Get your kicks on Route 66…

Have you ever driven cross-country?  I recently completed my eighth trip and no matter how many times I drive from one side of this county to the other, it never gets old. These treks demand a co-pilot to share the adventure with, and this time around I was joined by a sibling with whom I love to travel. We only had five days to reach our ultimate destination in San Diego, so I created a loose itinerary which considered how many miles a day we needed to drive, identified touristy things to do along the way (because all driving and no play makes for very grumpy travelers), noted some coffee and food possibilities at various stopping points, and identified a few potential places to stay each night (depending on how far we actually drove each day). Read on to see how it all played out…

: Get your kicks on Route 66…

Day 1 saw us head west from New Jersey to Greencastle, Indiana.  It was a long wet slow slog west across the PA Turnpike before joining up with I-70.  I had wanted to stop at the Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum in Wheeling, WV, and the Wright Cycle Company Complex in Dayton, OH but sadly the toy museum was closed. By the time we got into Dayton the complex was about to close so opted to keep on driving, finally pulling into the Inn at DePauw, around 9pm. It was pretty quiet on campus, which made our long walk reminiscing about the happy times our family spent there that much nicer.

The next morning, we ate at The Breakfast Co., then got back on I-70 for the next 800-mile leg of the trip.  Unfortunately, Google maps and I had a bit of misunderstanding in St. Louis, and instead of heading southwest, I stayed on I-70 west a little too long, resulting in an unplanned scenic adventure through the Missouri local roads which took us through small towns like Dutzow, Three Creeks, and Union, before finally connecting to I-44.

That’s when the ‘Fudge from Uranus’ billboards began, and we haven’t stopped laughing about them since. As tempting as fresh fudge was, we chose not to stop since we were determined to make it to the  Springfield Botanical Gardens and Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden before they closed. I am so glad we did so, because the gardens were the perfect antidote to 2 mostly rainy days spent in a car. We’d only snacked since breakfast, so after strolling around the grounds we decided to grab some dinner at Reds Giant Hamburg, the world’s first drive-through restaurant. The juicy, goopy burgers and cheese fries, not to mention the cool vibe and friendly staff, were just the fuel we needed before getting back on the highway again.

We had hoped to make Elk City, Oklahoma before stopping for the night, but since I got us lost earlier in the day, we only made it as far as Oklahoma City.  We spent the night at a chain hotel near the airport, then grabbed breakfast at The Sunnyside Diner.  We decided we would make Elk City our first ‘fun’ stop of the day to check out the The National Route 66 Museum.  Route 66 is arguably the most iconic US highway of them all. While you can no longer drive the ‘Mother Road’, continuously from Illinois to California, you can drive 66 for some very long stretches, which we did through Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico just to say we got some kicks on Route 66*.

Our second ‘fun’ stop of the day was in Santa Rosa, New Mexico to check out the Blue Hole.  The last cross country trip I took was three months into covid lockdown and most of the state (and world) was closed down, including the pool. This time around, the pool was open and I was determined to get wet.  First, we stopped at Park Lake Water Park , which is only a couple hundred feet from the Hole, for a lakeside ‘car-chuterie’ lunch (aka: our standard cheese, crackers, grapes, olives, nuts and chocolate car snacks). Then it was over to the Hole, where the water was a bracing 61 degrees and I could barely got my feet wet before jumping out. Unfortunately, the west wall of the hole collapsed right after our visit and at this point there is no firm re-opening date, but I hope it opens soon, so others can experience it for themselves.

Since we spent so much time at the museum and the Hole, we came short of making it to Flagstaff and ended up spending the night in Gallup, NM instead. Gallup serves as the apex of the Navajo Nation, Zuni Pueblo, and Hopi Reservation’s. The town is famous for its annual hot air balloon races, Anasazi archaeological sites, and as the set location for many 1940’s and 50’s westerns. I would have loved to spend the night at the El Rancho Hotel but it was sold out, so we made do with a chile-filled dinner at the 49er Lounge and a stroll through the hotel’s public spaces to check out the memorabilia from the movie stars who used to call the hotel home during those shoots.

The next morning, after grabbing breakfast at Earl’s Family Restaurant, we decided we would not stop, except for gas and bathroom breaks, until we made it to our Saturday afternoon relaxation destination: Palm Springs. We made a brief pit stop in Flagstaff to tank up, where I met an old Indian wanderer who gave me a blessing in a language that I could not identify. Then it was back on the road with ever increasing temperatures and a dramatically stark desert landscape as we zoomed across Arizona. I had forgotten gas stations become scarce after Phoenix and was starting to contemplate how long we might last if the gas gauge registered E, with only Diet Pepsi and coffee to drink and zero cell phone reception to boot.  Luckily, as soon as we crossed into Cali we hit a gas station and the General Patton Memorial Museum, and I have never been so happy to pay $9 a gallon for gas in my life!

We pulled into Palm Springs and were able to spend a few hours lounging by the hotel pool until dusk.  It was so nice to just hang with a cool drink and a good book, knowing we did not have to drive any more that day. We enjoyed some delicious food at Thai Smile and then strolled along South Palm Canyon Drive, where we window shopped, people watched, and checked out the largest Marilyn in the word.  Apparently, there’s some controversy over whether she should remain in front of the Art Museum, which we didn’t know then. If I had a vote it would be a resounding YES, since she perfectly captures the vibe of the place.

The next morning, we had a leisurely Sunday morning breakfast at Elmer’s , Palm Springs OG famous for its large – and delicious – German pancakes  We were giddy knowing we only had to cover 400 miles to our ultimate destination: Snapdragon Stadium to watch the San Diego Legion rugby team at work. I’ve only been watching rugby for a few years and it’s become my favorite sport to follow. The Legion are my favorite team and hands down have the BEST fans, and stadium, in the league.

With the game, and our cross-country mission complete, we treated ourselves to a few days of true relaxation, booking a room at Cardiff by the Sea. We had nothing on our our agenda except NOT driving and hanging with a favorite family member.  It was so great to spending time with each other, strolling the beaches, reading on the upstairs deck, and eating (here, here, and here).

Then just like that, we caught a plane back east and quickly went back to the daily routine, although I’ve been thinking and planning for my next road adventure ever since!

_{^{*Get Your Kicks on Route 66 – Nat King Cole}}