USA route 66 - 2009
Route
- Days: 16 days
- Period: 4th of July - 19th of July 2009
- Weather: Moderate in Chicago and Los Angeles to very hot in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
General information:
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Currency: US Dollar
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Internet: Available in some hotels and is public libraries. In the libraries it is often for free.
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ATM's: On every corner
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Safety: Except for some neighbourhoods in the big cities it is in general safe.
Prices (per July 2009)
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Value Money: €1 = USD 1,36
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Fuel: 2,50 USD per gallon (about € 0,50 per liter)
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Accomodation: In most places it varies from 35 USD t0 50 USD per night. In Chicago and the Big Texan the price was 60 USD per night per room and in Bevery Hills 100 USD per night per room.
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Entrance fees: Most interesting Route 66 sports are for free. National Parks are between 10 and 25 USD per car.
Visa & Border crossing
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Visa Waiver needed for most countries. Can easily be obtained by an application on the internet (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html) . Application is free of charge.
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Visa is valid for 90 days.
Highlights or not
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The best thing about the whole trip was finding the old atmosphere. We liked sleeping in the old Route 66 motels and eating in the old diners. (See waypoints)
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Buy great Maple Syrup along the way (see waypoints)
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Stop at the old fuel station just after Springfield. The owner will tell you all about Route 66.
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Palo Duro NP (USD 10 for 2 persons and a car). Great drive down the canyon.
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Painted Desert NP (USD 10 for 2 persons and a car) stunning scenery
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Have a steak in the Big Texan (not cheap but good quality and great atmosphere).
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Grand Canyon (USD 25 for 2 persons and a car)
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Las Vegas. Do not miss the Venetian.
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Red Oak. A small village made by an artist
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Imax theatre at the entrance of the Grand Canyon shows a great movie (13 USD per person)
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Get an ice cream at Ted Drewes in St. Louis
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Do not miss downtown Chicago
Tips
Important addresses
Links
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https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html = visa application
Holidays
New year | 1 January |
Martin Luther King Day | 3rd monday in January |
Memorial day | last monday in May |
Independence day | 4 July |
Labour day | 1st monday in September |
Columbus day | 2nd monday in October |
Veterans' day | 11 November |
Thanksgiving day | 4th thursday in November |
Christmas | 25 December |
GPS-waypoints
Grid: Lat/Lon hddd°mm.mmm"
Holbrook | N34°54,1796' | W110°10,2837' | Star Inn | Cheap basic hotel. Not very clean |
Flagstaff | N35°11,9085' | W111°39,0581' | Rodeway Inn | Good small hotel very close to the center. Reasonable price |
Williams | N35°15,0400' | W112°11,2633' | Grand Canyon Hotel | Nice hotel in an old historic building. Free internet. |
Flagstaff | N35°12,8471' | W111°35,9582' | Museum club | Great western style bar |
Kingman | N35°11,3684' | W114°03,4694' | D'z Diner | Old Route 66 diner. Try the hamburgers |
Grand Canyon | N36°00,0080' | W112°07,2966' | South Rim | South Rim of the Grand Canyon |
Ash Fork | N35°13,7933' | W112°35,6200' | Junction to Old Route 66 | |
Winslow | N35°01,9815' | W111°01,2977' | Meteor Crater | |
Oatman | N35°01,5650' | W114°23,0017' | Oatman. Old country town famous for its wild donkeys | |
