Oh, the History…

Illinois – Missouri – Kansas – Oklahoma – Texas – New Mexico – Arizona – Nevada – California.

A tour on the Mother Road (Route 66) is at the top of most bikers’ to do list.

The old road from Chicago to Los Angeles, which was built in the interwar period 1920-30, was the first piece of coherent asphalt America had.

After the war in 1945, the road segment became a legacy, and the traffic too intense to handle the pressure.

Experience the atmosphere on Route 66 – about 4.200 km, which takes you through nine states and three time zones and provides a myriad of nostalgic experiences.

The route largely follows the original 66, but as highways have cut through the landscape, there are only a few small areas of the original route left. Here, in turn, every effort is made to preserve the original appearance, and many of these side trips are pure nostalgia.

Whenever possible, we stay in small, manageable cities – here you come close to the local people and get a good impression of the daily life of an ordinary American town.

The tour begins with sightseeing in the city of Chicago, and ends in the giant city of Los Angeles.

During the Great Depression the Americans drove Route 66 in the direction of the “promised land” California, where they figured it would be easier to get work. So to get in the right historical atmosphere, we drive in the same direction.

It would not been a comfortable journey to make back in the 1930s in an old Model Ford T.

… on a motorcycle it is definitely more fun!

 

Travel Dates

2022 3 -17 July

 

Prices per person in shared double room

Type	Price per person £ (GBP)
Rider	3.995
Passenger	2.500
Car (convertible)	3.250
Single room sup.	995

 

The Rides

You can choose from several different Harley Davidson models and selected Indian models.

Requests for specific motorcycle types are granted if possible. Always state first and second priority.

The rental company cannot 100 percent guarantee that the requested motorcycle type is available upon arrival.

 

The Day to Day Tour Program

Day 1: Arrival Chicago, Illinois

Your guide will meet you upon arrival at Ohare airport Chicago.

Day 2: Chicago, Illinois

We are going sightseeing in Chicago “The Windy City”. This refers both to the often strong winds from Lake Michigan, as well as the city’s noisy politicians. We will among other things see the Navy Pier that stretches more than 1,000 meters out into Lake Michigan and the Willis Tower which is an impressive 527 meters high.

Day 3: Chicago, Illinois – Springfield, Illinois, approx. 365 km

We start the day by picking up our motorcycles at the rental shop. Then we ride through the huge urban area of Chicago. We will make stops on the route and one stop will be springfield on Route 66 this being the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, Springfield is the capital of Illinois, this is where we stay overnight. Amongst other things, we will drive by the Route 66 coffee spot, the Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, and the Sinclair gas station in Odell.

Day 4: Springfield,Illinois – St. Roberts, Missouri, approx. 365 km

We continue through Illinois and reach the city of St. Louis. We have to see the famous bridge Chains of Rocks Bridge, which in the old days led traffic over the Mississippi River. The bridge was rusting away but has now been refurbished and is again open to pedestrians. Then we take time to see St. Louis’s landmark – the 225 meter high “Arch” a giant steel arch, a tribute to American freedom. You can take the elevator to the top, where there are spectacular views over the river and city. There is also the great settlers museum.

We finish the day by driving to the “Devil’s Elbow”, a beautiful nature area where the Mississippi River fluctuates. The bend caused major problems for contemporary loggers, as timber often accumulated in the bend and created a “timber-plug” which had to be removed with the aid of dynamite.

Day 5: St. Roberts, Missouri – Strout, Oklahoma, approx. 507 km

We go on one of the shortest pieces of Route 66. We stop at the Old Riverton in the town of Riverton. The store is now home to the Kansas Route 66 Association.

The tour continues into the state of Oklahoma, where we almost exclusively run on the old Route 66. We visit “The Round Barn” in Arcadia before continuing to the town Strout, where we stay overnight.

Day 6: Strout, Oklahoma – Amarillo, Texas approx. 505 km

We ride through Oklahoma City, and out on the prairie to Clinton. In Clinton is perhaps the best kept secret on Route 66; the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum.

