We didn’t plan to drive on Route 66, it’s just one of those things that just happens when you start a road trip. In June 2018 we left Michigan two weeks early due to the Airbnb having a water leaking problem and mold growing. We happily packed the van with all our stuff and headed west toward Denver with a few stops planned. We avoided Chicago on our way south, by staying in Champlain. The following morning, we started our drive toward Springfield Missouri to visit our sister Shay, which is where we spotted the famous Route 66 peeking through the trees while driving the main highway.
Pickled Asparagus from Michigan 🙂
We stopped to see our sister Shay in Springfield for a week staying at the Home2 Suites we were very impressed with the stay. The rooms were large, breakfast was easy self service and the location was perfect for getting on and off the highway. We loved the bbq grills and terrace area. Also the hotel has a great walking area for the dogs. We only slightly missed two tournados while there. The weather was fine, unseasonably cool we were told. Still, incredibly hot to me, but nice according to mom and my brother Ivan.
After Springfield we returned to Route 66 and the new highway next to it, we were pushing toward Amarillo Texas where we planned a stop for a couple hours and check out the sights. I was hoping for enough time to see the Cadillac Ranch. A local resident, Stanley Marsh patronized the artistic accomplishments of Robert Smithson which include the Cadillac Ranch. Cadillac is visible from Highway 40, it’s an easy on and off adventure for casual shoes and wear junk clothes if you plan to do some spray painting.
After a nice break we carried on to Albuquerque New Mexico for a three-night stay in the DoubleTree. The hotel is conveniently located in the city center which was perfect because the summer heat was so intense it was difficult to go more than a few blocks. We had to drive to the old town and other areas of town to explore. The hotel breakfast is amazing! Really good local food we loved so much. We found a Groupon for archery which was very fun! We had a few dinners out at very good New Mexican style restaurants. I motioned them on my Trip Advisor if you’re looking for tips.
After leaving Albuquerque we headed to Sedona Arizona. The drive is incredible because we were gradually increasing elevation the entire way to Flagstaff. Once to Flagstaff Arizona we peak around 7000 ft, (2,106 m) then we drastically go down to forty five hundred feet, (1,326 m) We stayed in the Hilton Sedona which is located outside of the town area of Sedona, the famous Bell Rock is on the other side of the hotel. The hotel offers some incredible views! Both the morning and the evening views are spectacular. The hotel has a nice big pool and great spa. The purple cactus outside the spa were a first for me. The varieties of plants in Sedona are incredible, there are pastel cactus, huge and small cactus with flowers blooming all over them and even some interesting bush plants. We took a few hikes around different red rocks.
The Hilton Sedona doesn’t include breakfast, not even for Diamond members, but it was very good. We started the green chili obsession while in Albuquerque and continued all the way to Colorado. Everything we ate had to be covered in the green chili sauce. We left Sedona early in the morning to head to the Grand Canyon. We only had three hours to explore it because we planned to drive all the way to Monument Valley that day. I wrote about the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and Dinosaur Tracks.