Kiwis On Route 66 Tours

06/09/2024

We have 5 different USA based tours and we are 1 week into our 4th West Coaster tour which is all about the scenery.

You can follow our adventures on the tour page http://www.facebook.com/westcoastertour

15/07/2024

Today we started our 6th Cars & Blues tour in Miami - you can follow us here!

25/06/2024

Here’s our next tour!!!

Well our 2024 Cars & Blues tour suddenly feels REAL when we send our wonderful customers their tour polo shirts, baseball caps & name badges!

Our 6th Cars & Blues tour starts in 19 sleeps and we can't wait to do this exciting Bucket List tour once again.

19/06/2024

Check out this highlights reel of our just completed Route 66 PLUS tour. We created fantastic memories with a wonderful group of people that will last a lifetime.

HAVE FUN!!!

16/06/2024

Day 27 LA Roadster Show

An early start to get to show before it got too hot in the afternoon. Lots of cool Roadsters, classic cars and hot rods, nitro nostalgia dragsters and a swap meet that took hours to walk through.

We had our final group dinner where we shared our favourite memories and highlights with each other- a very special moment. We did some lucky draws for goodies we collected during the tour.

The night ended with a fun room party back at the Hotel.

15/06/2024

Day 26
We had a free day today so some of the group went to Disneyland …The Happiest Place on Earth ♥️

15/06/2024

We took photos of each tour couple at the start of our amazing adventure, so of course we had to take another photo of them on the Santa Monica Pier after our 5000+ mile road trip from LA to Chicago and back!

14/06/2024

Day 25 - Los Angeles

Our LA Day - the team did a fantastic job of making their way to Santa Monica Pier where we drove right onto the pier and parked up. Well done!

We took some group photos at the “End of the Trail” then some went and put their feet in the Pacific Ocean - Brad even went for a swim.

Next we cruised Rodeo Drive, top down wearing our crazy hats - some great reactions from people!

Our next stop was the world class Peterson Auto Museum which showcased Lo-Riders this time. Stunning works of art.

Lunch was at Mel’s Drive In on Sunset Blvd then a drive through Hollywood Boulevard wearing our crazy hats.

We can tick those things off the Bucket list!

13/06/2024

Day 24 - Kingman to Los Angeles

This morning we made our way to Cool Springs before driving the iconic Side Winder highway over the Sitgreaves Pass which is a great drive.

Our next stop was Oatman which is known as the DONKEY TOWN. A bit of shopping and cold drink in the Oatman Hotel which has reportedly $500,000 in $1 bills stuck to the walls.

We then crossed over the Colorado river into our final State - California. Dinner tonight was at Bubba Gumps for some shrimp.

12/06/2024

Day 23- Williams to Kingman, Arizona

Our day started with the drive through Bearizona Bear Park where we saw black bear, buffalo and other animals - we were lucky to get close to them.

Williams is a Route 66 shopping town so we spent time there looking for souvenirs to take home.

Seligman is a very important town in the history of Route 66 as the local barber had enough of no traffic going through town once the interstate bypassed the town. Angel called a meeting to have the road we love declared an historic byway and the rest history.

Unfortunately 98 year old Angel was unable to meet the tour as he had a wood splinter in his eye and had a hospital appointment.

Hackberry general store is another iconic Route 66 stop then we made our way to the Outpost Saloon for a cold drink and game of boys vs girls pool -the boys won! We also added the tour names to the ceiling - we’ve done this for every tour since 2012.

A great swim at the Hotel pool in Kingman followed by our last dinner on Route 66.

11/06/2024

Day 22 - Flagstaff to Williams, Arizona

Today was our nature day! We started the day with an energetic walk through Walnut Canyon where Indian cliff dwellers lived until 1200ad. It’s a very serene place and we try to imagine how life was back then.

We then took the scenic drive to one of our favourite places, Sedona, for lunch.

A tour highlight for many will be the helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon and this year we had 4 helicopters with 4 people in each on a perfect late afternoon flight with no wind.

