Top 10 Route 66 Attractions for the Ultimate Road Trip

U.S. Route 66, the Will Rogers Highway or the Mother Road, whatever you choose to call it, it’s the ULTIMATE American road trip. Established in 1926, RT 66 was a major road for people driving between Chicago, California and the many states in between, covering 2448 miles in total.

Whilst the Route 66 no longer serves the same purpose (it has since been replaced as a major route by the U.S. Interstate Highway System), it makes for a fantastic road trip. And some of the original road can be re-traced today, so you can follow in the tyre tracks of those who made the road famous.

At Bon Voyage we have helped many people make this trip unforgettable. Here’s 10 Route 66 attractions you have to do on your fly drive holiday:

 

1. Enjoy the views across Chicago from the Willis Tower Skydeck. Chicago is a classic place to start your Route 66 adventure. Recover from your 9+ hour from London before hitting the road and enjoy a full day in the buzzing city. Once you’ve seen the views from the ground level, head up the Willis Tower to the look over the city from the 103rd floor. The Skydeck boasts a Ledge which stretches out 4.3 feet from the building, complete with a transparent floor so you can see right down to the street below. Probably not one for those who are scared of heights!

2. Cross the historic Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge. Next on your RT 66 road trip is a cross into St. Louis, Missouri over the Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge. St Louis boasts some super cool diners, and there’s also another chance to view the sights from above by taking a lift to the top of the Gateway Arch, giving you spectacular views of the Mississippi River.

 

3. Get your music fix in “The Live Music Entertainment Capital of the World”. Whilst your journey takes you through Missouri, you may wish to take a pit stop in Branson to catch some live music or a show. You’ll be met with a whole host of theatres, pubs and music halls, plus many attractions, including the Branson Scenic Railway and Branson Zipline.

 

4. Cruise in a stylish convertible. If you’re looking to complete the entire Route 66 journey, you’ll need to allow for a full 14+ days, and this will mean driving every day. At Bon Voyage we would recommend a roomy, comfortable car for the trip. However, we can also arrange for you to have a convertible for part of the journey – Las Vegas to Santa Monica, for example. Oklahoma boasts the longest stretch of original Route 66 miles, and here you’ll start to enjoy a beautiful change in landscape, from the rich croplands of the Midwest, to the red, dry and dusty Southwest.

 

5. Enjoy the scenery in the Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas. You’ll soon cross into Texas, where you can enjoy the best scenery in the beautiful Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the second largest canyon in America. Here you’ll learn about the Apache, Kiowa and Comanche tribes who took refuge here. Whilst you’re there you can camp for the night, and explore the canyon by foot, mountain bike or even on horseback.

 

6. Leave your mark, if only for a few hours. The Cadillac Ranch has become a popular stop when travelling the Mother Road. Made up simply of 10 cars stuck in the dirt and decorated in layers upon layers of graffiti, it’s certainly something you won’t see everyday. Enjoy the sight from the sidelines, or grab a spray can and get involved. But don’t get disheartened if someone comes along and sprays directly over your art, unfortunately it’s inevitable!

 

7. Take a classic holiday photo (or 66). There’s no doubt that you’ll fly home with many new memories having crossed through eight states and three time zones. But there’s also a lot of iconic pictures waiting to be snapped. Tucumcari, is a must-do stop photo favourite, with the ’66 neon signs and that historic Tee Pee Trading Post. And it’s not long before you head into New Mexico, known fondly as The Land of Enchantment, with the second longest stretch of original Route 66 highway and perhaps the most unique roadside landscape. Make sure you’ve packed spare camera batteries!

 

8. Meteor Crater. Before you rush off to see the Grand Canyon (that’s next up, we promise), take a pit stop at the fascinating Meteor Crater, approximately 30 miles from Holbrook, Arizona. The 500 foot deep hole was created by a meteorite 22,000 years ago. Not quite as impressive as the Grand Canyon, but certainly an attraction to make time for.

