Get Your Kicks.....

[jrobinson]

This report was posted on BR1.0. in May of 2012. I saved a copy to my computer as I wrote the report. Here is the report. Click on the links and you should be able to see all the pics I took on the trip.


.......on Route 66!!

Day 1 - We loaded up the bike, saddled up and started down the drive about 10am on Sunday Morning. Sandy handed me a Tim McGraw CD. I put the CD in the player and "Live Like You Are Dying" blast from the speakers.

We head north on Hwy 65, though Winchester and pick up I-24 toward Nashville. We make good time to Music City, then hit a traffic jam. I pick the day they were repainting bridges and had lanes down to 2-lanes. We creep for a hour and half before clearing the jam. Rolling again. Around Kentucky we hit light rain. Time for lunch to let rain blow over. Couple hours and the rain is gone, so heading north on I-65 again.

Near Elizabeth, KY the sky is turning dark due to sunset and rain. We stop there for the night. We hoped to be closer to Chicago where the ride would start.

Day 2 - Started the day with breakfast at Denny's. Then headed north on 65. We wasn't on the road long when I felt something hit my knee. First thought something fell off the bike. I stopped at the next exit to inspect the bike. Everything looked OK, then I noticed where the object hit.




Back on the interstate headed north. Later in the day we saw the rain head. We also noticed a wind turbine "farm". Must of been well over a hundred wind turbines lined up among the fields.  A little rain while we stopped to eat, then on to our stop for the night, just south of Chi-town.

We looked around and found a Motel6. I never did see a light on though.

Day 3 - We left the Motel6 and was soon on Lake Shore Dr in Chicago. A left turn on a narrow downtown street,  Adams St, and we are at the start point of Historic Route 66......well that's what the book says, but we don't see the sign.

((The thing about Route 66 is, there isn't a US Route 66. It was decommissioned in 1985. You can still travel bits and pieces or the original highway, but you need a special map to know where they are. ))


We continued to ride hoping to see the sign for the start point of Roue 66. As we rode, the sky started to get dark, the house starting looking bad, cars appeared with concrete block wheels, houses had bars on the windows and folks were sitting on the porch giving us the evil eye as we rode by. I mentioned to Sandy that we "may" have missed our turn. She asked if I wanted to pull over to check the map. To which I replied, "No, not here". So we continued on Adams St. (I guess we were still on it. lol)

We come to a stop at a traffic light on a 4 lane crossroad. The light soon changes to green and I continue straight. The sky turned to blue, nice cars parked along the road, a teacher leading school children along the road side and I felt safe again. We stopped to check the map.

We missed our turn and plotted a route to get back on track. And we did.

After about an hour, we see our first Route 66 sign.




Link for pics of the day ---  https://photos.app.goo.gl/8lgaIii4C0OMh9Yn1

Day 4 - First stop of the day was a roadside park. Actually the road was the park. Sections of the original road has been saved and a park was setup using these sections.


Next we stopped in Atlanta, Illinois. I walk off to take pics. While I'm gone, an older gentleman walks up to Sandy and starts telling her history of the town. He is 96 years old and has lived in Atlanta his whole life.


Sandy and I decide to try out the little café. When we go in, we notice they have homemade pies. I order apple and she tries a blueberry. One of the best pies I've eaten.


Back on Route 66 and we are looking for the giant Abe and his wagon. The map is a little sketchy and Abe isn't' where we think the map shows. We give up and head on down the road. Then we see the giant Abe and the largest covered wagon in the world.


We roll into Springfield and start looking for Lincoln's Tomb. Very impressive. I took several pics from the outside, and even though they said pics was OK on the inside, I only took a couple.


A couple wrong turns and we get back on the right road heading out of Springfield. Find the Route 66 Drive-In while lost then see one of the giants when we are back on the right road.


In Virden there is a large park in the center of the town. They have a couple monuments in the park. Old buildings wrap around the park.


We see a motel in Carlinville, we head there and check in. On the square is a pizza place, Reno's Pizzeria. After dinner, we took a few pics around the square.



https://photos.app.goo.gl/Iu5WMZJbk6lp6g013

More miles to go......

[jrobinson]

Day 5

More riding than pics today. The road had more curves and zigzag across the interstate.

A covered bridge and a veterans memorial.


The Luna Cafe that doesn't serve food, looked like a bar on the inside.


The RT 66 going across the Miss. river at Chain of Rocks. There is a 27 deg curve almost in the middle. I can't imagine riding along in the 1930's and coming to the curve in the middle of this bridge.




Route 66 State Park visitor center.


Bourbeuse Valley Harley Davidson on RT 66.


Jessie James store. Closed til the weekend.



Album of pics - https://photos.app.goo.gl/ty5It96a95XABSxy1

More miles to come.....

Day 6

Murals of the town of Cuba, Betty Davis and Amelia Earhart.






The worlds largest rocking chair.


A giant hillbilly and a giant chicken in an El Camino.




The devil's elbow and my navigator laying down on the job.




The old Route 66 with concrete curbs


I-44 Speedway


Wave to Kris's Dad as we went through Marshfield.

Photo Album  --  https://photos.app.goo.gl/zaRbmR5b1ahatWsg2

More miles to come.....

[jrobinson]

Day 7

First stop of the day, Whitehall Mercantile. This store was built at the turn of the century. Plenty of old items that you don't see anymore. While I'm looking around, a lady ask if I want to make 5 bucks. Hmmmm, I guess. She wants me to help move a headboard from upstairs for her. I usually l have to do this stuff for Sandy and don't get paid a dime.


Talk to a couple guys that pull up on bikes. A VStrom and a BMW. The BMW rider ask where we're from and says he is from Ontario and is riding for 3 months.

We ride down the road and before I get in 5th gear, there's an old gas station on the side of the road. More pics and we are off again. There were a group of cars, some classic, that was running the route today also.


The Historic Route 66 is mixed in with the regular roads. You will be riding along and a sign will point for you to turn. You are now on part of the original road. It may be smooth, but mostly it is very rough. You will wind around for maybe a mile or 2, then you are back on the main road, a half mile from where you turned off. This is great if you want to ride the original road, but not good on making time.

As we turn on one of these side roads I wonder if this will just wind back into the main road and not have anything on the segment. This time there was an old bridge and a rock gas station that was being restored on the inside.


I noticed a flying wagon at a station. I pull in to top off and take some pics.


I Carthage we look for murals, but don't find anything. The courthouse was very nice. We took a video, but I don't think it recorded. I did take a shot of the dome from the Boots Motel.
Down the road is an old rock filling station.


In Webb City one of the old stations has been converted into a visitor center.


Route 66 only covers about 13 miles in Kansas. As we hit the state line we are looking for lunch. We stop at 4 Women on the Route. Sandy goes in and there's nothing to eat. We take a few pics. At this location is the tow truck that inspired Mater in Cars.


Keep going looking for food and see the rainbow bridge. The last of the Marsh Arch bridges. Even though they built a new bridge to bypass the old rainbow, you can still drive across the rainbow bridge.


Next is Baxter Springs, we pass an old service station to hunt for food. Bingo, Café on the Route. We have a great meal and I head back to the missed station.


As you enter Oklahoma, there is the option to ride on the 9 foot road. The road was only 9 feet wide. Now it is mostly covered with gravel and is 20 feet wide. You can still see the 9 foot road in several places.

Next up is Mickey Mantle's home town, Commerce. Pics of him and the stadium named after him.


Just before Catoosa, is the big blue whale. This was once a swimming hole, but is now just a park.


We make it to Tulsa for the night. I drop Sandy off to check in and I head off to buy a new laptop. Seems my 10 year old Dell, just couldn't take the strain of the trip.

Photo Album  --  https://photos.app.goo.gl/3KB4F8NZSKO7rfAm2

More miles to come....

[jrobinson]

Day 8

If you are getting tired of old service stations, old restaurant signs and old bridges, well I have something a little more exciting today. It should be illegal to post some of these pics and some aren't for young eyes. Use your own judgment.

The day starts with a visit to the Route 66 HD dealer in Tulsa. Bad news, not open on Sunday. That saved me a Hundred Dollars.


We start following the signs to head west. We see an old station and stop for a few pics.


The book says a burger stand is in Sapulpa. Happy Burger is the oldest burger stand in Sapulpa. Opened in 1957. Great we can eat early today. It wasn't to be. Closed today.