Petrified Forest | N35°03,6329' | W109°46,8389' | Petrified Forest | |
Seligman | N35°19,5858' | W112°52,4170' | Seligman | |
Holbrook | N34°54,1583' | W110°10,1283' | Wigwam motel. Nice place but it is always fully booked. So make reservations in time. | |
Los Angeles | N34°04,8274' | W118°23,3872' | Beverly Terrace | Great Hotel in Beverly Hills. Reasonable price for this great location. Free internet and pool. Breakfast included. |
Los Angeles | N34°00,6867' | W118°29,8142' | Car park Santa Monica pier | |
Los Angeles | N34°04,2605' | W118°24,2913' | Rodeo Drive | |
Los Angeles | N34°06,9768' | W118°20,5628' | Viewpoint of LA and the Hollywood sign | |
Joliet | N41°32,2278' | W088°05,1029' | Route 66 sign in Joliet | |
Sugar Creek | N39°38,4174' | W089°39,6638' | Old covered wooden bridge | |
Chicago | N41°48,9798' | W087°50,2439' | Rodeway Inn | A good spot to sleep in Chicago. Reasonable price and within walking distance from the train station for the train to the city center. Free parking and breakfast included. |
Joliet | N41°31,6907' | W088°05,0004' | Historic museum | |
Atlanta | N40°15,6416' | W089°13,8937' | Palms Grill | Nice small diner on route 66. Great homemade pies. |
Mc Lean | N40°21,4043' | W089°07,0700' | Old farm where they make traditional maple syrup | |
Lebanon | N37°40,3889' | W092°39,2344' | Bell Restaurant | Old diner on Route 66. Go here for the real feeling. The diner has hardly changed over the years. |
Carthage | N37°10,4183' | W094°22,1367' | Drive Inn Cinema | |
Springfield | N37°14,3746' | W093°15,3788' | Rest Haven Court | Great old Route 66 hotel |
St. Louis | N38°33,1443' | W090°24,3723' | Days Inn | Big family hotel. Swimming pool and breakfast included. |
St. Louis | N38°35,3650' | W090°18,4567' | Ted Drewes | Old Route 66 Ice cream shop. Do not miss this place. |
Rosati | N38°02,2295' | W091°28,1499' | Fanning Outpost | Route 66 souvernirs |
Springfield | N37°12,5517' | W093°17,2662' | Mosque. Beautiful building. | |
Halltown | N37°11,6500' | W093°40,7750' | Nice old gas station | |
St. Louis | N38°37,7844' | W090°11,0871' | Parking near arch and the Landing (restaurant area) | |
Carthage | N37°12,7649' | W094°16,6391' | Red Oak | Artist village. This place is a hidden gem. Do not miss it. |
Cuba | N38°03,8650' | W091°23,6150' | Wagon wheel motel | Old Route 66 motel and old sign |
Malpais NP | N34°52,3671' | W107°53,3903' | Natural Arch | |
Tucumcari | N35°10,2853' | W103°42,3880' | Route 66 motel | Nice clean place. Good price |
Albuquerque | N35°04,7807' | W106°36,1599' | University Lodge | Good price. Pool. |
Albuquerque | N35°04,9142' | W106°37,8553' | Diner 66 | Fully restored Route 66 diner. Great breakfast here. |
Thoreau | N35°25,4233' | W108°18,7067' | Continental divide. From here the water flows to the Eastern of Western past of the USA | |
Tucumcari | N35°10,4389' | W103°43,5557' | Public Library. First half hour internet for free | |
Albuquerque | N35°01,6193' | W106°40,8408' | Jucntion for the Old route 66 loop to Las Lunas | |
Santa Fee | N35°41,1746' | W105°56,3637' | Parking Santa Fee. In the center. | |
Santa Fee | N35°41,0621' | W105°56,7609' | Tomasitas | Very good restaurant with traditional Mexican food. |
Las Vegas | N36°07,0917' | W115°10,3500' | Imperial Palace | Good hotel for reasonable price. Located in the center of the Strip close to all the famous places. |
Las Vegas | N36°00,8284' | W114°44,0800' | Hoover Dam | |
Arcadia | N35°39,7449' | W097°19,5625' | Red Barn | |
Tulsa | N36°08,8519' | W095°55,1111' | Desert Hills Motel | Old route 66 Motel. Cheap and a good place to stay. |
Foyil | N36°26,2288' | W095°26,9203' | Nicely decorated totem pole. | |
Catoosa | N36°11,6056' | W095°43,9630' | Blue whale | |
Amarillo | N35°11,6038' | W101°45,2620' | Big Texan | Best steakhouse in the USA. Next to the restaurant is also a good hotel with pool. |
Amarillo | N35°11,3433' | W101°59,2383' | Cadillac Ranch | |
Adrian | N35°16,2235' | W102°40,3941' | Midpoint Cafe | Here you are halfway route 66. Sign the guestbook and have some food in the restaurant. Do not miss the home made pie with ice cream. |
Palo Duro NP | N34°59,0341' | W101°42,0940' | Palu Duro Canyon. Great NP where you can enter the canyon by car. You can also camp inside the canyon. | |
Los Angeles | N33°57,1633' | W118°23,9100' | LAX Airport | |
Los Angeles | N34°00,9027' | W118°29,1808' | Junction Lincoln with Olympic. Around here should be the official end of Route 66 |