Route 66 To Disneyland.

[SanFranciscan]

I just finished reading "The Leisure Seeker" about an elderly sick couple's farewell trip from suburban Detroit to Disneyland while following the old Route 66 from the East Coast to the West Coast. They just refuse medical care and take off. The narrator is the wife who describes how much of the "Mother Road" is now closed to traffic and is being taken back by nature.

I do realize that Route 66 no longer officially exists for road maps, etc.; but has anyone taken a road trip down Route 66 lately? How much of it did you travel? What are the conditions you encountered while en route?

 

[NancyK]

I would like to know this as well. I must say that after reading that book a couple of months ago, I thought it would be fun to drive out to California from Ontario, Canada. After all if an elderly couple could drive it from Detroit . . .

 

[Cheshire Figment]

It sounds a little bit difficult and/or fictional.

Especially since Route 66 Eastern terminus point was in Chicago at the Lakefront. And Detroit is quite a bit East of Chicago.

 

[jlmarr]

We've driven bits and pieces of it. I-40 is now the high speed replacement as you might have picked up from "Cars". Oatman, AZ was interesting - still has donkeys wandering the streets. I'm thinking the side road down the Cajon Pass might be interesting, but we haven't tried it. I believe it's Arrow Highway in the San Dimas/Pomona area where you would pick up the 57 freeway to head south to DLR.

 

[Wall-E1]

That book sounds nice. I just added it to my cart on Amazon. I enjoy "road trip" novels. And this one involves Disney. Perfect!

 

[diznygirl]

When in California we lived down the street from "Route 66" or as we called it, Santa Monica Boulevard.

I'd have to check a map, but I believe it ends right there in Santa Monica, so you can't take it to Disneyland.

Not to take away from the book - I haven't read it so I don't know how much they actually talk about the actual route.

 

[jlmarr]

I'd have to check a map, but I believe it ends right there in Santa Monica, so you can't take it to Disneyland.

Right - I was guessing before that Route 66 is Arrow Highway in the San Dimas area, but this site says it's Foothill Boulevard. So that's where you would divert from Route 66 and head south on the 57 freeway to Anaheim and DLR.

The segment between Barstow and Needles is one of the other bits that we've driven. This was long before Cars, but thinking back I wouldn't be surprised if Newberry Springs and Amboy provided some of the inspiration for Radiator Springs.

 

[nd5056]

The Historic Route 66 web site is dedicated to provide free information for those who want to learn more about Route 66. It features a turn-by-turn road description, guiding the visitor from Chicago to Los Angeles. The forum is available for discussions regarding old 66 by the visitors of this site. There's a slide-show, with pictures from our trip down Route 66 in 1994.

As old Route 66 is not indicated on maps nowadays, any serious traveler of U.S. Highway 66 needs a detailed map and guide before hitting the road.

Details HERE: or HERE:

.

 

[luvflorida]

I just finished reading "The Leisure Seeker" about an elderly sick couple's farewell trip from suburban Detroit to Disneyland while following the old Route 66 from the East Coast to the West Coast. They just refuse medical care and take off. The narrator is the wife who describes how much of the "Mother Road" is now closed to traffic and is being taken back by nature.

I do realize that Route 66 no longer officially exists for road maps, etc.; but has anyone taken a road trip down Route 66 lately? How much of it did you travel? What are the conditions you encountered while en route?

I'm going out later and buying this book! Sounds like the kind of book I love to read! I've traveled parts of the old Route 66 (New Mexico and Arizona) and want to follow more of it. In fact, it's one of my New Year's Resolutions as part of my getting out to see more of the West Coast.

I have serveal books about Route 66, and the history of it is fascinating.

 

[lynxstch]

have been looking for something new to read..and this sounds like something I would love!..just placed a hold on it at our library..says it's new to the library..has been checked out 13 times and has no holds but mine,..so by tomorrow I should be reading about this couple's farewell trip to Disneyland!

