Start of the Trail!
Chicago, IL.
Route 66
Epic Ride 2024
There are few roads as iconic as Route 66. 2500 miles of road, countryside, historic towns, gas stations and giant muffler men. It's the ultimate American road trip.
The Ride
Route 66
Designed to connect the bustling streets of Chicago to the sunny shores of Santa Monica, this "Main Street of America" quickly became the ultimate symbol of freedom and westward migration, especially during the Dust Bowl. It wasn't even fully paved until 1938, meaning early motorists were truly signing up for a bumpy, adventurous ride into the American dream!
The Route
The Mother Road
When you live near the end of the trail, you have no choice but to ride to the start, and then ride the trail properly, returning home. We decided to bee-line it across the upper midwest and get to Chicago in four days. We took a day to visit the Harley Davidson Museum in Wisconsin, and then we started our trek on the Mother Road back to California.
Photo Story
End of the Trail!
Santa Monica, CA.
The Story
Day 1
The first day of our mad dash to Chicago. We headed north, through Reno and onto Elko, NV. Where is Elko, NV. you say? Nowhere. That's where.
Day 2
The only place apparently worse that Elko is Rawlings, WY. We didn't even take any pictures. We did stop at the Bonneville Salt Flats as we passed through Utah though so that was the highlight of the day. Other than that, it was just a lot of miles.
Day 3
Lots of wind through the upper midwest made the ride pretty draining. We finally got to Lincoln, NE though and we were surprised at what a nice little city it is. Stayed at a cool retro style hotel, had a good dinner, and even though we were too tired to go explore, Nebraska impressed me.
Day 4
On this day we visited the Worlds Largest Truck stop. And that is in no way an exaggeration. We barreled on to Chicago and finally we got to rest. Tomorrow we'll be off the bikes.
Day 5
We finally got to leave the bikes parked after 2500 miles and enjoy exploring the great city of Chicago. We checked out Soldier Field, found the start of the Route 66 sign, check out The Bean, saw the bridge where Dave Matthews bus literally shit all over a boatful of tourists, visited Wrigley Field, and then had some killer deep dish pizza. It was a full day, but an amazing day in Chicago!
Day 6
Today we got back on the bikes and rode north to Milwaukee, WI. We visited the Cheese Castle on the way which was pretty amazing if you like cheese. We spent most of the day at the Harley Davidson Museum and then roaming around downtown Wisconsin. Not a bad way to spend a day.
Day 7
Today starts the actual Route 66 part of the ride. We took off and headed south toward St. Louis. We tried to stay on the old road as much as we could. Not a lot of it exists anymore but what does is a treasure trove of old bridges, gas stations, and abandoned diners. My favorite part of the old road is the giant muffler men. These are huge fiberglass statues that gas stations and repair shops would use for advertising. Many still stand today. Along the way we had to check out some traditional sights such as Abraham Lincoln's birth place, and the St. Louis Arch. It was a great day of riding with much less time on the bike and more sightseeing.
Day 8
Today we travelled to Joplin, MO. On the way we saw the St. Louis Arch. We didn't get to go in it though. Then we checked out the Clydsedale's at Grants Farm which was built by General Grant and has housed members of the Busch beer family. Along our travels we also saw the Worlds Biggest Rocking Chair and the Uranus Fudge Factory. Don't ask. We finished off the day with a visit to the legendary Buc-ee's, which all I can say, is an experience.
Day 9
Not a lot to see today but countryside. Flat midwestern countryside. We saw the usual ancient gas stations, the Worlds Largest Totem Pole, a giant blue whale on a lake that you can walk through, and a giant golden statue of an oil driller. Interesting.
Day 10
Today we got to see an aerospace museum and that was the highlight of the day. Pretty cool planes, space modules, etc, all up close. I mean, we also saw the barbed wire museum, but I didn't think it was as impressive. We ended up in Amarillo, TX. where we stayed at the Big Texan. Nobody had the guts to try the 72oz steak challenge, but also, none of us died of heart failure. It was a good day.
Day 11
Today was all about the desert baby. We rode out to Cadillac Ranch and then we hit the road to New Mexico. We hit the midway point of Route 66 along the way, along with a bunch of gas stations.
Day 12
Trudging across the desert isn't the greatest, but it is peaceful. We visited a beautiful petrified forest wilderness area, and of course you can't do Route 66 without the Wigwam Motel, and Winslow, AZ where that crappy song was written. We ended the day in Kingman, AZ.
Day 13
The final day of Route 66! We mounted our trusty steeds and ventures across Southern California, landing in beautiful Santa Monica, CA! The end of the line! We walked along the beach, enjoyed the ocean and sunshine and even got certificates for completing our trek. Because we're special. The next day we relaxed and enjoyed So-Cal.
Day 15
We slogged up the 99 back to Fresno. Nothing to write home about. But it was a great trip overall! One for the books!
