Route 66 -- from Egypt!

hi jamie,

how r u ?

We are from Egypt, i and my husband are planning to make the road trip for route 66 next june/july with our son 2.8 years.we are planning to begin from Chicago till Los angles.We are planning to stay first in chicago to visit it for about 3-4 days.
Plese let me know your advices and how long we should take it by putting in mind a small boy can get bored soon and what are the best VISTA POINTS in the road to stop at it?

Also, any recomendations for lodging all over the road? shall we make a previous reservation or it is easy to drive in to any motel whenever we need?

Also is the weather good in June/July, to make such trip.?

Many thanks in advance.


Ahmed

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Hello Ahmed --

Many thanks for your message -- all the way from Egypt!

If you do manage to take the Route 66 trip, you will have a great time. And don't worry, there are plenty of accommodations along the way, so I am sure you will find something good (and I have dozens of specific recommendations throughout Road Trip USA -- in a new edition, coming out in May 2012). Look for the Wigwam Village motels in Holbrook Arizona, the Blue Swallow in Tucumcari New Mexico, and many other friendly spots all along this great old highway

The one place I would encourage you to do make advance reservations is at the Grand Canyon, which is a very popular place to visit; all lodging is run by one company, and prices range from moderate to luxurious. June-July is a very good time to travel there, weatherwise. Allow a full day at least, for sure, so you can watch the sunset (and/or sunrise). And of you have time, hike down to Phantom Ranch, deep down in the canyon. Unforgettable.

To do the full Chicago to LA trip, I would recommend taking at least a week, so you have time to enjoy everything along the way. The whole route is about 2000 miles, which means you will have about 30 hours altogether in the car, and 4 to 5 hours each day is about the limit.

Having traveled with young boys myself, I think your son will want to get out and run around at least every two hours, which is a good reason to stop and explore many of the old American "small towns" you will be passing through. Enjoying small town American life is what Route 66 tourism is all about, and I am sure you will be given a warm welcome wherever you go.

You will see so much while walking around than you do racing by in a car, so having a reason to stop frequently may turn out to be a real blessing.

With best wishes,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA