Route 66

OC_Subiewrench · Post by **OC_Subiewrench** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 7:34 pm

So the Family and I have our sights on doing as much of Route 66 as possible in the summer of '08 . We're hoping to have a classic station wagon by then , but if not we'll probably be in the good ol' Subaru . We will be jumping off at the beginning in Chicago .
So , my point is , anyone have any insight into some ghost towns or points of intrest to reccomend ? Has anyone here attempted this ?

BROUSER · Post by **BROUSER** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 7:53 pm

I briefly considered trying it when my wife and I made a sojourn to the Grand Canyon/Bryce Canyon/Colorado Springs, but with that kind of itinerary in a week's time, I had to pass. I'd love to do it. When you hit Springpatch, MO, holler.

OC_Subiewrench · Post by **OC_Subiewrench** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:21 pm

We're shooting for 3 weeks to accomplish all we can . Where in MO is Springpatch?

BROUSER · Post by **BROUSER** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 4:37 am

SW corner, between Rolla and Joplin. Not far from Bug Tussle.

Split · Post by **Split** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:50 am

I tried this once. Not from Chicago, but on my trip out west. I drove on it mostly in Arizona I believe. I had a hard time trying to stay on the damn thing. I did not have an official "Route 66" map. I was going by the signs off the interstate.

I watched something on PBS the other day about Route 66 in Missouri. Devil's Elbow
off 44, EAST (accidently stated West earlier) of Springfield seemed to be pretty cool. I think Spencer (in between Springfield and Joplin) might still have some of the original pavement layed down.

Cadillac Ranch in the Texas panhandle looks like a cool place to see. I missed that on my trip out west unfortunatly.

However I did not miss the Meteor Crater in Arizona. I don't believe this is off route 66, but it's not far from it. Definatly worth checking out. I took the free way when I went. Not freeway, but free way. The way to go so you don't have to pay to see the crater

. I drove my car past the entrance and found a dirt service road kinda thing. I took it as far as I could, then started walk, or run I should say towards the edge of the crater. I was scared of getting caught, but seeing it from the observatory just wasn't good enough for me. I finally made it up to the edge of the crater and it took my break away. I was not expecting it to be so deep. I took some pictures (which i'll try to find and post later) and got outta there. It was a great experience.

This is where I got a couple of the links. http://wikitravel.org/en/Route_66 There is a lot of cool info on Route 66 there.

Willard · Post by **Willard** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 11:44 am

Devil's Elbow is actually east of Springfield. It's between Rolla and Fort Leonard Wood.

Since highschool I've been wanting to do a Route 66 trip (hehe 8 years is a long time) but I just never have the money or time to do so. I've driven the entire road (and various alignments) between Rolla and Joplin. Halfway between the Phillipsburg exit and the Conway exit is where I-44 is the old US 66 Hwy. This alignment goes all the way to about half way between the Marshfield Exit and the Red Top Exit where it originally hooked back up with the original Hwy. The current I-44 alignment was created in the 1940's to bypass Marshfield, Niagua Junction and Conway due to that section of 66 being curvey in several places. The older highway in these areas is very far away from Interstate and makes for a nice country drive. A mild point of interest along the Interstate route between these two points is the exit between the Conway and Marshfield exits. Near this farm road exit (just East of it) is an abandoned gas station circa 1940's vintage. This is a left over from the old 66 days. It faces the interstate and probably at one time had an entrance off the highway. It's pretty much a shell now.

Also Devils Elbow is really neat to see. The highway was realigned twice through there. The orignial 66 turned south of the old concrete 4 lane and it wound it's way around, in the 1940's a new more strait alignment was put in and it was 4-lane. It blasted through a hill near the town of Hooker and the rock cut is called the Hooker Cut and was the deepest highway rock cut at the time it was built. They even had postcards made of it. This 4-lane was the last section of US 66 to be bypassed by I-44 concidering that it was 4 lane. Heading west bound you can see the 4 lane on the eastern end where it was cut off and heading east bound you can see the western end where it was cut off.

Also out west of Carthage on old 66 is the reopened 66 Drive-In theater. Check it out!

OC_Subiewrench · Post by **OC_Subiewrench** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:24 am

Wow , looks like I came to the right place for first hand information ! Thank you guys ! Looks like I'll have to get one of those official maps , I've found them online . Guess it'll be worth the purchase.

Willard · Post by **Willard** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 12:11 pm

OC_Subiewrench wrote:Wow , looks like I came to the right place for first hand information ! Thank you guys ! Looks like I'll have to get one of those official maps , I've found them online . Guess it'll be worth the purchase.

Not nessesarilly, I have yet to find a US 66 map that was very accurate. I could make you a few from some topo maps by highlighting the actual road and what not.

Split · Post by **Split** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 3:29 pm

Well if you decide to do such a nice thing, go ahead and include me in on those...

OC_Subiewrench · Post by **OC_Subiewrench** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 6:50 pm

That would be delightful!

Willard · Post by **Willard** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:46 pm

There is a condition though... all I ask it to be reembursed for the cost of the map... all labor is free of charge.

I will say that there are areas where the highway was realigned up to 5 times (it used to go north-south thorugh Albiqurquie and was later changed to east-west... that's why Warner Bros. had Bugs Bunny always doing that "wrong turn at Albiqurquie joke) I are no spell... a large lenght of State Hwy 4 in Illinois was the original route for US 66 also.

I'll tell you up front that I'll include all routes and the dates of service for each. This will make your trip kind of a "Choose Your Own Adventure" trip.

OC_Subiewrench · Post by **OC_Subiewrench** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:52 pm

Sounds fair enough! How much we lookin' at so I can set it aside? It sounds like you have alot of knowlege about this system . I'll also have to tell my dad about the whole "wrong turn" gag , he's a huge looney toons fan..

Watcher · Post by **Watcher** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:53 am

http://www.legendsofamerica.com is a pretty good web site about Route 66. Good luck on your trip.

Willard · Post by **Willard** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:32 am

I have a little disapointing news... the topo maps are cheap but with as many as I would have to buy to span the whole country I don't think it's going to be very cost effective. I'm still checking into things and I'll keep you posted... sorry very busy with school right now too so getting them bought is taking longer then I thought.

OC_Subiewrench · Post by **OC_Subiewrench** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:45 pm

It's cool man . Cost effective is the way to go . Good luck with school..

Underground Ozarks

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