Considering Historic Route 66 trip, suggestions?

[Sonic99]

Hello all, I am planning a trip next summer from my hometown of Williams, AZ to Portage, IN for a car club meet, and since most of my route would follow along where Route 66 used to be located, I am considering making one of the directions a "Route 66" trip and try to follow as much of Route 66 as reasonably possible. I'm curious, for anyone who has made this type of trip before, are there places that I should definitely make sure I take Route 66, and places where I should just stick to the Interstate? I don't want to go a spectacularly long way out of my way, but within reason, I'd like to stick to 66, such as going through the parts that go through some of the towns along the way. My town was of course the last town on 66 to be bypassed, so I have heard all about the loss of traffic and what it does to a town, so I would like to try to at least pass through as many of those towns as I can. This trip won't be until July of next year, so I'm just doing a little bit of homework on whether or not this is even something I should take the extra time to do (I'm sure it is, but I don't want to add a week to the trip by doing so, either.) Thanks!

[Henry]

The I-40 Business Loops are one way to go, especially Central Avenue through Albuquerque. As for a longer continuous stretch east of OKC, your best bet would be OK 66.

[Alps]

I've taken all of 66, and all eastbound. I think you ought to follow it the whole way. There are VERY few locations where you need to do the Interstate, and you maybe lose a day heading from AZ to IN, certainly not a week. You can make a lot of time on the old alignments! (Hint - no highway patrol - hint)

Note that in Texas and Oklahoma, 66 is on the frontage roads. It's up to you whether you care to be that specific like I was, but on the other hand, you get a lot of nice concrete alignments by following them in Oklahoma, so to me that's worth it.

Go to www.historic66.com. They have turn by turn directions for the entire route. That was invaluable for me in putting my trip together.

[agentsteel53]

(Hint - no highway patrol - hint)

there are county sheriffs.  especially in New Mexico. 

the California section between Ludlow and Needles is barely patrolled.  go crazy there. 

[Alps]

(Hint - no highway patrol - hint)

there are county sheriffs.  especially in New Mexico. 

the California section between Ludlow and Needles is barely patrolled.  go crazy there. 

Well yeah, I wasn't referring to the sections RIGHT next to the freeway, which a lot of NM is. But that part in eastern CA, or in eastern AZ, or backwoods OK west of OKC...

[wphiii]

I especially like the portion from Miami, Oklahoma up through the little sliver of Kansas that it goes through, then back over into Missouri to Joplin. For some reason, this stretch of the route seems to perfectly encapsulate the zeitgeist of Midwestern Route 66.