Let me say one thing first… The trip was definitely an experience of a lifetime, and I recommend it to anyone interested in seeing American history at its finest; I also would not do it again.
Before I reflect on the trip, let me start with some quick random thoughts:
- 123 degrees in the desert is hot, even if it is a “dry heat”
- I was surprised (and disappointed) that we did not see more people driving the Mother Road
- We met extremely friendly people everywhere
- No scheduling, car or other problems of any type
- To satisfy my “touchy / feely” friends, it was somewhat disheartening to see progress (Interstate Highways) literally destroy lives and entire towns
While we did the trip alone, I can see how it would be even more interesting with others. Just the thought (and site) of multiple cars (Corvettes in our case) cruising through the towns and down The Mother Road would be awesome.
Our total time from Chicago to Santa Monica was 17 days, and this was just about right for us. I can see two things that might reduce this time by maybe 2-3 days, but no more than that. We specifically wanted to stay in many of the historic motels (Wagon Wheel, Blue Swallow, Wigwams, etc), so this shortened our travel distance on many days. Had we just driven until we wanted to stop and then found a hotel, our total time could have been reduced. In addition, when speed limits on Route 66 were 55 MPH, or even 65 MPH, I usually found myself driving no more than 40-45 MPH. This was so that we could enjoy the scenery and easily make a quick stop if we wanted to see something or just take a picture. By adjusting both of these variables, you could probably save the 2-3 days I mentioned above.
When planning our route, I tried in most instances to take the earliest alignment to experience the history. Sometimes this wasn’t possible with the Vette because of the road conditions, but I did find myself driving on roads that I never thought I would with my car. The “Sidewalk Highway” south of Miami, OK and “Dirt 66” in Arizona quickly come to mind. I was very meticulous (some would say anal) when it came to planning our route. I used Jerry McClanahan’s Here It Is! Route 66 Map Series for the turn-by-turn instructions, and actually created about 30 different itinerary files for my TomTom GPS. The problem with this was that at many times my GPS either did not know the road existed, or thought it might be one way. Using Jerry’s Route 66: EZ Guide for Travelers as the checks and balances, my wife was able to help keep us on track. I can see how just winging it might work as well, but that’s just not me.
My biggest surprise was the total or near total abandonment of towns and buildings within towns. I understand why, just surprised that it appears people just “up and left”; buildings (diners, gas stations, etc.) just left to rot. Who owns these now? Maybe there’s an investment opportunity.
By all means stop at the various places and meet and talk to the locals. Their business depends on Route 66, they are experts, and want to talk. Gary Turner at the Gay Parita Sinclair Station west of Halltown, MO immediately some to mind. He’ll spend all day talking to you, and you will learn all the good places to stop and the people to talk to.
My biggest regret is we did not get to see or meet Angel Delgadillo while we were in Seligman, AZ. Many people credit him for starting the resurgence of interest in Route 66. It’s obvious why; once the interstate by-passed Seligman, there was no business. He saw what was happening to his community and wanted to fix it. Without Angel, Route 66 may just be another American icon in the history books, and not something you can experience today.
In summary, as the song says, “If you ever plan to motor west… Get your kicks on Route 66”. You get to see some great parts of our country, meet new people, and experience the past, and see progress (or stifled growth, depending on your perspective). I’m glad we did it, and the memories will last forever (or at least as long as our memories last).
Be sure to let me know if you have any questions, or want some help with your trip.
