Thoughts

The modern interstate system is a real convenience to travelers. On the other hand, as Charles Kuralt observed, "it has also made it possible to drive all the way across the country without really seeing anything". Taking a historic country road like Route 66 allow one to take a better look of the wide variety of landscapes and livestyles along the way. It is an experience to behold. There are many other such historic route in the nation. (Our tour book, "Road Trip USA" by Jamie Jensen, has listed eleven of them.) Only if I do not need to work ...

A few tips on traveling on Route 66 (or country road trips in general):

• Planning: It is impossible to chart the whole trip beforehand, but as least get some general idea of how far you are planning to cover each day. Gather information about points of interest on the way. The web is a very helpful tool for such researches.

• Time: You can get from LA to Chicago in three days, but not on Route 66. Don't take the old road if you are in a hurry. You need to be willing to invest a lot more time to take the country roads, which have lots more turns, stop signs, traffic lights, and much lower speed limits. It took us an hour to go through Amarillo, Texas on surface road, while it would have taken only 5 minutes on the interstate (without seeing anything, however). You will probably get lost (which is OK, as long as you know how to get back onto the right route), and you will make many more stops on the way for sightseeing. After all, if you are not interested in seeing the towns along the way, why don't you simply take the interstates?

  We have planned to spend six days on the Route, covering approximaltely one state every day. Given the many points of interest on the way, six days were actually not enough. Ten to twelve days would have been ideal. But again, we do not have that many days of vacation.

• Car: Make sure your car is in good shape. Have a tune-up, or at least an oil change. Route 66 is in general well-paved, and there are few steep segments, so you do not need an SUV. My Mazda Protege did perfectly fine. It is advisable to have a cell phone and AAA (or some other kind of road side assistance plan) just in case of emergency.

  Bear in mind that in the country, gas stations may be sparse and may closed at sunset. Don't run the risk of running out of gas. Fill up frequently.

• Lodging: We did not make motel reservations for this trip to allow ourselves more flexibility. Lodgings are cheaper in small towns, and there are usually vacancies.

• Driving: Don't drive when you are tired or when the road condition is poor. Pull over and take a break.

• Navigation: You cannot follow Route 66 simply by following street signs. The route was often poorly marked. Bring along some detailed directions and some maps. If we got lost, we either stop and asked for directions, or just hopped back onto the interstates (Route 66 was never far from an interstate) to get re-oriented.

The bottom line: Be prepared, be flexible, and use your common sense. And remember to make enough stops to look around you. Enjoy the trip!