Next week my buddy and I are riding Route 66 from California to Chicago. Then up to Milwaukee and see the new HD museum. We don't have the return route planned yet. He's retired and I have the whole month off work, so we're not on any type of schedule. Any suggestions on Route 66? Places to go, or avoid? Any good biker friendly bars with cold beer? Best food? Ugly women (for my buddy) . Just looking for any suggestions of things that we shouldn't miss (or should). Thanks in advance.

 

ive ridden route 66 from arizona to california a ton. Im in the process of starting a business to start doing harley tours through there next season. Theres a bunch of great riding out there.

through cajon pass theres a small stretch. Take that.

at victorville, you can ride straight to barstow on an empty road that follows the terrain.

theres a bunch of good spots where you join 40, but if you're pushed for time, bypass newberry springs (its a brutal harley road), and head south down to amboy. Thats classic 66, check out roys, They should almost have the restaurant ready if they don't by now.

After needles, get off at Topock and head up to oatman. Its a must see. Great bike road, full of history and plenty of beer. gunfights in the streets. Cool old western town, full of bikers.

when you hit kingman, if you go north you'll find the longest uninterrupted stretch of route 66 alive today. Stop at grand canyon caverns..... well worth seeing. Then go to Seligman and the snow cap serves the best burgers on the face of the earth, or at least arizona...

From there, head through williams arizona, and then on 40 to deer farms road.... thats an old bypassed section of route 66 from the 60s, on to parks arizona. get back on the freeway.

If you go to the harley dealership on bellemont, 5 miles before flagstaff head down the frontage road past the dealership. If youve seen easy rider, the place at the beginnning of the movie where they refused to give billy and wyatt a room is still there. Just north of flagstaff is the place they picked up the hippie and got gas.

Flag is a college town, with a ton of good bars. Its high, and its a great ride. if you have time, go south of flag and see jerome Arizona. More great bars and great ride.

From flag you'll want a route 66 map. ITs mostly 1-40 but theres a bunch of good places past that. Wigwam motel in holbrook is cool, and a bunch of old harvey houses are still in arizona.

Have fun man, thats a great ride. If you wanna msg me I could go on and on about it. Ive also go most of what I told you on my blog (the URL is in my sig below), with pictures of things along that route. I do it at least 3 times a year or so. Have fun.

 

Very good stuff from Mr Zip. Just remember it's friggin' hot in the desert areas right now and monsoon season in Arizona.

 

Stop in Newberry springs for lunch on the way out , at the Bagdad Cafe , good old fashioned diner , REALLY famouse with europeans & asians due to a cult film done there , is right smack in the middle of the exits on each end of town off I-40.
http://www.bagdadcafe.us/
check out the pics , ppl from all over the world , many doing bike trips

 

Amen to that, count on getting wet. Lots of good riding down by you too. Im a big fan of harolds down in cave creek. theres another spot down there too with dollar bills pinned to a low ceiling and they make a mean burger..... biker hang out.... do you know the place?

 

Mr Zip, this is great stuff. This will be only about the second thread I've ever printed on here for reference.

Thanks to all of you and I'll keep reading.

 

Thanks, Mr. Zip.

I too am headed out that way next week. I'm leaving Thursday ( the 4th ? ) from NorCal, but I have to be in Oklahoma City by the 8th, so I'll be taking I-40 most of the way. 4 weeks later, I'll be coming back, and will have a little more time to explore.

Thanks, guys. And have a safe and fun trip.

 

Thanks, Mr. Zip.

If you guys see an old man on a loaded up Black Pearl Road Glide, wave when you pass me. I'm leaving Caliornia on the 4th to go to Oklahoma City.
edit: never mind. I thought my previous post didn't show up. The old software is still lingering in my head.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by CrawdadAZ
Very good stuff from Mr Zip. Just remember it's friggin' hot in the desert areas right now and monsoon season in Arizona.


The monsoons hit lower AZ more so than upper AZ where Rt 66 is. In Cave Creek, you've got the Hideaway Grill, Buffalo Chip, and The Horny Toad to name a few others. Then you've got Tortilla Flatz to the southeast of Phx where they make a killer chili and it's a nice ride getting there. However, all of this is way off the Rt 66 tour.

Some of the most peaceful stretches of riding I've were on the AZ portion from Kingman to Seligman. Most of the time you'll be alone out there.

Enjoy

 

I rode down to tucson to see the air museum and the missle silo this last march. You gotta love arizona. Ride year round....

I got into route 66 from a rider magazine article that showed a bridge with a mature tree growing out of it from, somewhere in arizona on route 66. My wife and I searched for 3 years till we finally found it, and in the meantime we discovered how cool route 66 is to ride. Its amazing how much its come back in the 20 years ive been going down there. People are interested in it again.

IMO, its worth seeing, and a nice break from the ride. don't get back on the freeway at seligman, keep heading east to crookton road and theres another long stretch of route 66 there, in still great shape and very rideable. If you want, cross the freeway at crookton road and head east on the frontage road till you start seeing the red cinder pavement. The bridge is about a mile past that. The bridge was built in the 20s, and the road was bypassed in 1965.

heres a picture of it: http://mrzip66.files.wordpress.com/2...6-8-08-053.jpg