Roads · Route 66 · 2026

Route 66:
The Road Continues.

A personal motorcycle journey across America’s most iconic road, told through photography, road notes, coffee stops, small towns, and the search for the next chapter.

Last year, the story carried me from Chicago toward Amarillo. The next chapter points west: Amarillo to Santa Monica for the Route 66 Centennial.

Sponsor the RideRide With MeAsk / Contact

Follow the ride. Sponsor a mile. Support a stop. Join part of the road. Become part of the story.

The journey started here

From Chicago to Amarillo.
The first half is already a story.

The first Route 66 chapter was built around motorcycles, photography, exploration, coffee, and adventure. It was not only a route. It was a way to combine the things that keep pulling me back to the road.

01

Chicago, IL

The symbolic starting point. The place where the idea stopped being a dream and became a ride.

02

Springfield → St. Louis

History, old-road character, and the first rhythm of a long motorcycle story.

03

Carthage → Oklahoma City

Small towns, classic roadside energy, and the slow shift into plains and western distance.

04

Texas Icons

Route 66 murals, giant roadside characters, Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo markers, and the kind of stops that make the Mother Road wonderfully strange.

05

Amarillo, TX

The end of the first chapter and the starting line for the ride west.

06

Santa Monica Ahead

New Mexico, Arizona, the Mojave, and the final pull toward the Pacific.

Rocke inside a Route 66 roadside shield in Wilmington, Illinois
Photo StopWilmington Route 66 Shield

A personal road marker from the 2025 ride and a natural Sponsor a Mile visual.

Rocke and motorcycle in front of a Route 66 mural in Pontiac, Illinois
Mother Road MuralPontiac Route 66 Wall

One of the strongest visual anchors from the eastern chapter.

Cadillac Ranch cars covered in paint along Route 66
Roadside ArtCadillac Ranch

Color, history, graffiti, and the kind of strange stop Route 66 does best.

Amarillo Route 66 water tower from the 2025 ride
Texas MarkerAmarillo Route 66 Tower

A clean visual bridge between the 2025 ride and the 2026 continuation.

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2025 ride photographs

The road already gave us the first images.

A first edited selection from last year’s Route 66 ride. These are the photographs that start making the project feel real: motorcycle stops, murals, roadside art, small-town signs, and quiet open-road moments.

Pontiac · Route 66 mural
Motorcycle · road gear
Cadillac Ranch
Open road · plains sky
Route 66 giant
Small-town stop
Coffee on the Mother Road
RockePhoto crossoverCoffee on the Mother Road

Some stops are about fuel. Some are about coffee. The road has both.

Love on the Road
Visual StoriesLove on the Road

Some Route 66 images carry the same human energy as El Beso.

Mind of a Nomad black and white road image
ChiaroscuroMind of a Nomad

Some miles ask to be remembered in black and white.

Motorcycle-first RockeRide updates
Motorcycle-firstRockeRide Updates

Routes, logistics, rider notes, and the motorcycle side of the project.

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1. Riding through 100 years of history

Route 66 was commissioned in 1926. That makes 2026 more than another road-trip year. It is the centennial of the Mother Road, and for a rider that changes the assignment. You are not just collecting miles. You are entering a story that has shaped American movement for a century.

The 2026 ride is the westward continuation of the story: motorcycle miles, photography, coffee stops, small towns, and the final pull toward Santa Monica.

2. This is a visual story, not only a road trip

RockePhoto carries the visual side: photography, field notes, portraits, coffee stops, quiet mornings, and the moments that make a road feel human. RockeRide carries the motorcycle side: the machine, the route, the miles, the stops, and the rider community around it.

Together, the project becomes a living archive of the ride.

3. From Panhandle to Pacific

The working concept begins in Amarillo and continues west toward Santa Monica. The route moves through the visual heart of the Mother Road: Texas Panhandle icons, New Mexico neon, Arizona desert towns, the Mojave, and the final arrival at the Pacific.

The goal is not simply to arrive. The goal is to build a ride with enough rhythm to stop, photograph, talk, drink coffee, and let the route tell its own story.

4. Community, memory, and purpose

The sponsor idea is simple: become a virtual co-pilot. A sponsor is not only supporting fuel or lodging. They are helping turn a personal ride into a documented visual project that people can follow, share, and remember.

Part of the funds raised for this project will be donated to causes connected to the road, mental health, and the people we want to keep riding beside us.

The public promise: follow the ride, sponsor a mile, support a stop, join part of the road, or ask a question.
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Digital road artifacts

Some miles become things you can keep.

As the project grows, Route 66 support can evolve into digital downloads, print-ready pieces, road notes, sponsor updates, and small collections made from the ride.

Coming SoonRoute 66 Photo Notes

Short visual notes from selected stops and miles.

Coming SoonExclusive Ride E-book

The digital trip chronicle promised to supporters and sponsors.

Coming SoonDigital Postcards

Downloadable images or cards from the ride.

Coming SoonSupporter Updates

Behind-the-scenes notes for sponsors and supporters.

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Rider interest · separate from sponsorship

Want to ride part of Route 66 with me?

This is separate from sponsorship. Riders are not being asked to sponsor the project. This is for people who ride and may want to join part of the route, meet at a stop, or help create a small, safe, memorable riding group for a section of the journey.

For riders

Use the form to tell me what you ride, where you are located, your experience level, and which section of the route interests you. The goal is a good ride, not a huge group.

For safety and planning

Nothing is automatic. Timing, route section, pace, weather, lodging, distance, and riding style all matter. I’ll review interest first and connect directly with riders who may be a good fit.

Open Rider / Sponsor FormSponsor Options
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Questions people may ask

FAQ for sponsors and riders.

01Can I join the ride?

Yes, potentially. Rider interest is separate from sponsorship and depends on route, timing, safety, pace, and fit.

02Can a business sponsor?

Yes. Small businesses, local stops, and rider-friendly brands can ask about sponsor options.

03Is the route final?

No. The story is real, but details may change as the 2026 plan develops.

04Where do I support?

Use Buy Me a Coffee for now. Add Route 66, Sponsor a Mile, or your dedication in the note.

Open the Route 66 FormFollow @rockeride.mediaBack to RockePhoto
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