I imagine the majority of people will be most familiar with the Rolling Stones’ version of the song “(Get your kicks on) Route 66”, but it was actually written way back in 1946 by American song writer Bobby Troup, and recorded in the same year by Nat King Cole. Since then there has been over sixty recorded versions of the popular song:
Well if you ever plan to motor west
Just take my way that’s the highway that’s the best
Get your kicks on Route 66Well it winds from Chicago to L.A.
More than 2000 miles all the way
Get your kicks on Route 66Well it goes from St. Louis down to Missouri
Oklahoma City looks oh so pretty
You’ll see Amarillo and Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona don’t forget Winona
Kingman, Barstow, San BernadinoWould you get hip to this kindly tip
And go take that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66Well goes from St. Louis down to Missouri
Oklahoma city looks oh so pretty
You’ll see Amarillo and Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona don’t forget Winona
Kingman, Barstow, San BernadinoWould you get hip to this kindly tip
And go take that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66
So today is the day, I am setting off from Chicago, and go take that California trip, passing through all of the places listed in the song on the way, and sticking as much as possible to the original Route 66.
This is a rough outline of the trip over the next couple of weeks, but as always, is quite subject to change along the way:-
27th – Mon night – Springfield
28th – Tues night – detour to get my tattoo sorted out
29th – Wed Night – St Louis (possible radio interview 8am on Y98-FM CBS radio)
30th – Thurs night – St Louis
31st – Fri night – Tulsa
1st – Sat night – Tulsa/Oklahoma
2nd – Sun night – Oklahoma
3rd – Mon night – Oklahoma
4th – Tues night – Oklahoma
5th – Wed night – Amarillo
6th – Thur night – Albuquerque
7th – Fri night – Grand Canyon
8th – Sat night – Grand Canyon
9th – Sun night – Grand Canyon
10th – Mon night – Grand Canyon
11th – Tues night – Las Vegas
…and eventually onward into LA.
For further information on my planned route, take a look at the picture below. You can click on it to open up an interactive map: