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Old 05-21-2018, 02:05 PM   #1
Jim & Kay
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Travelin Old Route 66

Just curious if any of you guys have traveled or plan to travel Old Route 66? I have traveled the Old Mother Road from Chicago to California but only towed an RV on portions of that. If so, please share your adventures here.
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Old 05-21-2018, 08:27 PM   #2
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There are portions of it, like near Oatman, where it's hard to drive with just a pickup truck. Best to get one of the guide books that cover what is left of 66.
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Old 05-22-2018, 08:51 AM   #3
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This is on my bucket list. I’ll have to get that guide.
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Old 05-22-2018, 12:50 PM   #4
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Yes, the road to Oatman, AZ would not be recommended for towing but we sure enjoyed the wild burros that were on the street there in 2007. We do have the individual state maps for Route 66 and several of the books dedicated to letting you know the attractions and the parts of the road still available to travel. My husband traveled it back in it's hay day (1953) so there were several attractions he was familiar with and wanted to see again. I think our favorite state is Missouri but enjoyed all of the states we traveled thru. Truly enjoyed Holbrook, AZ particularly Joe & Aggie's family owned restaurant that had been on the Route for 64 years in 2007, being operated at that time by a grandson of Joe & Aggie and the American/Mexican food was delish.
We plan to revisit this old Highway when the DW retires (3 years).
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Old 05-23-2018, 05:25 AM   #5
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We haven't (yet) traveled the entire route, but, Williams, AZ is a fun stop. Purportedly the last town along the "Mother Road" bypassed by I-40 sometime in the 1985. We stayed at the KOA just outside of town. Had a great time walking around downtown. The 50s & 60s rule in Williams.
We were married in 1967 and our honeymoon consisted of driving from New Jersey to Imperial Beach, CA where I was stationed in the Navy. We traveled along the old Route 66 for part of the trip (they were building I-40 at the time). When we visited the Petrified Forest outside of Holbrook, it was along 66. We revisited the Petrified Forest 2 years ago and that section of 66 is gone. They do have a historical marker for photo ops along with the rusted out hulk of a 30 something Packard Touring Sedan.
If you stand and look at the terrain to the west, you can see the old right-of-way. Just overgrown with sage brush now. That old road is a great piece of american history.
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Old 05-23-2018, 01:44 PM   #6
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On our trip in 2007, we were not towing. We went as far as Barstow, CA and started back East on old Route 66. We, also, loved Williams, AZ and we stayed there at the Grand Motel on the Route. We enjoyed strolling around town. We spent a night in the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook and they had some beautiful tables made from petrified wood. The owner said back before it was made a National Park, people carried the petrified wood out by wagon loads. It looked like glass after it was buffed. Enjoyed reading your post.
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Old 05-23-2018, 05:13 PM   #7
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Smile Route 66 roads

There are quite a few sections of the old Route 66 in central Illinois where we live. Seriously, some of it would be difficult to travel with a RV, let alone just drive on at this point in time. The sections are very dis-jointed, and not really much of a way to get somewhere easily, and depending on which sections you want to explore, as some are listed from '26 to '30, some '30 to '40, and then '40 to '77. The newer sections follow along current Interstate 55, while the older '26 to '40 of it is old narrow 16' wide roadway and in bad repair, and there isn't any real incentive to maintain it as it's fallen to the local townships as it's not interstate or even state highway level roadway.

I understand the significance and romance of the original old Route 66. I definitely not downplaying that aspect, but perhaps because I drive on some of these roads, which are now just farm roads or Interstate 55, so it doesn't mean much in my context. Really, the older sections, while in poor repair, lost in the middle of nowhere seem more special, as it represents the real change from dirt roads to concrete highways to improve travel across the US.

A very interesting place to visit is the old Cozy Dog restaurant in Springfield Illinois. The original Waldmire family still owns and operates the restaurant, and in itself is quite a museum. I've been going there since I was a kid, well over 50 years and it really does pay homage to Route 66.