The museum tells the best and probably the most comprehensive Route 66 history of the many museums found on this route. You can suitably end the day at The Big Texan Steak Ranch, most famous for its 72 oz. steak, which is free if you can eat it in under an hour. Joey Chestnut, USA whom consumed the entire meal in 8 minutes and 52 seconds, holds the world record.

Day 7: Amarillo, Texas – Santa Fe, New Mexico approx. 450 km

The day starts with a visit by the 10 half buried American cars at “The Cadillac Ranch”. The cars are Cadillac’s from 49-64 and the artwork was originally made by a group of artists from San Francisco.

We continue beyond the prairie and make stops in several small towns along the way. One of the towns is Adrian, where we take a detour and visit “The Midpoint Cafe” which allegedly is halfway point between Chicago and Los Angeles on the great route 66.

Back on the bikes and we arrive in New Mexico and Tucumcari. The city is known for its many motels. We drive from Tucumcari, via Montoya, Newkirk and Cuervo. After the city of Santa Rosa, we follow the original Route 66 into the mountains and then into the city of Santa Fe, where we will spend the next 2 nights.

Day 8: Santa Fe, 0 km

Resting up in the Mexican and Spanish inspired town of Santa Fe, which is the capital of the state of New Mexico.

The city is incredibly beautiful and well preserved, and is also highly influenced by the Indians who live in this area. It may be possible for a ride up into the mountains around Los Alamos. City names in the area show the influence of the Spanish/Mexican/Native American past. You will have many exciting stops on this day trip.

Day 9: Santa Fe, New Mexico – Holbrook, Arizona approx. 470 km

We continue in the state of Arizona, which will feature some of the greatest experiences on the trip. We ride into the desert known as the Painted Desert, due to its rich colors, and then continue further into the national park Petrified Forest, a fossilized forest, which dates back more than 225 million years. There are fossilized tree trunks scattered everywhere. [/acc_item]

Day 10: Holbrook, Arizona – Grand Canyon, Arizona approx. 460 km

First stop on today’s tour will be in the city of Winslow, where we will eat lunch in the Route 66 town of Flagstaff. Then we will ride to one of the tour’s absolute highlights, the Grand Canyon. We will ride along the edge of this amazing natural phenomenon, there will be several stops for photographs before we arrive at our hotel, located by the Grand Canyon.

You have the opportunity to go on a half-hour helicopter ride out over the fantastic scenery of the canyon (price approx. 240 $).

Day 11: Grand Canyon, Arizona – Las Vegas, Nevada, approx. 460 km

We drive down from the heights towards Las Vegas. Along the way we pass Hackberry General Store, probably the most historic and most photographed Route 66 place of them all. We continue to the impressive Hoover Dam, which besides water also provides the power required to run the gambling capital, Las Vegas.

Day 12: Las Vegas, 0km

Rest day in Las Vegas. We recommend a walk down the strip and maybe dinner at The Harley-Davidson Cafe and a trip on Freemont Street.

Day 13: Las Vegas, Nevada – Barstow, Californien approx. 380 km

This day offers a long stretch of the original Route 66 – from Las Vegas to Kingman and then on to Oatman, where donkeys roam freely around the city. We leave Route 66 for a short while and ride to the city of Laughlin on the banks of the Colorado River and then on to Barstow, California where we spend the night.[/acc_item]

Day 14: Barstow, Californien – Los Angeles, Californien approx. 220km

We are back on Route 66 – the road leads through the Mojave Desert. Before we finally get to Los Angeles where we will return our motorcycles, we drive to Santa Monica Pier, where Route 66 officially ends. Then we will be transfered to our hotel.

Day 15: Los Angeles, Californien – Home

Departure day from Los Angeles. Depending on the departure time you could go sightseeing or shopping.[/acc_item]

Day 16: Arrival at your home destination

Your Motorcycle-travel tour team wishes to thank you, and we hope to see you again on one of our other MC tours.

 

Special requests?

If you wish to extend your stay, or if you have any other questions or requests, you can call your local office.