RIDING ROUTE 66 - The Chicago to LA Tour & Rally A GUIDED MOTORCYCLE & AUTO TOUR & RALLY DAILY TOUR ITINERARY Friday, August 27 to Saturday, September 11, 2021 Day 1: Friday, August 27: Arrive in Chicago, Illinois The Riding Route 66 - Chicago to LA Tour officially kicks off today! Participants will spend the early part of the day traveling to Chicago and arriving at Willowbrook, IL. Those who will be flying in and need to rent a Harley, or a vehicle, will need to do so in the afternoon. Your ground transportation is your responsibility. All participants/passengers and motorcycles/vehicles will need to be checked in at the Hotel prior to 6:00 p.m. After Check-In participants and/or passengers will be free until we meet for dinner and drinks at 7:30 p.m. to get better acquainted, enjoy dinner/refreshments along with an introductory presentation about pertinent information and features and tips of the Tour from your Tour Guide(s). Day 2: Saturday, August 28: Willowbrook, Illinois to Chicago, Illinois & Return Approximately 85 miles Today is a newly added day to allow those who cannot arrive on Friday to arrive or those interested in visiting downtown Chicago, IL, to do so. Eat at Lou Mitchell’s, travel the Route 66 Loop, visit the End of Route 66 Signpost and the Begin Route 66 Signpost, Grant Park, the Miracle Mile and return down Ogden Ave/Route 66, maybe stop for photos at Henry’s Hot Dogs, Castle Car Wash or Steak n’ Egger ... and enjoy a little Route 66 experience Chicago-style. Dinner tonight will be at the famous Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket back in Willowbrook, IL. Day 3: Sunday, August 29: Willowbrook, Illinois to Springfield, Illinois Approximately 200 miles After a short safety briefing and receiving information of the highlights of the days travels, it’s time to climb onto the saddle and head southwest through Joliet, IL, before beginning our trek across the Land of Lincoln. We will be following the path of the historic route and experiencing many Route 66 icons along the way, including a stop to pay tribute to the Gemini Giant Muffler Man in Wilmington, IL. Then we will enjoy Lunch at an authentic, and recently renovated, Route 66 eatery in Dwight Then it’s off through Odell and on into Pontiac, where lots of Route 66 abounds. Next we join the super-slab on the way to Funks Grove before entering Atlanta, the home of Tall Paul! The group rejoins the super-slab for the last leg of today’s journey that will end in Springfield, IL at the Hotel, followed by dinner/refreshments at Motorheads. Day 4: Monday, August 30: Springfield, Illinois to St. Louis, Missouri Approximately 175 miles An early visit to the Cozy Drive-In prepares us for another great day along this famous old highway. Our travels will take us along the original Portland cement path of the 1918 Illinois State Route 4 (the 1926 -1930 alignment of 66) to Pawnee Junction, then we turn west to cross over a 1.4 mile section of early brick paving of 66. Then on through Auburn, Virden and Nilwood before proudly riding into the quaint, brick paved square of Carlinville. The group returns to the 1930 -1940 alignment of 66 in Litchfield just in time for Lunch. After lunch, we travel through Mt. Olive on the way to a visit with Rich at his Ra66it Ranch in Staunton, IL. Leaving Staunton, the group follows the old road through Hamel, Edwardsville and Mitchell to a scenic view of the majestic Chain of Rocks Bridge. We then cross over the mighty Mississippi and into Missouri. After skirting around St. Louis we end our travels for today on “The Hill”, famous for it’s Italian Restaurants, on the way to our Hotel for the night. After Dinner, we visit a “cool” icon of old Route 66 located on Chippewa Street. Day 5: Tuesday, August 31: St. Louis, Missouri to Lebanon, Missouri Approximately 175 miles After covering some two-lane 66 and old motels and neon signs through Webster Groves and Crestwood, we join the super-slab as we head westward and enter the beautiful Ozarks of Missouri. Today’s tour features a superb ride along two-lane 66 through several small towns from Pacific to Cuba before joining the super-slab into Rolla where the group will enjoy a unique culinary treat for Lunch. Heading further west on 66, the group encounters some early four-lane 66, the famous Hooker Cut and Devil’s Elbow. Ready for some more two-lane 66 across the Missouri Ozarks? No problem. The tour follows old 66 through Waynesville, Buckhorn, Gascozark, Hazelgreen with a stop at an endangered historic