Well, I finally put it together! A day by day guide of Route 66. Over the next couple weeks, expect the route, with approximate mileage, driving time, projected itinerary (of things we meant to stop at and sometimes couldn't, but maybe you can), and the approximate expenses for what I saved/recorded (I split some of the expenses with the person I was with, but I included the whole amount as if you were driving yourself). 

I also just drove into Los Angeles from Nashville, putting me on part of the route again, so I'll feature some of that trip as a bonus at the end of the post. Hope this helps anyone looking to travel Route 66 or just want to check out the trip! 

Day one was a long one... I packed the night before and morning of #typical so I was a little stressed about leaving on time. I almost convinced myself and Stephanie that we should leave later like around 8am. But that would throw off a lot of our plans and put us in the middle of Los Angeles traffic, and honestly, less sleep is worth more than sitting through that.

Our day one itinerary:

• Santa Monica Pier {Santa Monica, CA}
• Randy's Donuts {Inglewood, CA}
• Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch {Oro Grande, CA}
• Harvey House {Barstow, CA}
• Bagdad Café {Newberry Springs, CA}
• Pisgah Crater {Barstow/Needles, CA}
• London Bridge {Lake Havasu, AZ}
• Oatman Wild West Town {Oatman, AZ}
• End the drive in Kingman to sleep

Approximate mileage: 399

Approximate driving time: 7.75 hours

Approximate Total Expenses: $106.54

• Gas: $38.19 @ $2.859/gallon, 13.359g
• Food: $5 at Randy's Donuts, $12.82 Bagdad Cafe
• Stay: $50.53 at Economy Inn

Read more for the map, all details, and photo journal...

Funny enough, I have to admit I've never seen an actual show in the Walt Disney Concert Hall — I've only been in the lobby or meandering outside it. And that's the thing — although I've heard the acoustics and performances are amazing and it's definitely on my list to experience one day — just from viewing it and walking around this amazing architectural structure is an experience in itself. 

There's some stairs that will lead you up through the seemingly-moving reflective plates. You can go around to the back to see a garden area and a beautiful mosaic flower piece, "A Rose for Lilly," — Frank Gehry's tribute to Lillian Disney — and that will lead you to some stairs with a leaved wall for more #instagrammoments haha. But actually. It was a cute setting to capture Whitney and Chris. 

But wait... there's more! 

READ MORE FOR PHOTOS AND OTHER PLACES NEARBY...

Olvera Street is a beautiful place. From the first time I visited here in middle school, I was absolutely enamored with the bright colors, and positive energy that could be felt wandering down the "street."

I've visited here for their Día de Los Muertos//Day of the Dead event as well as their Virgen de Guadalupe event in December. Other events/celebrations are listed here. Even to be here for no event at all still provides an inspired and fun experience. 

The mission of Olvera Street goes beyond the appearance of a Mexican Marketplace — it was created in 1930 "to preserve and present the customs and trades of early California." According to their website, many of the merchants on the street today are descended from the original vendors.

Not only all that, but it's right across the street from another historic part of Los Angeles that's still in operation and every day use: Union Station (opened in 1939) — making Olvera Street an easy destination/metro ride, and you can take a look inside this historic building. (One thing about Olvera Street is parking can be tricky to find, especially during an event. It's better to plan for a full day in downtown and just park somewhere for the entire day, then take the metro or walk to different spots.)

We were really fortunate this time around because The Avila Adobe, a house built in 1818 and is listed as the oldest standing residence in Los Angeles, was open! So we had the opportunity to go inside and walk around (usually it's closed whenever I've visited because I tend to go in the evening or at night).

Don't miss getting some churros and a picture with the burro. 

READ MORE TO SEE PHOTOS...