Get Your Kicks on Route 66 - Part I

It's been about a month since my last blog and what a month it's been!. We spent most of August on an amazing journey across the United States and back. We took the world famous Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. This is a trip we've talked about doing for years and it was definitely one I will remember fondly- frankly, there is nothing like a good road trip! Here is the quick and dirty breakdown:



My traveling companions: Patrick & Caitlin

5,231 Total Miles
13 States
3 traveling buddies
1,600,504,211 cows
2 baseball games
1 blue whale
563,231 corn fields
1 bed bug
1,545 windmills
4 muffler men

I'm finding the writing of this blog to go on and on... so I've decided to separate this into two blogs, that way I feel a sense of accomplishment and actually post something today...  So this is Part I of our Route 66 Trip... - I will also be putting the photos on shutterfly - a picture is worth a 1000 words!

The Plan...
Our original plan was to fly to Chicago and rent a car to Sacramento.  It seemed the most logical, saving the driving time from Sacramento to Chicago and putting the least amount of mileage on our vehicle. However, we didn't take into effect the cost of the rental car - which turned out to be more than $5,000... so we then considered the idea of buying a used car in Chicago (hey overall it's cheaper than $5,000) but in the end we decided to extend the length of the trip and use our Ford Explorer. Our son in law, Justin, put steps on the Explorer making it easier to get in and out of, and its fully automated so it really made the trip easier and wound up being the best choice anyway.

The Journey to Chicago, IL
So, the day arrived and in true Timmons fashion we planned to leave about 10am and really wound up leaving at 1pm. So with a full tank of gas, three suitcases, our favorite pillows and a whole lot of snack food, we headed out!  We didn't want to spend too much time getting to Chicago so we put in about 8-10 hours driving each day. We journeyed through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa and into Illinois. Patrick & I have been to Nevada, Utah and Wyoming quite a few times so that was not a new trek for us, but neither of us had ventured into Nebraska or Iowa. So these states were new for us to explore.

Iowa - Beautiful Fields of Corn & Farms

 

It's interesting how we get ideas in our heads about states and what they look like - although I've been through a number of states and we lived back east for a time, I'm still amazed by how incorrect these assumptions often are. Yes, Iowa does have quite a bit of corn fields - but there is something wonderfully beautiful about a farm with a windmill next to a green corn field. Truly picturesque... 



At Antique Archaeology, LeClaire, IA

Caitlin & Patrick at Antique Archaeology

We watch Mike, Frank and Danny of American Pickers on TV, so it was a "no brainer" to stop by their shop outside Davenport, Iowa on the eastern edge of Iowa and check out all the cool stuff and purchase a few items. If you like garage sales, old vintage stuff or the open road this is the show to watch, visit Antique Archaeology. Funny, on the show you get the feel that they are located out in the middle of nowhere in a small town, well that's not true. Antique Archeology, is located in LeClaire right next to the  Mississippi River, such a cute town!

 

 

Chicago: Windy, Traffic, Wrigley Field and Deep Dish!

Lou Malnati's in Chicago

It is true that Chicago is the windy city, I think in most of our photos I look like I've got a rats nest building in my hair. But, that's part of it's charm! Chicago is a busy city with traffic, skyscrapers, people and lots to do! We had delicious deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati - you know the pizza is fantastic when folks line up at the door. It was a wait, but absolutely worth it! For dessert we had a cookie pizza, warm with vanilla ice cream - yep, it's worth moving to Chicago just for this dessert (of course, I'd weigh a couple hundred pounds if I did)! 


Wrigley Field!!

We are big baseball fans, so we never miss an opportunity to see a game and seeing a game at the historic Wrigley Field was something I've wanted to do since I was a child. I grew up in Susanville, CA (about 4 hours north of Sacramento) as a child we got 10 cable channels and one was WGN in Chicago (who knows why). I had no idea where Chicago was, but I watched the Cubs play whenever they were on. So, going to the Cubs game was a highlight for me, we had "Chicago dogs" and watched the Reds beat the Cubs. Bummer, I wanted the Cubs to win. -- We ALWAYS - "root, root, root for the home team!"

After a few days in Chicago, we started the Route 66 journey! Route 66 is the old highway that folks took before the Interstates were created. Route 66 is sometimes known as the Mother Road.  The Disney movie "Cars" is based on a fictional town, known as "Radiator Springs."  The movie tells the story of a town being forgotten after the interstate detoured travelers. The movie is pretty accurate, in that many of these little towns closed up or had to find other means of existence.  Radiator Springs was inspired by many of the sights along Route 66.

Some of Route 66 is no longer drivable, so its not possible to take Route 66 for the entire 2,448 mile journey. This caused us to move between the Interstate and Route 66 and the difference between the two is profound. The route really gives you a feeling of going back to a simpler time when you took life slower and enjoyed the sights. You miss so much when you just take the Interstate, if I have one recommendation when you're out on the road, stop in at some of the little towns along the way and enjoy a few detours from the main highway, there is so much to see and do, as well as wonderful folks to meet!

Route 66... To Be Continued... (I know the anticipation is tough!)