 

[diznygirl]

Right - I was guessing before that Route 66 is Arrow Highway in the San Dimas area, but this site says it's Foothill Boulevard. So that's where you would divert from Route 66 and head south on the 57 freeway to Anaheim and DLR.

The segment between Barstow and Needles is one of the other bits that we've driven. This was long before Cars, but thinking back I wouldn't be surprised if Newberry Springs and Amboy provided some of the inspiration for Radiator Springs.

Sounds like we need to buy this book to see where they drove.

 

[SanFranciscan]

"The Leisure Seeker" is fiction. While the story of the trip is told by the wife, the book itself is written by a man. Michael Zadoorian. I am not familiar with the highways in Los Angeles, but some of the same streets mentioned here were named in the book. Disneyland was an extension to the old couple's trip. What's the additional distance to Disneyland to people who have just driven across the country?

I remember renting a video from Netflicks about Route 66, and I think there is still a magazine printed for fans of the old road. I have never seen the magazine, but I remember seeing a web site that had subscriptions for sale probably a year ago.

 

[NotUrsula]

"They" drove right by my house. (Well, within 100 yards, anyway.) I live half a block off Historic 66 in Missouri. Our stretch is still a busy road.

 

[KPeveler]

I am in CT, and Rt 66 runs by my house - i dont think i would take it to CA, but still... it still exists!

 

[landshark]

I live in Chicago and I know of an exit for Route 66 off I-55. I've yet to check it out, but I'm sure a decent chunk of it still exists around here.

 

[Straitlover]

When My sister and I visited Ls Vegas, we did a side trip to the Grand Canyon. I saw a sign about Rute 66 soemwhere and we tuned off and stopped at a store. I think it was in the Kingman, AZ area but I don't remember for sure. I just wanted to be able to say I drove on Route 66 - LOL!

 

[Karibeth19]

I live in Oklahoma, and one of our favorite things to do on a sunny weekend afternoon is to take Route 66 from Tulsa to OKC, more specifically to eat at Pops in Arcadia (http://pops66.com/ ). The route takes us through Stroud where the Rock Cafe is located. The owner, Dawn Welch, was the inspiration for the character of Sally in Cars, and the restaurant has two giant cardboard cutouts of Lightening and Sally out front. Unfortunately, the restaurant burned down in 2008, but has been rebuilt and is open for business again. We also drive alongside some of the longest stretches of the original 1930's Route 66 pavement that exist in the country. It's amazing how narrow the road was!!!!! It's a fun drive, but we always wind up taking the Turner Turnpike back home, because it's so much quicker!

 

[PolyndianPrincessJes]

I live in Oklahoma, and one of our favorite things to do on a sunny weekend afternoon is to take Route 66 from Tulsa to OKC, more specifically to eat at Pops in Arcadia (http://pops66.com/ ). The route takes us through Stroud where the Rock Cafe is located. The owner, Dawn Welch, was the inspiration for the character of Sally in Cars, and the restaurant has two giant cardboard cutouts of Lightening and Sally out front. Unfortunately, the restaurant burned down in 2008, but has been rebuilt and is open for business again. We also drive alongside some of the longest stretches of the original 1930's Route 66 pavement that exist in the country. It's amazing how narrow the road was!!!!! It's a fun drive, but we always wind up taking the Turner Turnpike back home, because it's so much quicker!

You beat me to it!! Love Pops!!! I remember they did several stories when Cars came out in theatres.

 

[Karibeth19]

You beat me to it!! Love Pops!!! I remember they did several stories when Cars came out in theatres.

Isn't it great?? I mean, the food's nothing extraordinary, but it's just the experience that makes it so much fun. We go down there a lot; it's a nice way to spend the afternoon as a family.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

DH and I drove a little bit of what is left of Route 66 many years ago. I remember one of the motels with the Tee Pees you can sleep in.