The group then reunited and headed to Kiwi Point at the Grand Canyon for a picnic dinner & quiet drink as we watched the colours of the canyon change with the setting sun.

The perfect end to a perfect day!

10/06/2024

Day 21 - Gallup New Mexico to Flagstaff, Arizona

Today we crossed the border into our 7th state on Route 66 - Arizona. We did some shopping at the Indian trading posts on the border then drove through the Petrified Forest National Park including the Painted Desert.

The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook is unique with concrete Teepees. Next up was an enjoyable stop at Jack Rabbit Trading Post and the iconic ”Hare It Is” sign. The store owners are always delightful to talk with and its people like them that show what the spirit of Route 66 is all about.

Winslow was put on the international map thanks to the Eagles song “Take it Easy” - we stood on the corner where there is a tribute to the song, including the flatbed Ford.

The meteor crater is a great stop where you can see what impact a meteor can have when it slams into earth.

09/06/2024

Day 20 - Santa Fe to Gallup, New Mexico 🌶️

Another one of our favorite days as we left the gorgeous Santa Fe and took the scenic route to Madrid where the movie “Wild Hogs” starring John Travolta & Tim Allen was set. It’s a cool little town with Maggie’s Diner from the movie being the main vocal point.

Next we cruise up to 10,600ft to the peak of Sandia Crest for a fantastic view over Albuquerque.

Once back on Route 66 we drove the Musical Highway where the car tyres sings “America” then to the Enchanted Trails Caravan Park where they have retro caravans and cars set up just like they were in the 60s & 70s.

We had lunch at the Junkyard Brewery in Grants, visited the Continental Divide then had our traditional Crazy Hat Night at the historic El Rancho Hotel. Lots of laughs!!!

08/06/2024

Day 19 - Santa Fe, New Mexico 🌶️

We LOVE Santa Fe! We spent the day exploring the culture & heritage of this historic city that is like no other in the USA… And Route 66 passed through here from 1926 - 1937

07/06/2024

Day 18 - Amarillo to Santa Fe, New Mexico

It’s always exciting when we cross over the state border as each state is very different to the next.

We spent the last part of Texas by visiting the private car & memorabilia collection of our good friend Bill Warwick. It’s simply breathtaking and we’re honored that Bill opens his doors for us.

Next up was the iconic Cadillac Ranch where we did some tagging artwork on the old Cadillacs.

We stopped at the Mid-Point Cafe for some yummy Apple Pie and ice cream before crossing the border to New Mexico for a visit to Russell’s Truck Shop car collection.

Another stop we made was at the Blue Hole spring for refreshing swim.

We love Santa Fe as Route 66 made its way here from 1926- 1937, so lots of history here.

06/06/2024

Day 17
Oklahoma City to Amarillo, Texas

Today was one of our favorite days!

From Oklahoma City we traveled Route 66 to the historic El Reno Fort from the 1800s where the calvery we based.

Beautiful old Rte 66 roads through Oklahoma with a visit to the Route 66 Museum in Clinton which we rate as one of the best on the road.

A tour highlight that people will always remember is a visit to the Sand Hills Curiosity Shop for some insanity at its finest. The entertaining Harley Russell puts on a great show for us and the tour group really got into playing the instruments.

Over the Stateline into Texas we finished off the day with dinner at the Big Texan Steakhouse with singalong bus ride home. Lots of great fun.

Tomorrow we head into New Mexico for 3 nights.

05/06/2024

Day 16 - Springfield to Oklahoma City

Our biggest day on Route 66 as we followed the Mother Rd most of the way through 3 States - Missouri, Kansas, and into Oklahoma.

Our first stop was a visit to Barbara & George at the Gay Parita Sinclair gas station who are fantastic hosts and continuing the legacy of Barbara’s parents Gary & Lena Turner.

We visited the quaint town square of Carthage for some coffee and antique store bargain hunting.

There are 13.2 miles of Routed 66 in Kansas and we drove every bit of it then into Oklahoma City for the night. Driving in 66 is much more relaxing than the busy interstates which is why we love it so much.

