Rt 66 Road Trip

Hello all, I'm beginning to plan a Rt 66 road trip in April 2024. Any suggestions? Places to camp? Thank you

 

Welcome!
Here is a neat place on the old 66 route:
Painted Desert Visitor Center

If you go in the front gate off I-40 to the visitor center you can get gas, water, eat etc and then spend a day parking at and hiking to various items of interest, and just outside the park back gate there is a rock and curio store with some hookups, it looked like a year ago...
Petrified Forest Gifts & RV Park

Across the street is another with an horse camp no longer in use you can camp overnite for free. (No power or water)

Send pics, and Glamp On!

 

Funny you post this -- I have a prolonged block of time coming where I won't be working. I was thinking about making the same trip

Watching with anticipation....I know YouTubers like NomadicFanatic have made the trip, but its an ever changing landscape. Plus, being limited to teardrop camping....I'd be interested where to stay without straying too far off the route, and without going bankrupt paying resort fees while still having a bathroom and shower available....

 

Sweeney; you will have a blast!
You are a connoisseur of Americana.
So much to geek out on...

 

I did part of Route 66 back in March of 2011. I suggest buying a travel book. I bought three but could only find one quickly.

843BDEB0-CB40-4C98-A6D3-4F8F94F13FA3 by Tour 931 posted Dec 9, 2023 at 5:45 AM

The second book is a notebook I made to keep me on schedule. I took 35 days not counting the two weeks it took me to get there.

Route 66 parallels I-40 and you can get down road quickly using the freeway or you can do like I did and travel every mile of Historic Route 66 as possible.


I freestyled meaning I did not have any reservations for camping. Instead I stopped wherever I has when it got dark and left at daylight. I stopped at rest areas, truck stops, grocery stores and even a couple churches. I travel and don’t camp or at least didn’t on this trip.

In March a lot of tourist traps were closed. In April more places might be open.

My biggest goal was to stop at as many places as I could. I don’t regret stopping at any of the places but do regret passing some up. Since I did this trip I have traveled portions at least a dozen times and stopped at places I missed.

 

Nice idea on the binder. I've never taken a en "Epic" trip before -- this looks like a great way to organize both the trip, and memories.

Back in the 2000's, Microsoft had a product called "Streets and Trips" --- you could provide route and search criteria with travel planning, fuel stops and campgrounds (or malls, or whatever). I see "Badger Maps" is probably the most popular with "review" - I mean advertisements. It also is aimed at "efficient business travel"

I'm looking for fuel stops, camp sites, and points of interest along a certain route...which Streets was good at.

I'm thinking 250 miles a day -- 3-5 hours plus stops with a possible deviation here and there seems about right. Slow down a little where its interesting and maybe add a few some time the next day. I know big open spaces abound once you get past the midwest...Thoughts?

 

Interesting bit of Camp-Inn history...It is was a trip on Route 66 that required more than a tent and less than a 1,500 lb camper that was the catalyst for what you now know as Camp-Inn and 23 years later, here we are.

 

Lucky for us!

 

Now there's all the reason I need to know to go!!!!

Did you have anyplace that stands out (that may still be there) that is worthy of a stop?

 

Haven't officially purchased a camper as of today, but still looking and asking. This thread intruiged me as I'm always trying to justify this purchase. Being campers first my wife when younger always wanted to take a cross country road trip and today so do I! Rt 66 is in my back yard as we are only a couple hours outside of Chicago and Pontiac IL, is in my backyard. Have taken a few day trips when I had my 63 Galaxie with the car club. Looking forward to any additional trip information.

 

See it before its faded memory.

 

My 560 was a retirement present to myself. Love it and have never looked back. Remember, life is short...

 

Kevin, don't wait My teardrop is the single purchase I have ever made that I can say that my only regret is not getting it earlier. It would look awsome behind a Galaxie I have fond memories of working with my Dad on his...

EDIT: I see a theme! I responded before I read the note after yours....

 

RVLife.com is an excellent trip planning tool. It's $65 annually although you can find discounts once in a while. Roadtrippers.com is also excellent and has a Route66 guide located within the tool. Both make RV travel planning much easier and are worth trying for longer journeys. Both also have apps so you can use from smartphones/tablets, etc.

 

I'll give these a look. Over the years, I've submitted campsite reviews to rvlife and the web site they acquired. I think between this and Atlas Obscura there's a bunch of things to keep a curious mind occupied...

 

Atlas Obscura!
How did I not know about this?
Rabbit hole!

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/marfa-lights

 

And told well, here:
Craig and Betsey's First 100 Nights

 

And another one on the beginning- the builds

Piece of History Returns to Camp-Inn

 

I'm curious, with so many of the things that remain the same today --- how much of the design was inspired, or tedious planning before the first board was cut. I know when I was thinking about building, I sketched and drew for days...

 

There's also Roadside America - Guide to Uniquely Odd Tourist Attractions who's presentation I like better --- but the Atlas is more complete. The world's largest ball of paint is only an hour from me, yet somehow I've never visited it. I'm fairly certain this site is a research tool for many YouTubers --- there's no shortage of weird there.

The worlds largest ball of paint is just a short drive north of me...one of these days. Its large enough that they apparently had to build a steel i-beam gantry to carry the weight