[chief36chevy]

Two of my goals in my retirement are to complete my truck and to drive it out the mother road. I live in Pennsylvania and plan to start on the Lincoln Highway (Route 30) to Chicago and then out to California.
My question is what would be the best time of year to do this trip?
My concerns are Chicago has some nasty winters and the heat of the desert of AZ and NM could be costly on an untested vehicle.
I’m thinking of fall and clear Chicago before November, but would the sights of Route 66 be open in late fall.

[boothboy]

Absolutely! Enjoy your trip.

http://www.historic66.com/

[Mojo56]

Having run the Mother Road in a big truck when much of it was still an official highway I guess I'll chime in.

I'd do it in the late spring. Lots of greenery... weather can still be iffy in the higher elevations until late May...I've seen snow in Flagstaff in July!

Take plenty of time... my bride and I ran from Bloomington, IL to Tulsa several years ago and it took us three days...Chicago to the Santa Monica pier can't be done properly in less than two weeks... too much to see.

There are lots of chunks in IL that run along I-55... some of the interstate was 66 around there. many antiques shops, cafes and such. Lots of dead ends everywhere... get a good map. We did u-turns in many folks driveways when following the earliest (1926) routes...

Above all have fun... it's a helluva ride... and don't miss Oatman Pass or the Chain of Rocks Bridge... or The Blue Whale... or.....