Historic Route 66 w/Motorhome?

[biggjc]

We are planning to spend a few days at the Albequerque Balloon fest in October. Traveling from Wisconsin. We would like to travel via the historic Route 66, and are wondering if this is feasible in a 30' Motorhome? Has anybody done this recently? Suggestions appreciated!

[Matt_Colie]

We ran Rt-66 from Joplin to Albuquerque in 2008. We have a very small Class A and were still vexed by some of what we had to negotiate in joplin. If your coach is anything like a normal Class A, avoid Joplin.

And Yes, get the book EZ66.

Matt

[tatest]

Another vote for the EZ66 Guide for Travelers.

At one time or another over the past 35 years, via car and motorhome, I've explored most of Route 66 from the outskirts of Chicago to Flagstaff, but have not taken it into southern California. Route 66 is closely followed by I-55, I-44 then I-40 in succession (except a large variation between Springfield, Missouri and Fairfield, Oklahoma where the Interstate totally misses the Kansas section of 66).

With a good guide, you can find the places you might want to drive the old road, and others where you'll want to hop onto the Interstate to make some progress. In particular, you'll probably want to take expressways through or around major cities like St Louis, Tulsa and the northern suburbs of Oklahoma City, rather then being hours in stop and go traffic on city streets.

Even in rural areas, travel on 66 is going to take extra time. For example, Tulsa to Oklahoma City is usually 1 1/2 hours on I-44 (in a car, at the speed limit). On Oklahoma 66, that's about a three hour drive, or avoiding the worst urban sections, 2 hours 45 minutes from Sapulpa to Arcadia.

Even so, for many years I would get on 66 at Sapulpa and take it to Chandler if going to Shawnee, or to Luther, if going to Norman. This plan would usually include a meal stop at a restaurant or diner in Chandler, thus not in a hurry.

Similarly, Oklahoma City to Amarillo is a bit under four hours using I-40. Last time I followed Route 66 in touring mode, I took two and a half days getting from El Reno to Amarillo. That one was a RV tour, and I diverted from 66 to get to Clovis and SE New Mexico destinations.

Another section, Joplin to St Louis, is four hours by I-44. Driving on 66 and stopping at the places that interested me, it is at least eight hours, and if you hit all the old Route 66 tourist attractions (most are still there) and winery tours, two or three days to cross Missouri.

So if you have a fixed destination at a fixed time, and want to do a Route 66 tour on the way, you'll need to do some homework and plan that tour in detail, deciding on stops and allowing time for those stops, so you can get to your destination on schedule.

A young friend of mine from China recently finished a Route 66 trip (by car) and used ten days to get from Chicago Art Institute to the Santa Monica Pier. From the photos she sent, they did not use the Interstates very much, visiting a lot of the urban locations.

[tonyandkaren]

We drove Route 66 last fall and had a great time. Our RV is short, a bit narrower than most, and not very high. We also do not tow a car. We had no problems although we did end up on one road that had a low weight limit which we were over.

We used this book for directions - Route 66: EZ66 GUIDE For Travelers

I also posted on my blog and made a map of the route. Map

Blog The blog posts are backwards so if you want to follow in order start Here

Have fun!

[The_Mad_Norsky]

I'll give a resounding "ditto" to the advice to NOT take an RV on the route to Oatman, Arizona.

Mind you, I took my truck and truck camper through there, but overall length for me is about 24 feet, and that's with the camper hanging over the back of the truck.

But it is a very twisty, curvy road. And no real good parking in Oatman, which was a very neat place though.

Mind you, I just gotta feeling that this was a very OLD stretch of Route 66. One that had been discontinued by newer versions of Route 66 now covered by I-40.

[gbopp]

dewey02 wrote:
This is the whole purpose of the National Scenic Byway program...to get people to re-discover those little towns and gems of Americana that they miss by just travelling the interstates.

This is so true. The only way to see America is, get off the interstate and hit the side roads.

[Executive45]

We spent way too much time visiting Teepee Villages, Blue Whales and eating at the RoadKill Cafe! Yes, it's doable but it's no longer a complete road. Also, avoid Rte 66 in the Laughlin area. While the mules in Oatman Az are cute and the town is quaint, you'll not want to take an RV on that portion....Dennis

[dewey02]

Yes, it is certainly possible. But I suggest that you follow the routes designated as Route 66 National Scenic Byway. This will take you through some of the most iconic and historic sites, routes and towns, but will avoid the abandoned routes (now just sometimes a dirt road or very poor pavement).

Parts of Route 66 in a few states are now on Interstate Highways because the original route has been obliterated by the interstate. But through most of its route, it is pretty good 2 lane paved roads.

Each state that Route 66 runs through has designated the route as part of the National Scenic Byway system and you can get information from them through their Dept. of Transportation or their Tourism association.

Here's a link to some overall information: http://www.route66world.com/
Here's a link to an interactive map for Rte. 66 in Oklahoma. Most states have something like this as well. Just google around: Oklahoma interactive map

Finally, I strongly suggest that you visit your local library and/or Barnes and Noble bookstore and pick up a couple books about Rte. 66 and decide what attractions you may want to see.

Have fun. We did this a few years ago. Some things are great, and some are just really sad...seeing how once great little towns and roadside attractions have now become abandoned.

You might also want to rent and watch the Disney movie "Cars". That entire movie is about a town along a 1950's travelroute like Route 66. Then a super highway comes in and the town gets bypassed. This is the whole purpose of the National Scenic Byway program...to get people to re-discover those little towns and gems of Americana that they miss by just travelling the interstates.

[Sam_Spade]

Yes it's possible.......IF you use a little common sense and plan ahead.

Search around and get a route map with as much detail as possible.
You will NOT want to try and follow every foot of the marked original route.

There are place in Illinois where short stretches are still marked that I would not venture onto in a car.