If anyone is interested, I'll be glad to take you, or show you where it is to enjoy the ambiance.
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Old 05-23-2018, 06:38 PM   #8
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66 is closed in CA from Kelbaker Rd. to I-40 for repairs. Lots of old bridges to be fixed.
http://cms.sbcounty.gov/dpw/Operatio...dClosures.aspx
In this area, the road passes by a few of WWII Patton Training Camps, etc., known as the DTC or CAMA. I have more info if anyone's interested.
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Old 05-24-2018, 03:41 PM   #9
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Yes we found the part of 66 in IL pretty difficult since we were towing. We did enjoy Funks Grove and we picked up some delicious maple syrup and they had a good turn around for large rigs. We also enjoyed the Luna Cafe in Mitchell, with all the history of days gone by. The Chain of Rocks bridge is no longer open to traffic except bicycles and foot traffic but a must see for Route 66 buffs.
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Old 08-10-2018, 06:12 PM   #10
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Drove from Indiana to Albuquerque many time in the early to mid 70's, so have been on almost all of 66 from Chicago to ABQ. Now it is very segmented, some areas are buried under I55, I44, and I40, other parts are disconnected pieces paralleling the slabs. We have done parts of it more recently by MC and car, but it is difficult and often rough. I probably would not try to pull our trailer on those remains. Many of the small towns along the route still have remains of the old route through town, those exist from IL west. Tucumcari, Santa Rosa and ABQ NM, and Flagstaff and Williams AZ are a few of those. One other thing, especially in Illinois there are multiple past routes used by 66, so it can get confusing, especially Chicago-Joliet.
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Old 11-10-2018, 05:14 AM   #11
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I did 66 on Harley Williams burg AZ nice to visit some pf the old stuff still there restaurants and bars check the map but w of Williams burg there is an exit off I40 that runs in King man AZ that not to bad to travel goes thru some small towns
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Old 11-10-2018, 03:57 PM   #12
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Quote:
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I did 66 on Harley Williams burg AZ nice to visit some pf the old stuff still there restaurants and bars check the map but w of Williams burg there is an exit off I40 that runs in King man AZ that not to bad to travel goes thru some small towns
Take exit 139 and 66 goes through Seligman, Peach Springs, Hackberry, stop there and a couple other small places before coming into Kingman
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Old 11-10-2018, 05:01 PM   #13
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Kingman to Needles through Cool Springs, Ed's Camp, Gold Road, Oatman, and Topock is always good too.


Edit: If you RV this section, be aware: There's a couple of VERY tight hairpin turns in the mountains between Sitgreaves Pass and Oatman, and it's a two lane road with mountain on one side and drop off on the other.
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Old 11-10-2018, 07:31 PM   #14
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X2^^^^^^^^^
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Old 11-14-2018, 03:27 PM   #15
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We sure enjoy reading all the posts and your experiences on Route 66. Thank you all for sharing.
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Old 11-15-2018, 03:28 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by Jim & Kay View Post
Yes we found the part of 66 in IL pretty difficult since we were towing. We did enjoy Funks Grove and we picked up some delicious maple syrup and they had a good turn around for large rigs. We also enjoyed the Luna Cafe in Mitchell, with all the history of days gone by. The Chain of Rocks bridge is no longer open to traffic except bicycles and foot traffic but a must see for Route 66 buffs.
When I was a kid, we lived in Mitchell, IL. I've been across the Chain of Rocks bridge many, many times back then before they closed it to vehicle traffic. As a kid, it was pretty scary because the grating of the bridge deck was like expanded metal and you see through it. Also, in the middle of the bridge, there was a "kink" or turn......probably 25-30 degrees. It was really scary if you meet a tractor trailer rig at that point. The old fella that lived across the street from us worked midnights for the railroad. His job was to lower the crossing gates when there was a train coming....obviously this was before the automatic gates like we have today. Those railroad tracks are still there and probably less than 1/4 mile from the Luna Cafe. He also had a paper route and I got to go with him several times.....in his Model A. He had a collection of them....about 6 or 7 of them as I remember. Good times....and long, long ago.....early to mid 1960s.
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Old 11-15-2018, 04:36 PM   #17
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My husband went across the Chain of Rock Bridge when it was still open for vehicle traffic but I only walked it a few times. You are right he said the turn in the bridge is 22 degrees and probably was pretty scary meeting a tractor trailer. He said on the Missouri side there was the Chain of Rocks Amusement Park and next to that was the Coral Court Motel better known as the No Tell Motel!
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2008 Toyota Tundra aka "The Hoss" 4X4 Limited DC 5.7 L
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Old 11-15-2018, 06:43 PM   #18
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I vaguely remember going to the Chain of Rocks Amusement park once or twice as a kid, I must have been pretty young when that happened. It seems like the Coral Court was further on into St. Louis as I recall. It was still open until sometime in the early 90's and if I remember correctly it was on St. Charles Rock Road. I remember going past it and thinking...Wow, that hotel has a garage for each room.....weird!
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Old 11-16-2018, 01:52 AM   #19
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One of the two-unit buildings from the original Coral court was carefully dismantled by volunteers for use as part of an automotive exhibit at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis.Constructed in 2000, it includes a 1941 Cadillac and the façade of one original art deco motel cabin building as part of a larger exhibit on automobiles of the era.
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Old 11-16-2018, 07:51 AM   #20
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My wife and I have ridden alot of the "western" parts as in Arizona and California. There is very nice museum in Victorville California with (when we were there) some old orginal residents who talk about how things were back in the day and they have hundreds of photos etc. Very much worth the visit and reasonably priced (museum itself was donations). In fact my wife had seen some Route 66 travel bags (had the route 66 map all over them) that she had wanted to buy in Oatman Az but decided to pass and we saw the same bags in Victorville Museum and purchased two bags for less then they wanted for one? Some day we plan to ride alot more of Route 66. It's one of your treasures there that i hope they look after !.
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