2 way point (Midpoint Cafe, Adrian Tx) who took 2-3 weeks driving from Chicago to Santa Monica and spending quality time site seeing and doing family stuff. I think some states embrace the tourist potential of Route 66 and are maintaining thier segments, but not all I think. On my last ride thru OK, In noticed that the truss bridges I previously rode over had been replaced, with one of the old ones stored back off on the side of the road. Maybe we can hook up this summer. Current challenge for 2021 is daughter is due with our 1st grandchild in June so I am under considerable pressure to support this event

 

[emptysea]

I’m seriously thinking of taking a Route 66 road trip this year, in May and/or June. I’d start in Chicago and then head west to Santa Monica.
Have any of you done this trip and if so do you have any observations you could share? I keep my bikes in Georgia, so I’d have to ride to Chicago from Atlanta first, and when done I’d ride back to Atlanta from California. I thought about shipping the bike to California, flying out to get it, and riding the route in reverse... but I’m not sure if that’s a smart idea or not. If I ride round trip, I’m thinking the trip would take 30 days, give or take, and would cover somewhere around 5000 miles. If I shipped it, I could save a week but the hassle seems a bit much. If anyone has done this ride, in any fashion, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I've done part of it in a cage. I've been as far west as Springfield, MO on my CB1100. I'm not an expert, but I do know a fair bit about the Illinois portion. I'd be happy to provide a list of "should sees" and food stops for you if you'd like. I'd also be happy to meet you at the start and ride with you for the first bit, assuming that our schedules line up.

 

[Inhouse Bob]

I’m seriously thinking of taking a Route 66 road trip this year, in May and/or June. I’d start in Chicago and then head west to Santa Monica.
Have any of you done this trip and if so do you have any observations you could share? I keep my bikes in Georgia, so I’d have to ride to Chicago from Atlanta first, and when done I’d ride back to Atlanta from California. I thought about shipping the bike to California, flying out to get it, and riding the route in reverse... but I’m not sure if that’s a smart idea or not. If I ride round trip, I’m thinking the trip would take 30 days, give or take, and would cover somewhere around 5000 miles. If I shipped it, I could save a week but the hassle seems a bit much. If anyone has done this ride, in any fashion, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I've done part of it in a cage. I've been as far west as Springfield, MO on my CB1100. I'm not an expert, but I do know a fair bit about the Illinois portion. I'd be happy to provide a list of "should sees" and food stops for you if you'd like. I'd also be happy to meet you at the start and ride with you for the first bit, assuming that our schedules line up.

I'll vouch for MTC as a good riding partner. He is very patient with unscheduled detours and aimless wanderings.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

I’m seriously thinking of taking a Route 66 road trip this year, in May and/or June. I’d start in Chicago and then head west to Santa Monica.
Have any of you done this trip and if so do you have any observations you could share? I keep my bikes in Georgia, so I’d have to ride to Chicago from Atlanta first, and when done I’d ride back to Atlanta from California. I thought about shipping the bike to California, flying out to get it, and riding the route in reverse... but I’m not sure if that’s a smart idea or not. If I ride round trip, I’m thinking the trip would take 30 days, give or take, and would cover somewhere around 5000 miles. If I shipped it, I could save a week but the hassle seems a bit much. If anyone has done this ride, in any fashion, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I've done part of it in a cage. I've been as far west as Springfield, MO on my CB1100. I'm not an expert, but I do know a fair bit about the Illinois portion. I'd be happy to provide a list of "should sees" and food stops for you if you'd like. I'd also be happy to meet you at the start and ride with you for the first bit, assuming that our schedules line up.

I'll vouch for MTC as a good riding partner. He is very patient with unscheduled detours and aimless wanderings.

Assuming that is an endorsement, then that makes for satisfying road trips. Sounds wonderful.