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GO NICHE:TUCKED AWAY in many men's personal "things to do before I die" file is to travel America's Route 66, all 4,000-odd kilometres of it, from Chicago to Los Angeles.
And of course, they’ll want to do it on a Harley Davidson.
The popularity of this iconic roadway, now so broken up and disjointed that you'll end up zipping through housing estates and shopping centres to stay on track, has spawned a number of specialist tour operators, all happy to see you express your inner Easy Rider.
The route, also known as the Main Street of America and referred to by Steinbeck as the Mother Road, traverses eight states and three time zones.
Like a road version of Cuba, very many of the original gas stations, motels and drive-in movie theatres stand just as they did in the 1950s, when the route was at its peak. Prior to that it was the main artery for economic migrants heading west to seek their fortune, escaping Dust Bowl and economic depression.
Many of the buildings along the way are abandoned ruins, but there’s a push on to conserve and restore them as part of the country’s road heritage.
Your first pit-stop is typically the Launching Pad at Wilmington – one of the last original restaurants still operating on the route and unmissable due to the giant plastic spaceman statue standing guard outside.
From there the route winds through Oklahoma City, Amarillo – with its famous Cadillac Graveyard – Santa Fe, Gallup, Flagstaff and Barstow, ending up on the pier at Santa Monica. Most tour itineraries give you the option to detour and take in the Grand Canyon too.
US motorcycle tour specialist Reuthers runs fully insured, fully guided Harley Davidson tours across Route 66, staying in middling hotels, for $4,138 (roughly €3,168), excluding flights.
reuthers.com