Road Trip on 2 Wheels Instead of 4 Along United States Bicycle Route 66

By Mike Richard Updated August 6, 2018

route 66 road train — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Route 66 is in peril. As the heyday of the old-school American road trip faded in the mid-20th century, the iconic cross-country highway fell into serious disrepair. Now, Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) is looking to rekindle a love for America’s “Mother Road” by paving the way for the great American cycling trip.

The first official miles of United States Bicycle Route 66 are now open in Missouri. Once the ACA approached the state with their plans, including turn-by-turn maps, state officials hopped aboard almost immediately. The meager beginnings of USBR 66 begin in St. Louis and wind westward through Rolla, Springfield, and Joplin. The western end of the route currently dips into Southeastern Kansas as well.

Cyclists on USBR 66 ride on two-lane rural roads that parallel or exactly follow the original Route 66 motorway. The ACA is working hard to balance cyclist’s safety with preserving the road’s history and authenticity. While much of the route’s vintage nostalgia has succumbed to “progress,” glimmers of its past remain. There are still filling stations, classic chrome diners, quirky roadside attractions, and other bits of road trip-related kitsch. As many of the small towns along the way realize the potential for tourism, more of that memorabilia is sure to follow. Even the small, initial part of the route has already proven wildly popular with cyclists.

The route is (for now) a tiny part of the ACA’s official United States Bicycle Route System of cycling trails that criss-cross the country in nearly 30 states. The association boasts more than 13,000 miles of trails with the goal of topping 50,000. USBR 66 will be at the heart of that network — literally and nostalgically. The hope is that it will one day follow all 2,400 miles of the original Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. That, of course, requires a monumental amount of time, money, resources, and a dozen states working together in concert. It’s a project that will have to unfold one small piece at a time, but the ACA is hopeful that their dream will one day be realized.

To plan your own bike trip down Route 66, Adventure Cycling Association offers free maps of USBR 66 and tons of other bike routes across the country.

Topics

Outdoors

Contributor

Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…

Travel

Hawaii might charge visitors a climate impact fee

Palm trees in Hawaii

In the future, a trip to Hawaii might cost you more. That’s because the paradise-like state is pondering a climate impact fee — also referred to as a “green fee” — to combat environmental challenges and climate change. The measure is up for consideration when the 2025 legislative session begins, with Governor Josh Green's support.
How a “green fee” would help preserve Hawaii
Oahu, Hawaii Caleb Bennetts via Unsplash

Governor Josh Green has long been a proponent of a climate impact fee. Under the plan, visitors would pay the fee when checking into a hotel or short-term rental. The funds would go toward protecting the environment and alleviating climate change. However, the proposed cost faces resistance in the legislature.

Food & Drink

The best Oktoberfests in the U.S. – this is where you should celebrate

You don't have to fly to Germany to enjoy Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest beer steins

There are a handful of drinking-centric holidays celebrated throughout the world. Like St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo, Oktoberfest is not only a popular drinking holiday, but its origins are also a mystery to most of us hoisting frosty brews and eating schnitzel, sauerkraut, and currywurst. While we’ll get into the other holidays in later articles, today is all about Oktoberfest.

For those unaware, Oktoberfest is the biggest beer festival in the world. But it’s so much more than that. There's a giant carnival as well as multiple tents featuring food, music, and beer (Spaten, Paulaner, Augustiner, and more). Usually celebrated in late September through early October every year (except for a handful of years off for wars and COVID), more than 6 million beer fans descend on Theresienwiese (Theresa’s meadow) in Munich, Germany.

Auto

F1 Las Vegas 2024: Snakehips, Big Boi and Vandelux headline Heineken Silver Stage

British electronic music, an American rapper, and vocal globalist take the F1 Silver Stage

Las Vegas Grand Prix_ Heineken Silver Stage 2023.

Formula announced the headliner entertainers for the 2024 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, which will be held from November 21 to 23. World-class performances during this year's Formula1 Grand Prix include British electronic music duo Snakehips, American record producer, rapper, actor Big Boi, and global multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Vandelux. The musical talent will perform on the Heineken Silver Sstage in the East Harmon Zone by Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Why F1 features entertainers during motorsports events

The Superbowl half-time show and Formula 1 racing are two of many major sporting events that incorporate top international musical performers to add to the excitement and spectacle. Las Vegas, in particular, bills itself as the world's entertainment capital.