Our advice

Before you start the journey, go to the net and look for as much information as you can. Unfortunately, most of the web sites that we found were either pure advertisement or “what we did and saw” kind of stories. That is why on this site, we tell our story, but at the same time try to give our best advice between the lines. All that advice is “hidden” on the different journeys. Nevertheless, we have put together some final advice on this section. As for the previous arrangements, go to Before you set out.

• Sears Towers, Skydeck, Chicago. Try to go on a clear day, the view is much nicer. $12 adult price.

• Art Museum, Chicago. It is free some days and everyday at the latest hours. Take a look at their web site. Do not miss Hopper’s Nighthawks at the dinner, our favourite painting.

• Try to get out of Chicago in the very early hours of the morning, if you do not want to get stuck in the middle of the gigantic traffic jam.

• Try not to drive at night. It is quite common to find animals on the roads by night. Plenty of accidents because of that. If you have to, keep watching for them.

• In Saint Louis, the famous Chain of Rocks bridge is only open during the weekends.

• Meramec Caverns, in Stanton, is a great place to camp ($12) As always, one pays for the parcel, regardless of how many people do occupy the tent.

• Devil´s Elbow (MO) is a nice old bridge that will give you a good idea about how it was to travel along Route 66 in the old days.

• Blue Whale, Catoosa (OK). The whale feels quite lonely since the amusement park is abandoned, but she will say hi to you as you pass by.

• KOA is the main campgrounds chain that you will find on your way. More expensive than the average, you will find a swimming pool, laundry service, grocery store , all for $18 per parcel. Quite convenient, but we try to find National Parks, instead.

• In Tulsa, do not miss Tally´s Café, where they will serve you great dinner food in a nice local ambience, far from the other Route 66 icons in town.

• In Stoud, you will find the Rock Café, open 24 hours... except on Sundays. Of course, we arrive there Sunday afternoon, but it really looked like a nice place to have a beer.

• We do recommend the Glancy motel in Clinton (OK). Not that it is a great and cheap place, but it has the “ambience”. When you get there, you will understand what we mean. Also there, you have the Route 66 museum. For $3 you get a nice idea of the history of the road, plus some of the landscapes waiting for you far away from this little town. Dinner, from the main street you will see all the restaurants, but do not miss the drive-tru one. Do you want something more typical??

- McLean (TX), Devil´s rope museum. What is it, devil´s rope? In case you do not know, go there to see some memorabila from R66 plus an homage to the devil´s rope.

- Amarillo (TX). “Big Texan Restaurant”. Want to try a “72 oz. Steak Free” By the time you get there you have seen the ads 40 times... Sure it is fre, but you must finsih the whole thing whithin one hour. Not very healthy, we thought.

- Palo Duro National Park, Canyon, (Tx). Nice Canyon, specially if you are into hiking. In that case, take yur time to spend there and go to the “Lighthouse”. Keep in mind that on your way there, it will be HOT. The campground there is nice ($18 per parcel) You can also attend the musical “Texas”, in a natural ampitheater, presented by the local University students. Make sure you put a pin in the world map at the entrance and do not miss the dance and barbecue previous to the spectacle.

- Adrian (TX), Mid Point Café. As its name says, it is located half way in Route 66. We missed because we did not see the exit at the highway.

- Tucumcari (NM), quite a lot of Motels there and quite nice most of them. Try to spend the night there.

- Santa Fe (NM), you are at the capital of the State. A very nice town which you should not miss (there is an alternative version of R66 that bypasses it ) If you are looking for a place to eat there, everybody will recommend Tomasita, New Mexican food, $30 for two people. As for the night, we went to the Rancheros campground which is a little far from downtown, but quite nice ($17,75 the night)

- Mesita National Park, (NM), Navajo Nation, dramatic landscapes there.

- Grants, (NM), Franciscan Lodge, we choosed this mote because of the advertising light on the outside. The manager is a very nice Navajo indian. $22,50 the room with TV.

- Grants (NM), Café Uranium you can see a nice car inside the café, but we could not try the breakfast because it is closed on Sundays.

- Gallup, (NM), another nice town to spend the night. We did not because of our planning.

- Chinle (AZ), Navajo Nation, nice free campgroud. If one arrives late, it might be full. The Canyon de Chelly National park is very nice, look for the spider woman there.

- Chinle (AZ), “Junction Restaurant” , Navajo food there, but we thought it was quite normal $19,35 , dinner for two.

- Four Corners, it stands for the junction of Four States, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.We did not go there, but later on, we learnt that it is really worth the visit.

- Monument Valley National Park, a must. Take your time to visit the park ($3). You will take wonderful pictures and might find Thelma and Louise there.

- Grand Canyon National Park, another must, although it is way too crowded. $10 the entrance, no matter what vehicle you have (same fare for our bike as for the bus-RV that entered before us) Two comapgrouds inisde, first come first serve, plus many other accomodations, probably quite expensive.

- Hoover Damn, at the border between Nevada and Arizona. As famous as big, we did not find it so impresive...

- Las Vegas (NV) Keep in mind that during the weekend all motels and hotels raise their prices. It is also more difficult to find vacancies. Most of the motels are at “Boulder Highway” We spend the night at Vegas Motel, $38 for a room that was not worth even $15.

- Kingman, (AZ), Mr.D´z, go and try the Huevos Rancheros, just do it.

- Oatman, (AZ), In the middle of the Black Hills. A former gold mines town, nowadays it is a tourists town, full of dunkeys. Street theater on Sundays, it is weird to find this place in the middle of the mountains.

- Amboy, ROY´s Motel-Café, basamortuaren erdian.Igandeetan itxita. Gasolindegia era badago honen ondoan, baian prezio doblean dago gasolina.

- Barstow (CA), El Rancho Motel, oso tipikoa.$33 gela bikoitza, piszinarekin.

- Denny´s, frankizia kate bat, janari amerikarra ematen dute. Kalidade prezio erlazio ona, eta 24 orduz irekita dago. Gure kasuan $20,47 gastatu genuen (bi pertsona).

- Los Angeles-en kanpinik ez dago, beraz kostaldetik iparraldera km ugari joan behar da. Lo egiteko, nahi eta kanpinean izan, aldez aurretik erreserbatu, gu lo egiteko lekurik gabe gelditzeko zorian egon ginen. Kanpinak: Malibú Beach RV (27$-43$ bientzako), Leo Carrillo (15$ bientzako), Syracuse Canyon ($12 bientzako). Erreserbatu gehien bat abuztuan bazoazte!!

- Hobe da denbora soberan duzula joatea. Bidean hainbat eta hainbat toki eta jende ezagutuko dituzu eta bidearen benetako xarma da presarik gabe une horietaz gozatzea. Guk ez genuen denbora gehiegi izan eta zenbait tokitan denbora gehiago pasa ez izanaz damutu egiten gara oso. Gogoratu: polita ez da iristea, bidaiatzea baizik. Bon voyage!