San Diego to Chicago including Route 66

Natalie Poat on 01 June 2013
We started with a couple of days in San Diego sampling the delights of this great city with an Old Town Trolley Bus Tour, Seal and Dolphin Tour and a lovely walk along Mission Beach to stretch our legs. We then took the Pacific Surfliner (Amtrak) to Port Huneme just north of Los Angeles to collect our bike.

On day 1 we were joined by Tim's cousin Stuart and his wife Julia and headed down the Malibu Coast to Santa Monica and the official start/finish of Route 66. Our first stop was the historic Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino before heading out across the Mojave Desert to Laughlin.

Day 2 took us through Oatman and over the Hoover Dam to Las Vegas and a night in the fabulous Mandalay Bay Hotel.

Day 3 was a real stunner taking a detour from the route to visit Lake Mead, Zion and Bryce National Parks.

Day 4 took us from Kanab through Marble Canyon to the Grand Canyon - we have been before but it still took my breath away.

Day 5 saw us leaving the Grand Canyon and heading off through Monument Valley and Mexican Hat to Chinle in the Navajo Reservation before re-joining Route 66 in Gallup. Having only ridden 100 miles on the back of a motorbike before the last 1500 miles were a baptism of fire but worth every minute.

Day 6 my travels took me from Gallup and the Eagle Cafe - the oldest restaurant on the "route" - through Albuquerque to Santa Fe where we took a day off to enjoy the sights.

Day 8 we went through Apache Canyon and over Glorieta Pass to Amarillo. Day 9 involved going across the Texas Panhandle. We stopped at two Route 66 museums. In Oklahoma City we even managed to catch a Baseball game between the OKC Redhawks and the Iowa Cubs.

Day 10 we went on to Carthage and the historic Boots Motel where Cary Grant stayed in the 1950's. Then we headed over the picturesque box bridge at Devil's Elbow and past the giant rocking chair at Fanning before arriving in St Louis. We stayed at the stunning Missouri Athletic Club which was had a great view of the Gateway Arch!

Day 11 and the last leg of the journey we followed the 1926 - 1930 version of the "route". It meandered through numerous small towns until it hit Chicago. The end of the route at the junction on Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue was marked by a surprisingly small sign!

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Chicago. It is a great city with some stunning architecture and we took a walk along the shores of Lake Michigan before taking a river cruise to see as many of the sights as we could before my flight home. A fitting end to a memorable trip! If you want any hints or tips on recreating our trip please just get in touch!