There are several large detours that you can take whilst travelling Route 66. For me the most important question I considered when planning my trip was “If I don’t do this now, when will I?” Simply put - I didn’t know when I’d next be able to afford the time and the money to visit places such as the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, etc…
- Santa Fe – Technically not a side trip as for the
first twelve years in Route 66’s existence it actually passed through Santa Fe. These days most guide books or maps point this out as the pre-1938 alignment or The Santa Fe Loop. I found Santa Fe to be a lively and vibrant destination featuring the oldest house in the USA,
colourful market areas and the “miraculous” staircase at the Loretto Chapel. My Route 66 trip was the first time I’d visited the States and I didn’t know when I’d be returning. When I realised that a Route 66 road trip could easily take in a break at Vegas or the Grand Canyon it seemed like a missed opportunity to simply drive by. On my trip the 4 largest deviations from Route 66 were:
- Grand Canyon National Park - Since it’s birth Route 66 has carried many families on vacation towards the Grand Canyon. And why not? It’s situated only an hour from both Williams and Kingman making it easily accessible from Route 66. It’s an easy day-trip or if you’re feeling more
adventurous why not stay the night within the grounds of the Park itself and catch a sunrise or even take a short hike down into the canyon?
- Las Vegas - A side trip to Vegas comes at the price of missing some of the California stretch of Route 66 for those travelling west-bound. For me - travelling from the UK - I felt it would have been a missed opportunity to bypass Las Vegas having travelled so far. That said, Las Vegas isn’t to everyone’s tastes. Personally, I loved every minute of the Vegas experience - the cocktails, slots, shows and spectacle were completely absorbing. The drive to Vegas isn’t a simple short drive however and so be prepared for some very
desolate roads through the desert. However, I very much enjoyed seeing this kind of scenery as there’s nothing like it in the UK! Just remember that if you’re planning on spending a few nights in Vegas then there will almost certainly be some trade off on Route 66 coverage in California (unless of course you re-trace your steps back from Vegas to Route 66 the way you came!)
- Highway 1 - Again, this isn’t a true side trip but more of an extension to Route 66. If you’re travelling west-bound then your trip ends at LA. If you still have a few days of travelling in you why not take the scenic Highway 1 up the west coast to San Francisco, taking in Santa Cruz and Monterey? I extended my Route 66 holiday this way and comfortably spread the journey over three days. Again, this decision was based on the fact that I didn’t know when I’d get the chance to see these sights again.
