USA route 66 - 2009

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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:

  • Currency: US Dollar   

  • Internet: Available in some hotels and is public libraries. In the libraries it is often for free.

  • ATM's: On every corner

  • Safety: Except for some neighbourhoods in the big cities it is in general safe.

Prices (per July 2009)

  • Value Money: €1 = USD 1,36

  • Fuel:   2,50 USD per gallon (about € 0,50 per liter)

  • 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.

  • Entrance fees: Most interesting Route 66 sports are for free. National Parks are between 10 and 25 USD per car.

Visa & Border crossing

  • 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.

  • Visa is valid for 90 days.

Highlights or not

  • 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)

  • Buy great Maple Syrup along the way (see waypoints)

  • Stop at the old fuel station just after Springfield. The owner will tell you all about Route 66.

  • Palo Duro NP (USD 10 for 2 persons and a car). Great drive down the canyon.

  • Painted Desert NP (USD 10 for 2 persons and a car) stunning scenery

  • Have a steak in the Big Texan (not cheap but good quality and great atmosphere).

  • Grand Canyon (USD 25 for 2 persons and a car)

  • Las Vegas. Do not miss the Venetian.

  • Red Oak. A small village made by an artist

  • Imax theatre at the entrance of the Grand Canyon shows a great movie (13 USD per person)

  • Get an ice cream at Ted Drewes in St. Louis

  • Do not miss downtown Chicago

 

Tips

Important addresses

 

Links

 

 

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