Stay : Route 66, Grand Canyon and Las Vegas
This course is an extension of the Route 66 with 2 additional days dedicated to the visit of the Grand Canyon (south shore) and Las Vegas. An entire day is planned to visit Chicago, and two more days are reserved to discover Los Angeles and its region (Pasadena, Santa Monica and Downtown Los Angeles).
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
21 days
€€€ - Luxury
Detail of the stay : Route 66, Grand Canyon and Las Vegas - 21 days
Day 1: Departure from Paris, arrival in Chicago
Steps: Chicago
Arrival in Chicago at the end of the day and moving to the hotel.
Day 2: Visit of Chicago
Steps: Chicago
Prioritize the starting points and arrival points of the Route 66. Visit The Grant Park and Millennium Park. Enjoy the sound and light of Buckingham Fountain (day and night). Climb at the top of the Navy Pier or visit one of the other museums in the city, such as the Chicago.
THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO / WILLIS TOWER - SKYDECK CHICAGO / MILLENNIUM PARK / GRANT PARK / NAVY PIER / CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM / MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY (M.S.I.)
Day 3: Chicago-Bloomington. 214 km (133 miles)
Steps: Joliet, Wilmington, Odell, Bloomington, Pontiac
Take over of the rental vehicle and departure for the journey. In Joliet, Wilmington, make a photo session in front of your first giant (Gemini Giant) of the Route 66. Stop at Odell for its beautiful 1932 standard service station. Pontiac offers several museums to visit and beautiful mural frescoes. It will also be your first meeting with Bob Waldmire, an artist on the Route 66. Night in Bloomington.
RIALTO SQUARE THEATER
Day 4: Bloomington-St. Louis. 178 miles (286 km)
Steps: Springfield, Madison, Lincoln, Edwardsville, Atlanta, Chatham, Auburn, St Louis
Take some time in Atlanta, with its other Route 66 giant (Paul Bunyan's Giant) and its many murals. In Lincoln as in Springfield, Abraham Lincoln is honored. The Oak Ridge Cemetery, his burial place, is a must-see. Between Chatham and Auburn, discover an original section of Route 66, still paved, which you can drive for 1.4 miles; a treat! When you get to St. Louis, don't miss the Mustang Corral in Edwardsville or the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. In St. Louis, check out the Arch. Overnight in St. Louis.
Day 5: Saint-Louis-Springfield. 370 km (230 miles)
Steps: Springfield, Stanton, Devil'S Elbow, Cuba, Rolla, Meramec Caverns, Bourbon, St James
At the exit of Saint-Louis, you will discover the beginning of the Goddaer Mountains. At Stanton, the Meramec Caverns deserve a visit. Then go through the towns of Bourbon, Cuba, Saint James and Devil's Elbow Bridge, superb. At Springfield, spend a pleasant night at the 66 Rail Haven.
Day 6: Springfield-Tulsa. 327 km (203 miles)
Steps: Halltown, Carthage, Paris Springs, Carterville, Galena, Claremore, Catoosa, Miami, Tulsa
Halltow and its Whitehall Mercantile, as well as Paris Springs and its Sinclair station will be your first stops. Following Carthage, with its courthouse and drive-in cinema, then Carterville, for its old cars exposed in the street, including a model truck that inspired the designers of the cartoon Cars. By passing to Kansas, make a short stop at Galena and Cars on The Route. In Oklahoma, take a good half an hour to discover the Miami frescoes, go to Claremore to visit the Will Rogers Memorial Museum then, before arriving at Tulsa, take a photo break in front of the blue whale of {7}Catoosa{/7}. Night in Tulsa.
WILL ROGERS MEMORIAL MUSEUM / CARS ON THE ROUTE / WHITEHALL MERCANTILE / THE BLUE WHALE
Day 7: Tulsa-Weatherford. 198 miles (319 km)
Steps: Arcadia, Tulsa, Chandler, Arcadia, Oklahoma City, Hydro, Bridgeport, Warwick
Don't leave Tulsa without seeing the Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza on your way out of town. Chandler, with its Route 66 Interpretative Center, and Warwick, with the Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum, are must-sees. A little farther on, the Round Barn inArcadia will no doubt impress you. Try to get to the National Cow Boy & Western Heritage Museum by lunchtime, so you can combine an excellent buffet with a very interesting tour of the site. Shortly before Bridgeport, crossing the Pony Bridge will leave you with an unforgettable memory. At Hydro, take a photo stop in front of Lucille's Service Station.
Day 8: Weatherford-Amarillo. 197 miles (317 km)
Steps: Amarillo, Shamrock, Groom, Lebanon, Clinton, Elk City
In the morning, before crossing the Texas border, visit the Route 66 museums in Clinton andElk City. Both are complementary and very well designed. For lunch, stop in Shamrock and admire its beautiful Art Deco Tower Station & U-Drop Inn Café. In Groom, check out the leaning water tower and go to the foot of the largest cross in the U.S., 58 meters high. As for Amarillo, the Cadillac Ranch (visit to be scheduled the next day on the way out) and the Big Texan Steak Ranch are the two places not to be missed.
