Episode 66
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Hi everybody! I'm Georgiana, founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you speak English fluently.
Today I'll talk again about Route 66. As the first episode was so successful, I decided to record a new lesson giving more information about the famous route. Later you'll listen to a short point of view story to consolidate your grammar.
SpeakEnglishPodcast.com/podcast >
By the way, I will tell you some exciting news, but it will be at the end of this episode. So, keep listening until the end.
I'll start by giving you some tips and suggestions for driving Route 66. How to organize your trip, pack the necessary equipment, and enjoy the road trip of a lifetime.
Plan your trip to Route 66 during the spring or fall because the weather gets incredibly hot during the summer, and some parts of the road can become unsafe during the winter. You should schedule your trip between March and early June or between September and November to get the most enjoyable driving conditions.
Oklahoma and Texas have multiple tornadoes between late April and early June. If you are traveling during these periods, make sure you are paying attention to local weather forecasts for any tornado warnings.
Start in Chicago or Santa Monica for the entire highway.
If you're traveling in the spring, start in California and drive to Illinois. And if you're traveling in the fall, start in Illinois and drive to California. This way you'll enjoy the ideal weather conditions.
And depending on how often you stop and how many places you explore, a one-way road trip from Chicago to Santa Monica or vice versa can take about 2-4 weeks.
My advice is to drive a car or motorcycle for the most authentic experience. Due to the size of the road, it's the best way to experience Route 66. You'll have a great view of all the attractions and may spend the night in hotels or motels along the way. In some places, you may even be allowed to camp outside.
However, if you only wish to visit the main cities on Route 66, you can book a 14-day train ride.
You may be dreaming of traveling along Route 66 while driving an RV, but then you need to consider that even though you can take a large vehicle like an RV, certain parts of the road can be challenging to drive because the road is narrow and winding in some areas. A recreational vehicle (RV) parking and camping will also be harder for you to find.
Make sure you arrange accommodation 2-3 months in advance. Route 66 is home to some unique hotels and motels, such as the famous Magnolia Hotel in St. Louis and the themed Mayo Hotel in Tulsa. These are very popular, so make room reservations 2-3 months in advance if possible. You can also visit the tent campsites if you travel by car or motorcycle and want to sleep under the stars.
And if you're traveling in an RV, find a place to camp ahead of time.
Enjoy the adventure! Stop at famous shops and attractions. Route 66 is perhaps best known for its wide variety of antique stalls, vintage entertainment venues, and bizarre tourist attractions. Some of the most popular landmarks on the route include the:
Fantastic Caverns
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Cadillac Ranch
San Miguel Mission
Painted Desert Inn
Route 66 Museum
66 Drive-In Theater
Old Riverton Store
Eat-in vintage restaurants and cafes. Route 66 is home to a series of cafes, dining rooms, and other unique restaurants along its winding roads. Most of these places offer classic American dishes, and some of them have existed since the beginning of the road in the 1920s. These are some of the most popular restaurants on Route 66:
Bagdad Cafe
Midpoint Cafe
Wagon Wheel Motel, Cafe, and Station
Pops 66
Rock Cafe
Circle Inn Malt Shop
And if you are fond of natural and historical monuments, this trip will be very stimulating for you. Route 66 is close to a variety of national parks, important landmarks, and historic districts.
Here are some of the popular parks and historic sites on Route 66:
Grand Canyon National Park
Petrified Forest National Park
Saint Joseph Church
Blue Cut Trail Marker
So, if you plan to travel Route 66, my advice is to use the internet to find out the estimated price of the trip, including meals as well. Above all, keep in mind what kind of attractions you are most interested in. Based on that you can decide to go by car or motorcycle or by train. For example, if you are interested in historical and natural monuments, you will have to deviate more, so it's better to go by car or motorcycle.
Ok! Let's continue now with a point of view story.
Speaking Practice
POV Story: Grammar in Context
Read the same story from different points of view and notice how grammar changes naturally.
First version
Third Person · Past Tense
Victor and his wife traveled from Brazil to the US last year. They went from Chicago to Los Angeles. It was the trip of a lifetime! They began their adventure with a significant event. Victor proposed to his current wife and was lucky that she accepted. Otherwise, it would have been an awkward trip.
The couple traveled a total of 3,000 miles by car, including detours to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.
The first three days, they stayed in Chicago, where Victor proposed to his wife.
During the trip, they stopped at shops and famous attractions, including the Fantastic Caverns, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, San Miguel Mission, Painted Desert Inn, and Riverton Store.
The couple enjoyed eating in vintage restaurants and cafes, savoring classic American dishes such as Midpoint Cafe, Pops 66, and Rock Cafe.
They particularly liked the natural and historical monuments. So, they visited the Grand Canyon National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, and San Jose Church.
However, the most exciting part of their trip was in Las Vegas, where they won $10 million! What an adventure! And what a surprise! Now they're back in Brazil, ready to celebrate a big wedding. And yes! They're going to spend their honeymoon traveling Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago.
Second version
First Person · Past Tense
I traveled with my wife from Brazil to the United States last year. We went from Chicago to Los Angeles. It was the trip of a lifetime! We began our adventure with a significant event. I proposed to my current wife and was lucky that she accepted. Otherwise, it would have been an awkward trip.
We traveled a total of 3,000 miles by car, including detours to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.
In the first three days, we stayed in Chicago, where I proposed to my wife.
During the trip, we stopped at shops and famous attractions, including the Fantastic Caverns, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, San Miguel Mission, Painted Desert Inn, and Riverton Store.
My wife and I enjoyed eating in vintage restaurants and cafes classic American dishes such as Midpoint Cafe, Pops 66, and Rock Cafe.
We particularly liked the natural and historical monuments. So, we visited the Grand Canyon National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, and San Jose Church.
However, the most exciting part of our trip was in Las Vegas, where we won $10 million! What an adventure! And what a surprise! Now we're back in Brazil, ready to celebrate a big wedding. And yes! We're going to spend our honeymoon traveling Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary from This Episode
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
01 detour
a longer route taken to visit or avoid something.
05 estimate
an approximate calculation of cost or amount.
02 attraction
a place that visitors find interesting.
06 honeymoon
a trip taken by newly married people.
03 vintage
from an earlier period and valued for its style.
07 trip of a lifetime
an unusually memorable journey.
04 historic site
a place important in history.
08 monument
a structure or place with historical importance.
I feel happy to have Georgiana like my teacher and encourage you to continue with the course because many people wish to get it.
Congratulations
Cornet Jean-Fred
That’s awesome! I’m glad to know that you’re happy with my lessons 🙂
i liked very epsode is very funny ,the couple make a travel,stay know entire route of the route 66 and still win ten million of dollars , i also vant make this travel, what luck guy.