As you know this was a bucket list trip for both of us. We had a great time even though it didn't quite go as planned. We had intentionally not planned ourselves tight to have some flexibility and thank god for that because we needed it!
So here's the breakdown....for you all to learn from our mistakes and positive things
- we planned 250 miles a day on the route. somewhat aggressive, but that was what worked time wise with me returning to work. we had to lock in iconic stays we wanted, so we couldn't just book as we go. unfortunately, i didn't realize that this was too much considering i had to plot with google maps, and in some areas route 66 is ALOT more miles then the interstate. We got lucky, my work schedule changed and i was able to get 4 extra days, which enabled us to hit some things on the way back.
- we over packed, big time. we wanted to camp more, but we only camped once, due to heat. me being a bigger guy my initial researched plan of just buying t shirts on the way wasn't possible. I figured my fuel economy would drop due to towing the trailer with the bike, which i factored in budget wise, but not time wise having to fill more often. this put us further behind as well.
- we stored the motorcycle and trailer in Oklahoma, due to the performance problems, excess heat, and worried about the struggle before we reached the desert. this was disappointing, but to be honest i think it saved our trip, our health, and possibly our lives. had we not had so much weight , this outcome might have been different, but i still feel we made the right call.
- we made it to the pier on schedule, and made all our iconic stays. we did skip a couple camp stops at the beginning, to get caught up. we skipped some things on the way out, but we doubled back on most of it. We skipped alot in Illinois by plan, we used to live here and still have ties there, so it wasn't a priority from the start.
Would i do it again ? Absolutely
I would do the motorcycle again only if we could pack a lot lighter, not camping, no trailer, and hotels every night.
We had a GREAT trip, and alot of fun and memories were had.
We are most likely going to go state by state in the future, to really take our time and enjoy what each state has to offer. if you haven't taken the trip, I highly recommend it, in any mode within your means. There is a ton of history in those miles and years.
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