Motorcycle Trip Route 66 Preparations - Los Angeles to Chicago
Below is how I planned the trip from LA to Chicago. I probably rushed a little, could have taken a little more time to traverse Route 66 to visit some of the side trips mentioned in the book below. From LA to Chicago it took me 9 days with one day off in the middle. I tried to shoot for 300 to 400 miles per day, 6.5 hours of riding and 2 hours or so for breaks, getting gas, and lunch so a 8 to 9 hour day.
The Preparation
First I ordered maps and the book EZ66 Guide. This is a MUST as Jerry McClanahan has a TON of ideas of what to look for, sights to see and just as important warnings about the pitfalls of traversing Route 66. PART OF THE ROAD NO LONGER EXISTS:https://national66.org/products/ez66-guide
Now that you have the EZ66 Guide, read the book. Familiarize yourself with the route.
Optional for Motorcycles is the Butler Route 66 maps, these provide side trips that are fun to ride if you think you may have some time for extracurricular activities:
https://butlermaps.com/products/historic-route-sixty-six
After you receive the EZ66 Guide review the updates that Jerry (the Writer) has, this is IMPORTANT as it may change the waypoints that I provide:
https://mcjerry66.com/ez66.php
If you are planning a long trip on your motorcycle, I have a page for how I prepared fo this trip. While I brought along the tent for this trip, after a couple of weeks it really became a hassle. For THIS long of a trip I would probably just choose to do motels / hotels and not tent camping:
https://gandalfddi.z19.web.core.windows.net/motorcycle_prep.html
Facebook Route 66 Group, lots of discussion about Route 66 (but you have to answer a few easy questions to post and comment):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/historicroute66/
There are several dozen other Route 66 Facebook Groups if Historic Route 66 doesn't meet your needs.
Mapping the route
I went through the EZ66 book and tried to pick out the best route for a bike that is a little top heavy because of carrying the tent (not the fault of the bike), i.e. little or no gravel. This is NOT a route for low clearance sedans, you will scrape the bottom of the car. I would have felt comfortable taking either the Triumph Tiger OR the Harly Road king, the Triumph has longer 'legs' (300+ miles per tank and it is a Beast, nothing phased it) than the Harley (130 Miles per tank). The EZ66 book will point out roads that are gravel or not drivable. Do NOT ignore these warnings. There are places that the road no longer exists or is on private property. If you are a perfectionist you will NOT be able to transit the entire Route 66 unless you are willing to walk and trespass. I took this journey to have fun and experience the older United States. See a part of the United States you don't get to see from the interstates.Here are the waypoints:
WARNING
The waypoints from Los Angeles to Chicago are provided As-Is, free of charge. No guarantee or warranty that they are accurate. As a driver you are responsible to ensure you and the safety of your passengers at all times (don't text and drive either). If indeed you dropped these waypoints into an auto drive car it WOULD NOT WORK, at the very least due to random construction activities and accidents along the way. I had to manually skip waypoints because of construction and blocked roads that the GPS navigation was ABSOLUTELY SURE I could navigate, my GPS directed me to closed roads and into concrete barriers on more than one occasion -- see below pictures as examples. As a driver you are responsible for making driving decisions that an AI (Artificial Intelligence) does not have the ability to make.
These waypoints take you from LA to Chicago. I didn't have the time to reverse the route. If someone would like to reverse all these waypoints send me the files OR send me a link to your site and I will add that link here.
Here are the GPX files. First a .ZIP with the 8 days of travel starting with day 4. Day 1 thru 3 was me getting to the starting point. Jim suggests 2 weeks for the trip and I agree I could have made it longer and a little bit more relaxing but I had time constraints:
https://gandalfddi.z19.web.core.windows.net/motorcycle_route_66_GPX.zip
Here are the individual GPX/text files in case you do not trust .ZIP fles (as a former CyberSecurity engineer I don't blame you):
https://gandalfddi.z19.web.core.windows.net/motorcycle_route_66_Week_01.gpx
https://gandalfddi.z19.web.core.windows.net/motorcycle_route_66_Week_02.gpx
Additional Reources:
Route 66 Complete (you have to create an account to download)
Route 66 Tourguide (you have to create an account to download)
Route 66 For Apps (click on the icon above the 'Route 66 GPX file for Apps', you don't have to sign into Dropbox just download)
Two specific examples of my GPS directing me into road closed yet showing me that I could go through:
Now that you have Route 66 mapped out, add in your initial days to GET you to Los Angeles and then the final days to get you home from Chicago. It took me 3 days to get to LA (the GPX starts with day four in LA) and then I had another week+ to get back home.
Tolls - I bought a I-Pass for any Illinois tolls I might accidentally hit. Sure enough I did stumble across a few tolls. The I-Pass is also good for many of the eastern states also:
https://agency.illinoistollway.com/about-ipass
Route 44 through Oklahoma is ALL a toll road. If there is construction and you get directed onto Route 44 you will have to pay a toll. It tooks a couple of weeks before they processed my plate and I could pay the toll:
https://www.platepay.com/
With your route all set and your commitments sorted out you can now choose your date to leave. I chose mid June because of the days being the longest AND -- usually -- no midwest storms. Right after I passed through Texas / Oklahoma / Missouri the rainstorms went through. I had 106 Deg Fahrenheit in California but I would prefer that to rain any day. Also while on the trip keep track of the storm fronts that move from West to East across the United States. Fronts with straight line winds amd rain / lightning are HORRIBLE to deal with. You can choose to drive through the downpour and try to get out of the storm or delay your trip by a day and let the storm pass overhead. Letting the storm pass is, IMHO, a better option. I don't like being blown all around, rained on / have thunder and lightning all around. Midwest storms are the worst.
After you have your route all mapped in and your dates chosen start making reservations. I usually tried to have about 4 or 5 days reservations lined up. I was lucky with the Route 66 Casino. I needed a Thursday and they had room but Friday and Saturday were all booked up. Some hotels require a Saturday AND Sunday reservation if you book on the weekend. So you may need to adjust your route if you need to choose a place to stay nearby. I brought my laptop with 'Garmin Basecamp' loaded so that I could find reservations and adjust on the fly as needed.
At some point you have to look at what you have planned, what your best guess is (with hopefully some room built into the schedule) and commit. You have done your best. You are as prepared as you will ever be. Gather your clothes, necessary things and your Route 66 book and maps and get on the road. Bring cash, some of the smaller gas stations may not use credit cards. If you forgot something than you can buy it on the road. Bring sunscreen. Yesterday was the best day to leave, today is the next best day.
Things to bring and to note:
- Suncreen - It gets VERY sunny along sections of Route 66 like the Mojave Desert
- Cash - Some smaller cafe's and gas stations appreciate being paid in cash or may not even have a credit card machine
- Cash - In Canada you can use your debit card to get Canadian dollars out of a ATM, I suggest trying to find an ATM at a Bank, NOT a hotel to avoid a skimmer (that is the CyberSecurity engineer in me)
- Gas - Some smaller gas stations may only have 87 octane, most vehicles this is OK for a tankful but check your vehicle
- Gas - In Canada when you see a gas station (like 'Co-Op') thay says 'Cardlock' it means that you HAVE to have one of THEIR special cards, go to the next gas station
- Gas - My tank could take me 300 miles, but I never would have had an issue with finding a gas station, they are pretty regularly spaced exscept as noted in EZ Route66 for eastern California
- Gas Mileage and Wind - Normal riding I got around 47 Miles Per Gallon, when hitting wind I lost 10 to 20 miles per gallon, driving into the wind will chew through your tank
- Weather - Plan for 3 seasons (hopefully not all 4), you will need hot hot hot gear and cold gear, rain & chilly weather
- Weather - The plains states are VERY windy. When you see windmills you can bet that there are heavy winds, and the windmills face the direction that the wind is coming from
- Weather - When riding in wind when you go 'behind' something (a hill, grain silo's) the wind will suddenly stop, your bike will move left or right (depending on the direction of the wind) then when you get past the obstacale be ready for the wind to push you in the opposite direction
- National Holidays - If you go to Canada be cognizant of THEIR holidays. I visited the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (a VERY good museum) on July 1, Canada Day and it was VERY busy
MOST IMPORTANTLY - Things will fail. Issues will come up. 'Man plans and God laughs' - Old Rabbinic phrase. This is an adventure. Don't get bent out of shape. My camera had a glitch on the last day, my phone screen went black until I figured it out. You can always go buy something or get it fixed. If you believe that there is something after this life the only thing you will take are memories, and this is one of those experiences.
Any questions or comments send me e-mail
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