 

9. The Grand Canyon. Told you we’d get there eventually. Also in the state of Arizona and number 9 on our list is possibly our favourite stop en route, and how could it not be? The Grand canyon is an incredible 277 miles long and 6,000 feet deep. It’s a natural wonder of the world and an absolute must-see attraction on every Route 66 road trip. Words cannot describe how big, beautiful and truly impressive this sight is. You really need to see it for yourself…

 

10. The Neon Museum in Las Vegas. This one is technically off track, but how could you not make a pitstop in Vegas when you’ve come all that way? Love it or hate it, it’s certainly an experience and the Neon Museum is worth a visit. Quite simply it’s a collection of Las Vegas signs displayed for educational, historic, arts and cultural enrichment. The Neon Museum is only available for hour-long guided tours, so make sure you book.

Then, before you know it you’ll have passed through the Mojave desert, over mountains and through the lush inland valleys of California, where you will reach the bright lights of Hollywood and the beautiful beaches of Santa Monica. It’s here that your Route 66 trip must come to an end, and you can enjoy a dip in the beautiful Pacific Ocean before getting a flight home.

Would you like to find out more about booking your dream Route 66 trip? We help people plan USA holidays every day!
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Why a multi-centre holiday to America will be one of the best holidays of your life

Lots of people head off to America every year for their annual holiday. Many people fall in love with one destination and continue to visit year after year, while others like to go somewhere new each time. But what if you could visit more than one place on the same holiday? Multi-centre holidays to the USA give you exactly that option. Why stay in one place when you can visit two or more on the same trip?

New options

For those who have gone for a multi-centre trip in the past, places like Los Angeles and San Francisco have been popular options, but many people don’t even entertain the idea of going interstate. Las Vegas, Nevada is a common bolt-on for holidaymakers checking out California, but would these people consider going further to say, New York or Washington D.C.?

The Presidential Mansion.

The USA is huge and every state has something dramatically different to offer, so why not make the most of it and visit a couple or even three different destinations during your holiday? Renting a car or RV (recreational vehicle) to drive down Route 66 is one method of fitting in several states, but pre-arranged tours and internal flights are other options available that continue to increase in popularity. If you want to see it all, a multi-centre trip to America really is the best way to do it.

So many destinations, so little time…

When you book a USA multi-centre trip, you’ll soon discover that the combinations of destinations are endless. You will easily find yourself booking to visit places that you may not have previously even considered. Perhaps you had never given much thought to seeing the fall in New England, but if you’re planning to visit the Big Apple, New England is only a five-hour drive away. Rent a car or book a connecting flight and experience the local culture, stunning scenery and a completely different America to the one that awaits you in New York City.

Perhaps you’ve always been a sun-worshipper and frequented the Florida Keys to top up your tan each year. Why not team a few days there with an action-packed break in Los Angeles as well? You’ll have a sun-drenched holiday, complete with sightseeing, shopping and something a little different – a unique holiday that you’ll treasure for a lifetime.

Or how about the Deep South? Considered by many as the soul of America, the likes of Tennessee and Louisiana are famed for both their music and food, as well as a rich history. You can spend time visiting Graceland and the New Orleans School of Cooking, as well as taking a river cruise on a Mississippi Steamer. Then, head on up to the cosmopolitan city of Chicago to check out the Chicago Blues nightlife, the Sears Tower Skydeck and shop on the Magnificent Mile. You really will get an eye-opening tour of the musical heart of America.

Why multi-centre is better

If you book a holiday to just one destination, it stands to reason that your holiday activities can be limited to those available in your chosen destination. But have you considered, for example, that you could book a winter break and ski for the first half then relax on a warm beach in California or Hawaii before returning home? How about exploring the unspoiled wonders of nature in the National Parks then living it up in Las Vegas or shop-til-you-drop in Chicago, New York or Los Angeles? Opting for a multi-centre trip, things are blown wide open. Not only do you get to do the sightseeing in completely different cities, but you also get to embrace the contrasting cultures along the way.

Multi-centre trips will give you a whole different perspective on your annual holiday and allow you to tick more places off of your destination bucket list as well. Why sample the local cuisine of one city, when you can tick off three instead? These sorts of holidays mean you don’t quite know what’s coming next and you can have some of the most wonderful adventures of your life.

USA multi-centre trips are an increasingly popular choice for honeymooners as well, and with good reason. If you both have somewhere ideal in mind that you want to visit and just can’t seem to completely agree, a honeymoon that features different destinations is the perfect compromise. You can do the busy sightseeing in the cities of New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco or Washington D.C. and finish off with a relaxing week on the beautiful beaches of Miami, Los Angeles or Hawaii. With a combination like that, who can argue? You’re guaranteed to have the honeymoon of a lifetime.

