US Trip - Tucson to LA
Discussion
Hey all,
Got a trip booked for next June for 3 weeks in the states.
Land in Orlando for a few days then fly to phoenix, meeting up with family friend at Tucson and then will be driving to LA for a week, ive recently come back from LA last month but im wanting to know what is the most scenic route to take from tucson/phoenix to LA, any of the routes take my on route 66?
Thanks
Got a trip booked for next June for 3 weeks in the states.
Land in Orlando for a few days then fly to phoenix, meeting up with family friend at Tucson and then will be driving to LA for a week, ive recently come back from LA last month but im wanting to know what is the most scenic route to take from tucson/phoenix to LA, any of the routes take my on route 66?
Thanks
We’ve done Route 66 twice and last year followed it completely whilst avoiding all Interstates where possible. To get to Route 66 from Tucson you probably need to go back to Phoenix and on to Flagstaff or cut across to Kingman. Personally I’d go to Flagstaff so you go through places like Williams and Seligman which have a lot of R66 memorabilia to see.
From either place you will effectively go onto the back roads and track I40 west until you get to Barstow and the head SW tracking I15 to San Bernardino. Then it gets very complicated if you want to follow it faithfully through LA to Santa Monica avoiding the freeways.
Technically the end of Route 66 is at Mel’s on the corner of Olympic and Lincoln but most people will go to the pier and take a picture of the sign there. At Mel’s they will give you a certificate of completion if you ask nicely.
Happy to answer any questions if you have any.
From either place you will effectively go onto the back roads and track I40 west until you get to Barstow and the head SW tracking I15 to San Bernardino. Then it gets very complicated if you want to follow it faithfully through LA to Santa Monica avoiding the freeways.
Technically the end of Route 66 is at Mel’s on the corner of Olympic and Lincoln but most people will go to the pier and take a picture of the sign there. At Mel’s they will give you a certificate of completion if you ask nicely.
Happy to answer any questions if you have any.
I found this video interesting when I first saw it
State highway numbering system explained
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nZrFFhHGH-w
State highway numbering system explained
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nZrFFhHGH-w
Voodoo Blue said:
We’ve done Route 66 twice and last year followed it completely whilst avoiding all Interstates where possible. To get to Route 66 from Tucson you probably need to go back to Phoenix and on to Flagstaff or cut across to Kingman. Personally I’d go to Flagstaff so you go through places like Williams and Seligman which have a lot of R66 memorabilia to see.
From either place you will effectively go onto the back roads and track I40 west until you get to Barstow and the head SW tracking I15 to San Bernardino. Then it gets very complicated if you want to follow it faithfully through LA to Santa Monica avoiding the freeways.
Technically the end of Route 66 is at Mel’s on the corner of Olympic and Lincoln but most people will go to the pier and take a picture of the sign there. At Mel’s they will give you a certificate of completion if you ask nicely.
Happy to answer any questions if you have any.
Thank you, From either place you will effectively go onto the back roads and track I40 west until you get to Barstow and the head SW tracking I15 to San Bernardino. Then it gets very complicated if you want to follow it faithfully through LA to Santa Monica avoiding the freeways.
Technically the end of Route 66 is at Mel’s on the corner of Olympic and Lincoln but most people will go to the pier and take a picture of the sign there. At Mel’s they will give you a certificate of completion if you ask nicely.
Happy to answer any questions if you have any.
We are planning on driving back up to phoenix and go along that way as we will also be visiting sedona once again.
toughmat88 said:
Thank you,
We are planning on driving back up to phoenix and go along that way as we will also be visiting sedona once again.
That sounds like a good plan. I think RDMcG posted some pictures of his recent trip there. We are planning on driving back up to phoenix and go along that way as we will also be visiting sedona once again.
If you have time try and visit the old town in Flagstaff, it's a bit touristy but worth it. In Seligman get a frozen yogurt at Delgadillo’s Snow Cap and visit Angels just down the street, he is credited with keeping the legend of Route 66 alive and I think he's still with us but wasn't too well when we went there last year.
From there make sure you take the old road (called Route 66
) west and after Kingman take the Oatman Road (State Road 10) continuing west, it has some of the best scenery of the whole route. Plenty of places to stop and see loads of stuff but be very wary of the donkeys in Oatman, they will stand in front of your car and won't move unless you give them food. Depending on time you could easily spend 2-3 days on this section from Flagstaff to Barstow. From there you could get to Santa Monica Pier in a day depending on traffic which can be horrific especially around the 101 and I5.
Top tip, you'll get some great pictures of the pier and Route 66 sign etc. if you go there before 7:00 in the morning but be wary of your surroundings. Mel's does a good breakfast if you do this and get hungry and they have a small car park.
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