The book says the Rock Café has burned but they plan to rebuild. We arrive at the café and it has been rebuilt, but is closed. I notice a veterans memorial park next to the café. I have to take these pics. We settle on a Mexican restaurant. Food was very good and reasonable.


The next stop is the best stop so far. Here I take the photos that should be illegal. Seaba Station in Warwick, OK. First, these guys found a building on Route 66 that was a machine shop in the 1920s and is on the National Register. Then they add 40-50 bikes from a 1919 MotoPed to a 1993 KZ 1000 police bike. Add helmets, leathers, boots, tools and photos from all eras.

I start talking to the guy at the desk and he's one of the owners. He's going to ride in the cannonball next year and will be at Barbers Vintage Festival again this year. http://seabastation.com/






After wiping the drool from my lip, we mount up and head west again. We wind through Oklahoma City and into Britton, where there was a trading post.
Call it a day and check in at a motel in Yukon, OK.

Photo Album  --  https://photos.app.goo.gl/jqISGcQK2DBcofqF3


Day 9

We head out of Yukon and find a Standard station.


In Hydro, we find an old machine shop and soda shop. Both are closed.


Next stop General Thomas P. Stafford museum. Pics of a couple planes and a space capsule.


Just outside of town, we stop at The Trading Post Restaurant. They advertise a "buffalo burger" so I give it a try. Looks and taste like regular beef. It was a good burger.


We head to the National Route 66 Museum. When we get ready to look around a car with "69 cord" on the tag is backing out to leave. We go through the museum and see some nice old bikes, cars and even an airplane. A short movie gives some background on Route 66.


Most of the old route is very rough and after riding on it most of the day, I decide to hit the interstate and get to the halfway. This gives my shocks, back and Sandy's hip a break from the roads.

Side note. There are several options to run older parts of Route 66 that are dirt.

We roll into Amarillo just after the rain hits. It's a little chilly, but no rain for us.


We stop in Vega for the night. We will get to the halfway point on Tuesday and then head east toward home.

Photo Album  -  https://photos.app.goo.gl/6a4y2INq7NPqzGTs2

More miles to come....

[jrobinson]

Day 10

Adrian is the geo-mathematical point on Route 66 between Chicago and LA. The little restaurant was built before the 60's. In the 60's it was expanded to the size it is now. Across the street the sign says 1139 miles to Chicago and to LA. We had a good breakfast and a piece of apple pie. It was good, but not great. I made a sweep through the gift shop and picked up a few things, total bill for breakfast ans gifts....$66.65




We left Adrian heading back to Huntsville. Total miles so far, 1999. We planned one more stop on the way back.

Cadillac Ranch – We exit off I-40 at exit 60. We see several cars and bikes along the road. We stop to take the pics and have to walk about 1000ft out into a field that had muddy spots. Once out in the field we take the pics and head back.





We hit I-40 and head for home. We stopped tonight about 120 miles from Arkansas. Should be back in Huntsville by Thursday. This has been a great trip and I hope you have enjoyed the pics.

Photo Album  --  https://photos.app.goo.gl/ESTn8Dd0XfeZ2GT33

We have seen folks from at least 8 other countries that have come to the US just to ride Route 66. We have a piece of American history here, go ride Route 66. Don't wait. The road and buildings are disappearing every day.

[klaviator]

Johnny, your bike looked real nice and shiny in these pics.  Did you used to wash it back then?

:D

[jrobinson]

It was new to me at the time and yes, I did wash it before this trip. This is what it looked like after 12 days and 3073 miles.

[Fencejumper09]

What a great trip! I hate to think that I missed the opportunity to explore this route in its' heyday!

[jrobinson]

What a great trip! I hate to think that I missed the opportunity to explore this route in its' heyday!

a lot of it is still there, but progress is taking it over bit by bit. It is a nostalgic thing, most of the computer generation wouldn't appreciate the Mother Road.

[klaviator]

What a great trip! I hate to think that I missed the opportunity to explore this route in its' heyday!

If you had been around in this route's heyday then today you would be older than dirt..........like Johnny and me :D

[springer]

 Remember when you posted that on BR1 Johnny!
Well worth reading again.  ;)

[maydaymike]

Johnny, your bike looked real nice and shiny in these pics.  Did you used to wash it back then?

:D

That's hilarious.  Thats the first thought I had as well!   :D

[DonJuan]

Looks like an epic ride! One day... One day....