04/06/2024

Day 15 - St Louis to Springfield, Missouri

Today is one of our FAVOURITE Days!

We started with a return visit to the St Louis Car Museum - unfortunately we haven’t visited since 2019 due to Covid 19. It’s was great to catch up with John and his team and one thing that hasn’t changed is the quality of vehicles there. Outstanding!

We then rejoined Route 66 through rural Missouri and the contrast to yesterday’s journey through Illinois is quite remarkable. The scenery today was lush & green with nice curvy roads.

The attractions today included the caverns where Jessie James had his hideout, the town of Bourbon, the giant rocking chair and we popped into Uranus for a visit….

Our Hotel tonight in Springfield is part of worlds biggest Bass Pro store that has so much to look at for any outdoors minded person.

03/06/2024

Day 14 - Chicago to St Louis, Missouri

We left Chicago on a dry but grey morning as we started making our way west, back to Los Angeles following Route 66.

The group did a brilliant job packing up the cars and departing the Hotel in record time. Coordinating 18 vehicles to load up and set the GPS as quickly as possible always makes us nervous however this group really knocked it out of the park.

We followed Route 66 through rural Illinois stopping at some roadside attractions along the way.

It’s more relaxing driving in these roads than the high speed interstate freeways! We love it…

02/06/2024

Day 13 - Chicago

We continued to explore the sights of Chicago. A group of us visited the fantastic Volo Auto Museum with an amazing display of vehicles & memorabilia.

Unfortunately the rain set in but we were determined to attend the Cubs baseball game at Wrigley Field. The game was eventually cancelled but we still enjoyed the Hot Dogs & drinks. But a real shame for our tour group.

01/06/2024

Day 11 & 12 -
La Crosse to Chicago, Illinois

We took the quiet country roads to Spring Green, Wisconsin for a visit to Ring Brothers Racing who build world class cars and parts. It’s mind blowing what they do!

We were lucky enough to have them start up their 2023 SEMA award winning Hot Rod pickup truck for our group - WOW!

Our group did an excellent job of making their way to our Hotel in downtown Chicago. A few drinks followed by a bus trip to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. Not the best service there but the waitress tried her best.

After dinner a group of us went to the famous Blue Chicago bar to listen to some fantastic live Blues music - and they played Mustang Sally for the Kiwis!

Today we went to the start of Route 66 for photos then explored the great city of Chicago starting with a trip up 103 stories in the Willis Tower for wonderful views of the City.

Then onto the Hop On Hop Off buses to learn about the City’s history and culture.

We love CHICAGO!!!

30/05/2024

Day 10 - Sioux Falls to La Crosse, Wisconsin

Today we told our Customers to GET LOST!

That was the theme for the day - to go exploring. Some of us headed to Lake City, Minnesota which is the birthplace of water skiing. It’s also near the start of the great river - the Mississippi. After lunch on the water we followed the river to our Hotel in La Crosse.

Tonight we boarded the La Crosse River Queen for a pizza and beer cruise on the Mississippi River - perfect weather to make it even more special!

Tomorrow we head to Chicago for the next 3 nights!

29/05/2024

Day 9

Today we pushed East through Sth Dakota - another step closer to Chicago.

We stopped by Wall Drug for some shopping and we saw come beautiful cowgirl boots and cowboy hats purchased.

Next up was a scenic drive through the Badlands National Park which is like a different planet.

Our final stop along the route was the Pioneer Auto Show in Murdo. Unfortunately the owner, Dave passed away last week so we are disappointed we didn’t get to catch up with him again.

Tomorrow we cross the Mississippi River!!!

28/05/2024

Day 8 Casper to Rapid City, South Dakota

We enjoyed the beautiful roads through Wyoming into our next state - South Dakota.

A lunch stop and looking around Custer before heading for the iconic National Monument - Mount Rushmore!

This area in the Black Hills is very scenic and great to drive though. We love the historic town of Keystone.

