I am planning our Route 66 ride from Chicago to LA. We will be making a few detours, some deliberate and some not However, not sure the best time of year to do the ride. Heat is not a problem for us, but would prefer to miss the rainy season if possible.

Can anyone suggest the best time of year to make this ride and any detours we should make. We can take up to 21 days to do this trip so flexible with the route, just want to see as much as possible and ride the best roads

 

anytime from June-Sept would work fine, have done the western end as late as early November w/o weather issues.

 

http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes/route66/route66.html

http://route66.backroadsplanet.com/

 

I like to pick it up at OK but that's because of where I live and have a son in Arkansas..

 

I'd wait until June. Once you get past Albuquerque, you're subject to very heavy winds
between Gallup, NM and Flagstaff, AZ. I rode through there in early May and ran into
70mph winds (no, I'm not exaggerating) and a blinding dust storm that closed I-40 and
knocked out all power in Winslow.

When I-40 reopened the next morning, I made a run to Flagstaff where I ran into
wet snow. A couple weeks later, I-40 was closed for two days due to wind.

Spring is often the worst season out here in the high desert..

 

Thanks for the links 2Sore, hadn't seen the backroadplanet one before.

I do have a DVD of riding Route 66 on Harley and keep having a look at that and dreaming, really looking forward to this trip.

 

I live in the Chicago area and we were planning to ride Rt.66 our planned leave date is Aug. 28th return date will be around Sept 13 - 14th, here is a link to some atractions,
http://rwarn17588.wordpress.com/attr...s-on-route-66/
http://www.theroadwanderer.net/route66.htm
http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2489/
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-main.html
and here is a map of the Rt. for streets and trips,
http://www.travelbygps.com/guides/Route66/route66.php
if you have any ? just pm me, is this your first long trip? also a little tip, when you get out west dont pass up a chance to get gas sometimes gas is far between..

 

Thanks guys for all your help, we did a 1200 mile trip around Florida this year (Tampa-Daytona-Key West-Naples-Tampa no interstates) but this will be our first long trip, I'm sure we will get lost but hey that's half the fun. Going to do a few detours to throw into the mix to make it a ride to remember :-)

 

Painey - Where did you get that video? Would love to see it.

 

I am in the UK, but this is the DVD, don't know if its available in the USA:
http://www.classic-motorcycles.co.uk...ct&db_pid=3778

Here is the page of the other Harley USA travel DVD's they offer, I have most of them and find them very enjoyable:
http://www.classic-motorcycles.co.uk...cts&db_scid=87