Moon Route 66 Road Trip

by Jessica Dunham

Moon Route 66 Road Trip reveals the ins and outs of this iconic highway, from sweeping prairies and retro roadside pit-stops to the stunning vistas of the Southwest. Inside you'll
Maps and Driving 38 easy-to-use maps detail the existing roads that comprise the original Route 66, along with site-to-site mileage, driving times, detailed directions for the entire route, and full-color photos throughoutEat, Sleep, Stop and With lists of the best hikes, bites, roadside curiosities, and more, you can admire extraordinary landscapes like Acoma Pueblo or Joshua Tree National Park, explore big cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, or wander abandoned ghost towns. Immerse yourself in classic Americana with outsider art and kitsch masterpieces, find the most Instagram-worthy retro motels, and sample the breadth of regional cuisine, from deep dish pizza to carne asadaFlexible Moon Route 66 Road Trip covers Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Drive the entire original Mother Road in two weeks, or follow strategic routes for shorter trips to Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Santa Fe, and the Grand Canyon, plus side trips to Taos, Las Vegas, Joshua Tree, and Santa MonicaExpert Jessica Dunham has driven thousands of miles along the famed highway and provides cultural insight, insider tips, and critical history of the routePlanning Your Know when and where to get gas and how to avoid traffic, plus tips for driving in different road and weather conditions and suggestions for international visitors, LGBTQ travelers, seniors, road-trippers with kids, and accessibilityWith Moon Route 66 Road Trip's practical tips, detailed itineraries, and tried-and-true expertise, you're ready to fill up the tank and hit the road.

Looking for more great American road trips? Try Moon Pacific Northwest Road Trip or Moon California Road Trip.

Genres: Travel

352 pages, Paperback

Published June 11, 2019

Reviews

[J.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros: I picked this up early in an already-planned Route 66 road trip, and this book helped augment our itinerary. It's great for maps of certain locations, like the downtown of cities, or major detours like the Grand Canyon. This book is also full of historical details, especially about women, black travelers, and Native American history, that I wouldn't have known otherwise. And the pictures are great.

Cons: Not really cons, just things you'll need another book for. The author has her preferred alignments and her turn-by-turn directions aren't accompanied by maps, so you'll need those. I recommend Jerry McClanahan's EZ Route 66 for turn-by-turn directions, as well as lots of information about various alignments of Route 66 (like old dirt, but drivable, roads) that this author doesn't cover. Finally, while no one could ever cover more than a small number of the places to stay and eat on Route 66, her recommendations seem to tend towards the luxurious in many cases. On the plus side, she must have traveled with a dog at some point because she mentions lots of pet-friendly places!

Overall, a great addition before, during, or after your trip, although I wouldn't rely solely on this for planning your itinerary in advance.

[Todd Smith]

The book provides tons of information on the iconic Route 66 highway.

There are 38 maps with information on the existing roads that comprise the original Route 66, along with site-to-site mileage, driving times, detailed directions for the entire route, and full-color photos throughout.

Find extraordinary landscapes like Acoma Pueblo or Joshua Tree National Park, explore big cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, or wander abandoned ghost towns.

Drive the entire original Mother Road in two weeks, or follow strategic routes for shorter trips to Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Santa Fe, and the Grand Canyon, plus side trips to Taos, Las Vegas, Joshua Tree, and Santa Monica.

Important details like where to get gas and how to avoid traffic, plus tips for driving in different road and weather conditions.

You will also find suggestions for international visitors, LGBTQ travelers, seniors, road-trippers with kids, and accessibility.

I live near a part of Route 66 and will turn to it on occasion when exploring it.

[Nemmie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great resource! I started reading this and taking notes on the recommendations, state-by-state, about a year ago when I started planning our R66 trip. I love the organization, how it is split by state with specific instructions to follow alignments, and for each state she includes highlights of the best neon, local eats, notable women of the Route, and historical tidbits.

It is a LOT of info, though, so took me awhile to slowly digest and get through. I did find it invaluable when planning our own trip on the Mother Road.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another stellar travel guide from Moon publications. Packed with good information for sites, accommodations, and restaurants, this would be perfect for both planning and taking a road trip on the Mother Road. Its a good companion to Illustrated Route 66 Historical Atlas .

[Caroline Kelemen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so helpful on my road trip. My only complaint is that the binding started to come apart by the time I got to the California section

[Kim]

Lots of great information for planning our Route 66 road trip!

[Freyja Vanadis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting.

[Debbie Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very descriptive

[Mary J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful in planning our trip on The Mother Road. Fun and informative to read. Many nice extras such as Suggested Playlists, local history, Women of the Road, The Green Book.

We booked many of the hotels recommended as they were also highly rated on Expedia and in the same price range as others available.

We used the book primarily and then supplemented with Google and Expedia research. This is essential since the book is a little dated as some places have now closed permanently due to covid pandemic or other reasons.