And if you’re just booking your annual holiday? Well, if you can please everyone, then all the better. So what are you waiting for? Next time you start browsing for holidays to America, take a cross-section of different places across the United States and go for something totally different. We guarantee it’ll be one of the best holidays of your life.

 

Where Will You Get Your Holiday Kicks in 2015?

It’s a bit early in the year to be declaring a winner, but the current leader of the pack for top American holiday pick for seasoned travellers for 2014 is a Route 66 roadtrip. In this video our very own Theresa Young, American-in-residence at Bon Voyage and Route 66 expert talks about the Route itself, where it goes and what there is to see along the way.

So will you be making 2015 the year of the Great American Route 66 Roadtrip?

Bon Voyage in 2012.

Alan Wilson, here, Managing Director of Bon Voyage.   I wanted to bring you up to date
on some of the new ideas and happenings for holidays this year to the USA and Canada.

Our Route 66 holidays go from strength to strength.  Since the Billy Connolly TV series last year we have been inundated with people wishing to make this most famous of all American road trips from Chicago to Los Angeles.  For me one of the great attractions of the trip is that it begins in the great city of Chicago, with its music influences, chequered history and amazing architecture and finishes in the fabulous California beach resort of Santa Monica, of Baywatch fame.  Add to the mix the nostalgia of the sights and scenes along the way, the opportunity to take detours to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas and it has all the makings of a truly wonderful adventure.

For many, a road trip is all about your wheels and this is where we have exciting news.  For the first time we’re able to offer the iconic Ford Mustang convertible as a guaranteed option on Route 66. I should emphasise that the Mustang is a two person experience but there’s nothing quite like an open top on the open road.  Well I say there’s nothing like it but actually our next option is Route 66 on a Harley Davidson motorbike, or even a trike like the one Billy Connolly rode in the TV series.  We will tailor-make your own journey or we can arrange for you to join a group departure.  Give us a call for all the details and prices.

Other new or nearly new thoughts for your next Bon Voyage holiday include a bicycling tour in New England, log cabin stays in the Great Smoky Mountains or maybe one of the great North American rail journeys.  For me there is nothing to beat the thrill of a trip like the Coast Starlight journey all the way from Southern California and up through Oregon and into Washington State.  There are the dramatic snow-covered peaks of the Cascade Range and Mount Shasta, lush forests, fertile valleys and long stretches of Pacific Ocean shoreline.  Having feasted on the views by day and dined well you retire to your very comfortable sleeping car and awake to the drama of Puget Sound and arrival into the superb city of Seattle.  Magical.

Finally let me mention some important information for those of you planning a holiday to North America in the near future.  Right now and until close of business next Tuesday 24^th January our prices are based on air fares that have been reduced by up to £200 per person.

In order to get the New Year off to a great start we negotiated these lower rates
for British Airways, Virgin, United, American – in fact almost all the big TransAtlantic airlines.

To take advantage of the reduced prices we have to have your booking in by next
Tuesday.  I don’t want to rush you into anything if you’re at the early stages of planning a
trip but if you have reached or are close to deciding your travel plans for this year, it will make sense to speak to us in the next few days.

The team are waiting to help so call us free on 0800 980 7091 or email Bon Voyage.

Happy New Year to you from everyone at Bon Voyage.

Hog Heaven – Where Eagles Ride.

Zabriskie Point, Death Valley, 46C, busted starter, motor ticking over rock steady. “Hotter than a snake’s ass in a wagon rut”.

This article was written by Bon Voyage customers – Geoff and Ali Cadman – who travelled on an “EagleRider” organised Harley tour of western America in 2004, and is reproduced on TheBonVoyageBlog with their kind permission. The stunning photographs are their own, and all rights are reserved.

I think Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride” was much better than their more popular song “Born to be Wild”, which was rather hi-jacked by the media to become something of a cliché when dealing with any story that revolved around the motorcycle `lifestyle`. I suppose it’s just that I am a dedicated biker and have been one since just before the release of the iconic film  `Easy Rider`. I’m also English, I ride a Harley Davidson, but I also own a BMW motorcycle so I’m not the sort that would ordinarily get all misty-eyed when a travel programme does a motorcycle feature and uses the obligatory, `Born to be Wild` as an intro! I reiterate, not ordinarily.