MinnesoTristan
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2020
My best friend and I are planning a Route 66 road trip, with another friend potentially joining us. I have seen much more of the East than the West, so I thought I would post our tentative itinerary here for feedback and suggestions from people who have traveled the Mother Road. We are coming from Minneapolis, MN, plus Appleton and Waukesha, Wisconsin, so we would be meeting at my parents' house near Milwaukee and starting the trip from there. We were originally going to drive west and fly back east but decided that we're not ready to fly yet. Driving would eliminate the one-way rental car and flight home, even though it means more driving and less time at our destination. We also decided that we would take the freeway most of the distance, and do stretches of the original highway in the southwest, like New Mexico and Arizona. We also swapped out Saint Louis for Kansas City, to add Iowa and Kansas to the trip, and decided to take a different way home to add Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska. Lastly, the places in parentheses are regional fast-food chains that are unique to the states we're visiting. I was working off a list I found online, this is an area where I'm especially interested in suggestions. The actual travel time worked out to be about eight hours a day for four days in each direction, which would allow time for roadside attractions. I'm better at planning the logistics (and where to eat) than I am at finding off the beaten path destinations to visit, so open to ideas in this area too.
Thursday, March 18: Travel day to Milwaukee
Friday, March 19: Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri
1:35 - Milwaukee to Chicago (Portillo’s)
5:02 - Chicago to Des Moines (Pancheros)
2:55 - Des Moines to Kansas City (Lion’s Choice)
9:32 Total
Saturday, March 20: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas
2:59 - Kansas City to Wichita (Freddy’s)
2:25 - Wichita to Oklahoma City (Taco Bueno)
3:54 - Oklahoma City to Amarillo (Torchy’s Tacos)
9:18 Total
Sunday, March 21: New Mexico, Arizona
4:18 - Amarillo to Albuquerque (Twister’s)
4:48 - Albuquerque to Flagstaff (Raising Cane’s)
9:06 Total
Monday, March 22: California
Side Trip to Grand Canyon
7:07 - Flagstaff to Los Angeles (In-N-Out)
Tuesday, March 23: Southern California
Possible things I want to do on our day off from driving include plane-spotting at the In 'n' Out by LAX, the Redondo Beach pier which was a filming location for one of my favorite shows, the O.C., the Griffith Park Observatory, and the Getty Center. I know Los Angeles is very spread out and we might not make it to everything, so I'm interested in suggestions for this day.
Wednesday, March 24: Nevada, Utah
4:04 - Los Angeles to Las Vegas (Taco Time)
4:07 - Las Vegas to Richfield
8:12 Total
Thursday, March 25: Colorado
3:17 - Richfield to Grand Junction
3:56 - Grand Junction to Denver (Good Times)
7:13 Total
Friday, March 26: Nebraska
7:54 - Denver to Omaha (Runza)
Saturday, March 27:
2:02 - Omaha to Des Moines
5:35 - Des Moines to Milwaukee (Kopps)
7:37 Total
Sunday, March 28: Travel Home from Milwaukee
States Visited: 14
Thursday, March 18: Travel day to Milwaukee
Friday, March 19: Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri
1:35 - Milwaukee to Chicago (Portillo’s)
5:02 - Chicago to Des Moines (Pancheros)
2:55 - Des Moines to Kansas City (Lion’s Choice)
9:32 Total
Saturday, March 20: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas
2:59 - Kansas City to Wichita (Freddy’s)
2:25 - Wichita to Oklahoma City (Taco Bueno)
3:54 - Oklahoma City to Amarillo (Torchy’s Tacos)
9:18 Total
Sunday, March 21: New Mexico, Arizona
4:18 - Amarillo to Albuquerque (Twister’s)
4:48 - Albuquerque to Flagstaff (Raising Cane’s)
9:06 Total
Monday, March 22: California
Side Trip to Grand Canyon
7:07 - Flagstaff to Los Angeles (In-N-Out)
Tuesday, March 23: Southern California
Possible things I want to do on our day off from driving include plane-spotting at the In 'n' Out by LAX, the Redondo Beach pier which was a filming location for one of my favorite shows, the O.C., the Griffith Park Observatory, and the Getty Center. I know Los Angeles is very spread out and we might not make it to everything, so I'm interested in suggestions for this day.
Wednesday, March 24: Nevada, Utah
4:04 - Los Angeles to Las Vegas (Taco Time)
4:07 - Las Vegas to Richfield
8:12 Total
Thursday, March 25: Colorado
3:17 - Richfield to Grand Junction
3:56 - Grand Junction to Denver (Good Times)
7:13 Total
Friday, March 26: Nebraska
7:54 - Denver to Omaha (Runza)
Saturday, March 27:
2:02 - Omaha to Des Moines
5:35 - Des Moines to Milwaukee (Kopps)
7:37 Total
Sunday, March 28: Travel Home from Milwaukee
States Visited: 14