50th Birthday Ride · June 2026
The Mother Road · Celebrating Half a Century
↓ scroll to ride
For Tomi · Turning 50
Chicago to Las Vegas. Route 66. On motorcycles. With good people.
2,400 miles of open road, desert sunsets, ghost towns and big sky —
because this is exactly what turning 50 looks like.
EagleRider Motorcycle Rentals
Motorcycle Pickup · Chicago
The birthday fleet rolls out — helmets on, throttle up
Eric's Place
Family Visit · 31 Bridlewood Rd, Northbrook
A proper send-off from family before the big ride
Motel 6 Elk Grove Village
Night 1 · O'Hare
First night on the road
End Historic Route 66 Sign
Landmark · Chicago
Mile zero of the birthday ride — kick it into gear
Lou Mitchell's
Breakfast · $10–20
Fuel up properly — it's a long ride, and the birthday boy deserves the best
Route 66 Polk-A-Dot Drive In
Lunch · Fast Food · $10–20
Roadside classic — Elvis and Monroe watching over your burger
Route 66 Hotel & Conference Center
Night 2 · Springfield, IL
Right on the Mother Road
Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
Historical Landmark
Historic Mississippi River crossing on the original Route 66
Gateway Arch National Park
National Park · St. Louis
630 feet of stainless steel — gateway to the great West
Wagon Wheel Motel
Night 3 · Cuba, MO
One of the most photographed motels on Route 66
The Campbell Hotel
Night 4 · Tulsa, Oklahoma
Art Deco gem in the heart of downtown Tulsa
Cadillac Ranch
Sculpture · Amarillo, TX
Ten Cadillacs nose-first in the Texas panhandle — grab some spray paint
Big Texan Motel
Night 5 · Amarillo, TX
Home of the 72oz steak challenge — eat it in an hour, it's free
Blue Hole
Natural Swimming Hole · Santa Rosa
Crystal-blue artesian pool in the desert — dive in
66 Diner
Lunch · Albuquerque · $10–20
Classic 1950s diner straight off the strip
El Rey Court
Night 6 · Santa Fe, NM
Adobe-style boutique — turquoise and adobe at its finest
Petrified Forest National Park
National Park · Arizona
Ancient trees turned to crystal over 225 million years
Wigwam Motel
Night 7 · Holbrook, AZ
Sleep in a concrete wigwam — the most Route 66 thing imaginable
Meteor Crater Natural Landmark
Tourist Attraction · Arizona
A 50,000-year-old impact — 550ft deep, nearly a mile wide
Grand Canyon
National Park · Arizona
One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World
Yavapai Lodge
Night 8 · Grand Canyon Village
Fall asleep on the rim of one of Earth's greatest wonders
Seligman
Historic Town · Arizona
Birthplace of Route 66 preservation — Angel Delgadillo's barbershop
Hackberry General Store
Mandatory Stop · Arizona
A museum, store and time capsule — don't skip this one
El Trovatore Motel
Night 9 · Kingman, AZ
Last night on Arizona soil
Oatman
Ghost Town · Arizona
Wild burros roam free down Main Street — they own this town
End of the Road · The Birthday Ride is Complete
Nevada · Happy 50th. You earned every mile.
50
Years Young
10
Days
6
States
~2,400
Miles