CADILLAC RANCH / ROUTE 66 MUSEUM / TOWER STATION & U-DROP INN CAFÉ / CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
Day 9: Amarillo-Tucumcari. 182 km (113 miles)
Steps: Vega, Adrian, Tucumcari
For lunch, a stop at the Vega's Boot Hill Saloon is required before observing the few frescoes of the city. At Adrian, halfway from Route 66, stop at Mid Point Café. In Tucumcari, keep time for a walk along the Route 66 which runs through the city in order to shoot the brands of old motels that are waiting for you. Night in Tucumcari.
Day 10: Tucumcari-Santa Fe. 291 km (181 miles)
Steps: Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa, Pecos, Santa Fe, Las Vegas
On the road to Santa Fe, stop at Santa Rosa. The Route 66 Auto Museum is a real gem. Go to Santa Fe with a small hook in Las Vegas (New Mexico, not Nevada) and the Glorieta Pass, which awaits you further, and the battle that took place during the Civil War. At Santa Fe, visit the city centre where you can spend a pleasant evening. Night in Santa Fe.
Day 11: Santa Fe-Gallup. 325 km (202 miles)
Steps: Albuquerque, Grants, Gallup, Laguna, Sky City - Acoma Pueblo, Church Rock
Go to Albuquerque late in the morning for lunch on Central Avenue. 4th Street is the ideal place to stop for admiring the Gallup via Laguna, Grants and Church Rock. On the way, you will cross several pueblos and you also have the opportunity to take a detour through Gallup.
KIMO THEATRE
Day 12: Gallup-Flagstaff. 340 km (211 miles)
Steps: Flagstaff, Petrified Forest National Park, Meteor Crater, Lupton, Holbrook, Winslow, Two Guns, Twin Arrows, Gallup
Soon after leaving Gallup, you will reach Lupton and Arizona. Welcome to the Navajo territory! The landscape becomes desert. Make a stop to visit the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park, which are two sites located in the same national park. Lunch in Holbrook. Take the road by stopping in Winslow and then visit Meteor Crater. Before arriving at Flagstaff, stop at Two Guns and Twin Arrows. Night at Flagstaff.
Day 13: Flagstaff-Grand Canyon. 169 km (105 miles)
Steps: Flagstaff, Grand Canyon National Park
From Flagstaff, go to the of the Grand Canyon by Highway 89. Photo stop throughout the superbb View Drive. Arrival at Grand Canyon Village, settling in a hotel and preparation for an extraordinary sunset.
Day 14: Grand Canyon-Kingman. 306 km (190 miles)
Steps: Hackberry, Kingman, Ash Fork, Seligman, Grand Canyon Caverns
The road back to Route 66 from Williams is straight and fast. Stop at Williams, Ash Fork and Seligman. If you have time, visit Grand Canyon Caverns. Make your way back to Kingman, stopping at the Hackberry General Store. Overnight in Kingman.
HACKBERRY GENERAL STORE
Day 15: Kingman-Las Vegas. 167 km (104 miles)
Steps: San Francisco, Las Vegas
Think of reserving your accommodation on the Internet before you arrive on the spot, and above all, compare prices: hotels make permanent promotions. Start early enough to arrive in Las Vegas late in the morning. Book discounted show tickets at one of the city's Tix 4 Tonight kiosks. Don't hesitate to retrieve discount coupons in one of the free magazines you'll find. Spend the rest of the afternoon visiting the Strip and his palaces. At night, depending on the time of your show, go to Downtown to see the bright show in Fremont Street and discover the old casinos in Vegas. For lunch or dinner, choose from the many buffets offered by the hotels... and use the discount coupons!
Day 16: Las Vegas-Needles. 179 km (111 miles)
Steps: Needles
Profit from your morning for a final tour in casinos that you did not visit the day before. If you haven't yet done so, try your luck with slot machines. Snack on site, take a little good time in the city, then take the Highway 95 to goto Needles which is at less than 2 hours' drive. Arrival in Needles late in the afternoon. Night on site.
Day 17: Needles-Barstow. 266 km (165 miles)
Steps: Newberry Springs, Barstow
Continue your way on the Route 66. The road will be hot and deserted till Newberry Springs. Think of drinking plenty of water and protect yourself from the sun. At Newberry Springs, take a break at Baghdad Café before going ot Barstow. Night in Barstow.
Day 18: Barstow-Pasadena. 208 km (129 miles)
Steps: Pasadena, San Bernardino, Cajon Pass, Barstow, Victorville, Helendale
Leave Barstow early because this day will be long. At the start of the journey, take the road to Helendale and stop at the Bottle Tree Ranch. Once you have crossed Victorville, reach the beautiful Cajon Pass then go to Pasadena. Night in Pasadena.
THE BOTTLE TREE RANCH
Day 19: Pasadena-Santa Monica via Hollywood. 43 km (27 miles)
Steps: San Francisco, Los Angeles
To get to Santa Monica, there are several routes on Route 66 to the north of Downtown Los Angeles. From there, follow Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard, discovering Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Reach Palisades Park and the Santa Monica Pier. You are at the end of the adventure ! Night in Santa Monica.
Day 20: Santa Monica-Los Angeles via Mulholland Drive. 50 km (31 miles)
Steps: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mulholland Drive
For the last day, take the time to discover Mulholland Drive from Santa Monica, then go to Downtown Los Angeles. Don't forget to go to the corner of Broadway and 7th Street, which was the official end of Route 66 until 1936. Night in downtown.
Day 21: Los Angeles-Paris CDG
Getting the rented vehicle back, shopping, last preparation and departure.
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