Riding The Mother Road: Route 66 by motorcycle

Welcome to the Windy City! Nicknamed the ‘Paris of the Prairie’, Chicago is the biggest and most exciting of the Great Lake cities. It includes a stunning skyline along Lake Michigan, and a gamut of top-rated museums, restaurants and cafes, and innumerable bars and nightclubs that pay homage to the city’s strong jazz and blues heritage. Tonight you will get to meet your fellow riders and Tour Guides at an Orientation Meeting at the tour hotel, followed by a great Welcome Dinner to kick-off your dream Route 66 journey!

Today we head towards St. Louis! We will stay primarily on the 2-lane sections of the Mother Road, traversing cornfields and small towns that represent the heartland of America. Our arrival into St. Louis will be over the Chain of Rocks Bridge, the original bridge where RT 66 crossed the Mississippi River. Enjoy the short ride today into the “Gateway to the West,” St. Louis. This amazing city rests along the shores of the mighty Mississippi River and is home to some of the best live music and BBQ ribs in the country.

Today is all about the route! From Joplin we will head west through the hills and horse country through Oklahoma, crossing Miami, Claremore and Catoosa, home of the legendary Blue Whale before passing through Tulsa, We will also go through the reservations of several Native American tribes. In the 1830s, much of this land was considered “unusable” by the Federal Government, so various Indian tribes were “settled” there after colonization, including the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, Creek and Cherokee. This evening we will stay in Oklahoma City, the heart and soul of Route 66.! At night you can enjoy at Bricktown, the neighbourhood in the heart of the city full of lively restaurants, bars and shops.

Route 66. Once the land of vast buffalo herds, this section of 66 traverses some of the great cattle trails which were used in the 1860s to drive herds of cattle from Texas up to the railhead in Abilene, Kansas. We will ride along a section of the Chisholm Trial, which passes through Yukon and El Reno, and stop at the amazing Route 66 Museum in Clinton. After lunch we cross the border into the Texas Panhandle, the southernmost portion of the Great Plains. We will offer an optional excursion to the Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo where you have the opportunity to enjoy the best steaks in Texas, guaranteed!

Today is at leisure to rest and enjoy the distinctive flavour of this nearly 400-year-old city. The blend of cultures here becomes evident in the southwestern architectural style so closely associated with New Mexico’s capital city. Perhaps you would like to take a ride along the river valley to the old Native American Indian town of Taos, enjoy a sunrise hot air balloon ride, or play cowboy for a day on a horseback ride along a mountain or canyon trail. Santa Fe provides all of these opportunities and more.

This morning you head south, down to Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, with a third of the state’s population. Albuquerque is sprawling at the heart of New Mexico, where the main east – west road and rail routes cross both the Rio Grande and the old road south to Mexico. You cross the Rio Grande and head west – out into the open country and the hues of the Navajo wilderness. You are skirting mesas and bluffs on into Laguna. Further on ride through Grants and along Cibola National Forest towards the famous Route 66 town of Gallup – an old railroad town and Indian stronghold. Enjoy your stay tonight with a host of fellow riders from around the world at one of the many biker friendly hotels in Gallup.

Today is another huge day, full of spectacular scenery and iconic Route 66 stops. We cross the border into Arizona and ride to Petrified Forest National Park, a fossilized prehistoric forest of gigantic trees that has been unearthed by erosion. Here you will have the time to explore this stunning landscape and take a moment to get lost in the expansiveness that defines this area. Leaving Petrified Forest NP, we travel further west to the Wigwam Hotel in Holbrook, and stop to stand on the corner in Winslow! While most groups stop in Flagstaff or Williams, Arizona, we will ride on to spend our night just one mile from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon! Tonight you will sit with a cold drink in your hand and enjoy the sunset over the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The dream is coming true!

For those looking to get a real “Bird’s Eye View” of the Grand Canyon be sure to let us know and we will arrange a morning helicopter ride over the heart of the South Rim. Leaving the Grand Canyon, we will pick Route 66 back up in Williams, Arizona before heading to stops in the famous 66 towns of Seligman, Hackberry and Kingman, and Oatman before arriving at our Laughlin hotel on the shores of the Colorado River.

Today is a quick ride for a little detour to take in the incredible sights and sounds of Las Vegas! Our journey this morning will take us through our first real taste of the Mojave Desert, and a ride across the famous Hoover Dam! One thing is for sure, your time in Vegas may be short, but it will sure be sweet! Try to get a little bit of sleep because we pick up Route 66 tomorrow right where we left off yesterday.

Today we head off for our final destination – the end of the road on the Santa Monica Pier! To get there, however, we first get to ride the 66 miles of the Angeles Crest Highway through the mountainous terrain of Angeles National Forest. This highway is considered one of the top motorcycle rides in southern California and rises to over 2300 meters. Next, we descend the Crest into the Los Angeles Basin and head towards the Pacific Ocean. Riders always have mixed emotions as they stand at the “End of the Trail” sign on the Santa Monica Pier. There is a sense of joy and elation at having completed a journey most people only dream about, and a sense of sadness at the thought of the ride having come to an end. Tonight, we celebrate the miles we’ve ridden and the friends we made as we party together at our Farewell Dinner!

Today your exciting trip will conclude in Los Angeles. Please be sure to let us know if you need an extra night or two in L.A. to enjoy the sights or if you wish to extend your tour with one of our other itineraries.