Thanks and RecognitionThanks to
Jim & Sabrin Karras for checking out some motels for us 6 months in advance. We stayed at two motels directly based upon their recommendations.
Thanks to
Leon Esparza and Joe Smith (and the rest of the gang from the
Heart of Route 66 VCCA Region. They met us an hour up the highway and then guided us to our first Route 66 stop at the Round Barn. They even had lunch waiting for us!!! And then they led us to our motel where we parked our cars and they chauffeured us the rest of the day and evening. This was a HUGE relief to us after we drove almost 500 miles four days in a row to get there.
Thanks to
Fred Johnson and his wife for driving for 3 or 4? hours just to have dinner with us at Lake Havasu.
Thanks to
Robert Pennicker for taking in a wayward "vintage" vehicle with almost no brakes and getting me back on the road the same day.
Thanks to
JC Stone and his family for joining the VCCA when we stayed at his motel at Lake Havasu. We will see you again at Lake Tahoe in August 2016.
Thanks to
Kumar Patel for giving us an unexpected tour of San Bernardino the morning that we departed the Wigwam Motel. You are a huge asset to the memory and preservation of the Mother Road.
Thanks to
Dean Meltz for letting us tour his place and giving me a ride in his 1928 Canopy Express.
Thanks to
Larry Pearson -
San Fernando Valley Region for leading us through the maze that is known as "downtown Los Angeles"... We would never have been able to navigate our way unassisted.
And a special thanks to all of the great people that we met along the way.
-Two waitresses (in Kansas and Arizona) get our special thanks for feeding all of us (with guests) and keeping our table laughing the entire evening.
- The owners of the motels that we stayed at. We found that their cordiality and hospitality were genuine and honest.
STATISTICSMilesEveryone drove at least
5,310 miles on the entire trip. Some drove more due to visiting friends that were located off the main road.
We drove
64% of Route 66 (Modern length 2142 mi).
Total miles driven in the Land Yacht (Chevelle Station-wagon): 5,622 miles
Total gallons of gas used: 327
Low MPG: $ 13.06
High MPG: $ 22.02
Avg. MPG: 17.3
Highest price paid for gas: Salinas, CA $4.429/gal
Lower price paid for gas: Oklahoma City, OK $3.229/gal
1966 Corvette (used Premium for 2/3 of the trip)
Cost of gas for the trip ~ $ 1,212
Highest price paid $ 4.50
Lowest price paid $ 3.44
Avg. MPG: 15.9
MotelsCost of motels for 14 nights = $1,439
Pictures taken:Steve: 900+
Bill: 600+
Helgy: 1,000,000+
Sis: 150
Future Plans?We could easily do this trip again and never stop at any of the same places. As I review my notes and list of potential stops, I'm amazed at how many additional places there are to visit. In fact a person could run the entire route and ONLY look for abandoned gas stations!!?!?! or abandoned motels!! It truly is a lesson in history that exceed's viewing any video or reading any book. There is no better way to see history than by living it.
Best of luck and good traveling if you decide to do it.
This is one item on my
Bucket List that I'd be willing to re-live, because the
Mother Road did NOT END. It is alive and well