Route 66 bridge Then we head for Lebanon where we will hold-up for the night at an authentic 1945 Route 66 period Motel. Day 6: Wednesday, September 1: Lebanon, Missouri to Miami, Oklahoma Approximately 185 miles Today, after a stop at a Route 66 Museum, a combination of I-44 and the old two-lane roadbed is placed behind us on the way to Springfield, Missouri. Beyond Springfield, the old highway heads west toward the famous Gary Turner’s Sinclair Station. Just like a very pleasant step back in time, old 66 continues through the scenic Ozark countryside along an old roadbed that has dependably served our country for over 90+ years. Lunch is in Carthage at an old Diner before we push west and over the Whoopee Bridge and past the 66 Drive-In Theatre toward Joplin and the State of Kansas. The path of old 66 entering Kansas winds through the Hell’s Half Acre area and into the sleepy coal mining town of Galena. After a pit stop at Cars on the Route, the hunt is on for the only remaining Marsh Arch Bridge located on Route 66. Baxter Springs is the final town along the mere 13.2 miles of old 66 through Kansas and then we cross into Oklahoma and our first glimpse of Native American country. On through Quapaw (pronounced O-Gah-Pah), Commerce and Miami (pronounced Mi-am-ah) where we stop for the night. Tonight’s Dinner will be Bison Burgers at a 1965 survivor of old Route 66! Ku Ku! Day 7: Thursday, September 2: Miami, Oklahoma to Bethany, Oklahoma Approximately 200 miles In 1926, from Miami to Afton, 66 consisted of a paved road that was only 9’ wide. Today, a rare and surviving section of that original roadbed may still be carefully experienced. Buffalo’s anyone? Then on through Vinita, Chelsea, Foyil, Claremore and on to Catoosa where the world famous Blue Whale waits on us! Once in the saddle again, we travel along Tulsa’s Route 66 on the way to Lunch. Buck Atom’s and the historic Meadow Gold neon sign is our next stop before a stop at the Cyrus Avery Centennial Park and 11th Street Bridge. On we head west through Sapulpa, along some original Ozark Trail, through Bristow and Stroud to then view the only remaining Ozark Trail Obelisk on Route 66. Next through Chandler and then on to Arcadia, passing a Round Barn and stopping at Pop’s!. Entering “Oklahoma City … is mighty pretty”, as we join some super-slab again, then once on NW 39th Expressway, a few old neon signs along the old highways flanks return as we head toward our Hotel and a well deserved and tasty dinner! Day 8: Friday, September 3: Bethany, Oklahoma to Amarillo, Texas Approximately 256 miles West of Bethany, we travel through Yukon and El Reno where we will experience a scenic ride along a pristine 1931 Portland cement roadbed on our way west to Weatherford. Next up is Clinton where we will stop at the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum & Gift Shop. We then encounter more 1931 Portland cement roadbed. Between Clinton and Sayre, the historic alignment has been severed many times by I-40 construction, so we will travel as much as we can before heading for a surprise Hillbilly Luncheon in Erick, the Redneck Capital of the World!. Next up is Texola and then we cross over into The Lone Star State where the roadbed is long and straight through Shamrock and through McLean. A stop at Alanreed, prepares us for the long super-slab ride into Amarillo and the end of another perfect day along the old and historic Route 66! Day 9: Saturday, September 4: Amarillo, Texas to Santa Rosa, New Mexico Approximately 175 miles Amarillo has many hidden jewels that most Route 66 Travelers completely miss experiencing however, we will travel Amarillo Boulevard and see the old businesses and neon signs and then make some stops along Historic SW 6th Street, the original alignment through Amarillo, before heading west to the Cadillac Ranch. Spray cans ready … yes, we will spray and “brand” the #2 Cadillac! Photos! Heading west along side of I-40, Route 66 allures us into a world of our own as we forget about the mindless rush of the cars and trucks on the super-slab. The famous Midpoint Café is our Lunch stop today where we celebrate the midpoint of our Riding Route 66 Tour. Time for the super-slab on our way to the ghost town Glenrio with its four lane divided road. Entering New Mexico’s Big Sky Country prompts us for a stop at Russell’s and their Auto Museum! Traveling along the old 66 alignments as we head west is the same way millions of folks have migrated/traveled west over the decades is truly humbling.