27/05/2024

Day 7 - Salt Lake City to Casper, Wyoming

Today is really just a travel day as we continue to make our way East towards Chicago.

We started the day by watching the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearsal before their weekly televised show. They are world class and everything is just perfect.

Our departure from Salt Lake City saw us climb up over the Rockies into the open plains of Wyoming which show the vastness of this country.

Our Hotel tonight is the wood cabin themed Cmon Inn and we walked across the road to the Texas Roadhouse for dinner.

26/05/2024

Day 6 - WENDOVER TO SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

We usually encounter a couple of yucky days on each tour and unfortunately today was one of them with the coldest weather we’ve experienced in Wendover & Salt Lake City. It got down to about 8 degrees which is such a contrast to the 35 in Las Vegas 2 days ago!

But it didn’t stop us from soaking up some local attractions starting with a visit to meet Wendover Will at the top of town.

Next up was a special visit to the historic Wendover Airbase which was home to the Enola Gay during world war 2. This year our wonderful hosts Jim & Cathy had a special treat for our tour group - an escorted drive through the airport to the purpose built original hangar of the Enola Gay for a photo shoot!

We then visited the Bonneville Speedway on the salt flats in Utah - the fastest place on earth. The salt was dry, unlike our 2023 Route 66 Reunion tour last year, so we were able to drive the cars onto the salt at the end of the road for more photos.

This afternoon we explored downtown Salt Lake City which is a beautiful, clean, modern city.

25/05/2024

Day 5 - Las Vegas to Wendover, Utah

Our tour group did a nice job of collecting their cars from the Horseshoe Hotel valet parking and we made our way out of the City that never sleeps.

A regroup 30 miles out of Vegas for a daily briefing before taking the quiet country roads through the Great Basin National Park. We passed through a few small towns where not much has changed for decades.

This stretch of the journey also includes sections of 2 interesting roads - the Extraterrestrial Highway and the Silver State Challenge Highway - the fastest road race in the world with an average speed of 219mph over the 90-120 mile course. We didn’t go that fast today - but some may have tried!

Wendover is famous for being the gateway to the Bonneville Speedway on the salt flats. So it was appropriate to have a pizza and movie night at the Hotel watching The Worlds Fastest Indian which was filmed on the roads we drove today, and the Western Ridge Motel is next door…

24/05/2024

Day-4 Las Vegas

Today we experienced some of Las Vegas’ biggest attractions. We cruised out to the Hoover Dam - It’s amazing what they achieved from 1931-1935 to build this incredible structure. Where have we gone so wrong?

We had a visit to the Shelby World HQ followed by drinks in our room.

Then we caught the Party Bus to the Fremont St Experience. We had to make a beer top up stop on the way….. Christine & Mark won Pole Dancers of the night!

What a FUN night with a great bunch of people!!!!

23/05/2024

Day 3 - Bakersfield to Las Vegas

A beautiful morning started with another daily briefing before making our way to Las Vegas for the next 2 nights.

We took a short detour through Mojave where there is a aeroplane boneyard due to extremely low rainfall.

Our first stop was at Kramer Junction where we caught up with 80 year old “Tinker” to look at his fine collection of vintage signs, gas bowsers and military vehicles.

Next up was Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner at Yermo which is always a fun stop with amazing milkshakes.

Our tour group really nailed the arrival at our Hotel which is very busy. It was very smooth…

So we celebrated with a few drinks in our room before taking our legendary walk around the Strip visiting a few famous casino/hotels including Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace & the Venetian.

Another great day making memories!

22/05/2024

Day 2 - Los Angeles to Bakersfield, Ca

A milestone day for us as we collected our cars from Hertz Lax Marriott then hit the road to Bakersfield!

This was one of our smoothest departures from LA with free flowing traffic most of the way. Once at Bakersfield they went shopping at Walmart then we enjoyed a few cold drinks in the Hotel courtyard.

A fantastic steak dinner at the Hungry Hunter is seeing this group gel together really well.

Meet the crew here…