Gateway Arch and Northern Route 66
Route 66 is known as “The Mother Road” and was the shortest year-round route between the Midwest and the Pacific Coast when it was established in 1926. It stretched 2,448 miles, and was the first fully paved highway in the U.S. This road trip photography tour will cover the northern section of this amazing drive, traveling the entire Illinois section and much of the Missouri section, including the star of the show, Gateway Arch National Park.
Workshop Details
October 18-23, 2024
This is a 6-night, 6-day tour. Your adventure begins with a Route 66 brunch at Lou Mitchell’s in Chicago on October 18, and ends after the night shoot on October 23.
$2,695 + applicable taxes. Register below.
Skill level
All Levels. Open to all who have an understanding of the basic principles of photography and of their cameras.
Group size
14, with 2 instructors — 7:1 ratio
NPS websites
Gateway Arch National Park
Route 66
Our workshop mission is to explore every U.S. national park. As with all our Passport Series locations, it may be years (if ever) before we return to any specific park. If you have a dream of making epic long exposures at night at Gateway Arch, we hope you join us.
Tour Leaders
Registration
| • Deposit of $600 is required to reserve your spot at the workshop. |
| • Balance of $2.095 is due on July 20, 2024. → Pay balance here. |
| • You may choose the “Pay in Full” ticket if you desire to pay all at once. |
| • Last day for a cancellation request is July 19, 2024. (see cancellation and refund policy) |
| • The tour fee does not include lodging, food, airfare, or transportation to or during the tour. |
The Gateway Arch & Northern Route 66 Experience
Do you know that Route 66 is part of the national park system? That’s right, there are more than 250 buildings, bridges and roadside attractions along Route 66 that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The official Route 66 eastern terminus is at Grant Park in Chicago and that’s where our adventure will begin. We’ll spend 2 nights in Chicago, and 2 in St. Louis—and along the way we’ll spend 1 night in 2 different Springfields in 2 different states! There are many stops along the way to photograph and explore various historic locations.
Our time in Chicago will focus on the rich architectural history of the city, including a boat cruise for the best vantage point of the glorious skyline. From there we’ll start to get our kicks on Route 66 and stop to photograph giants dressed up as astronauts, a Paul Bunyan eating a huge hot dog, historically preserved old gas stations and much more. There will be some barbecue involved. The Mother Road weaves its way through the land of Lincoln, and we’ll gain more insight on the life of our 16th president while adding Twistee Treats, the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle and a pretty cool bridge to our Route 66 Passport Books!
When we get to St. Louis, we’ll focus our stay on one of our newest national parks, Gateway Arch! And we’ll be right there, as we stay in a hotel overlooking the arch and the beautiful urban grounds it stands on. We’ll spend a full day in the outstanding Museum of Westward Expansion, which sits directly below the arch. We’ll spend 2 nights photographing the arch and its environs, with an emphasis on shooting urban star trails.
Then after our main meal of Gateway Arch we’ll head for dessert in our second Springfield of the trip—Springfield, Missouri! The state gives us 317 more miles of adventures through large cities and small towns in between the many rolling hills and valleys. Caverns, murals, neon signs, old hotels and the giant Muffler Man playing putt-putt in a town called Uranus!
So fill up your gas tank and charge up your batteries and get ready for one Mother of a road trip, filled with nostalgic sights, urban delights, and 6 fun-filled nights along the northern section of Route 66.
What You Should Know
Night photography experience is not necessary, but participants must have at least basic photo skills, know their cameras well, and be comfortable shooting raw in manual mode with a DSLR or high-end mirrorless camera.
If you would like to attend this tour but are unsure whether you have adequate night photography skills, we can offer pre-trip tutoring to get you ready for your adventure with us. Alternatively or additionally, a few of us have written books that may be productive pre-trip reads.
What You Will Learn
We hope to push you to step outside your comfort zone—to test the limits of what you and your camera can do.
TOPICS COVERED WILL INCLUDE:
urban night photography, including light painting and star trails
how to take advantage of twilight to balance the city lights in an exposure
how to create car trails and emphasize other movement in the city
how to use neutral density filters during the day and night for creative effect
rural night photography under the stars along several of the Route 66 locations
and more …
This tour will not have any classroom time. This is a road trip adventure and we will be taking pictures day and night. We’ll also take an architectural tour, visit Route 66 and historic museums, and stop at a bunch for roadside attractions! While in the field, the instructors will demonstrate their own techniques and will work with participants one-on-one to make sure everyone gets the most out of the tour.
Night Conditions
Logistics & General Info
Travel
This is a road trip––more of a tour than a workshop. We’ll be driving 500 miles and staying in four different hotels, as well as flying into Chicago (ORD) and out of either Kansas City or St. Louis.
We recommend flying into one of the Chicago airports, and out of Springfield-Branson (SGF). For a round-trip ticket, St Louis (STL) is the best choice—it’s 5 hours to Chicago and 3.5 hours from Springfield, Mo., where we end the trip.
Nearby Airports for beginning of the trip (Chicago)
Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
Chicago Midway (MDW)
St. Louis (Airport Code STL) — 3.5 hours
Nearby Airports for end of the trip (Springfield, Missouri)
Springfield-Branson (SGF)
Kansas City (MCI) — 3 hours from Springfield
St. Louis (STL) — 3.5 hours
Chicago O’Hare (ORD) — 8 hours
Rental Car
You will need a one-way car rental, or you will need to drive a long way before or after the tour. That said, a road trip is more fun when you share it. We recommend renting a car with other attendees, or at least putting your name on the list for ride-sharing. We’ll be covering 500 miles over the course of 6 days and nights.
There is no need for four-wheel-drive.
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own transportation. We will do our best to coordinate ride-sharing.
Lodging & Food
We’ll be staying 2 nights in Chicago, 1 night in Springfield, Illinois, 2 nights in St. Louis and the last night in Springfield, Missouri.
Lodging
You are not required to stay at the official tour lodging, though doing so does make it easier to meet with the group each morning.
Info and group code will be sent at some point after registering, once our lodging partners are ready to begin taking reservations.
If you are interested in sharing a room, let us know and we will try to connect you with someone like-minded in the group.
Food
Meals are not included, but we will be having most of our meals together as a group.
There will be barbecue. There will be hot dogs and french fries. There will be ice cream. Because it is Gabe and Lance, there will also be beer. It’s probably going to be difficult to eat healthfully on this trip, but it’s gonna be fun. You may, of course, bring your own salad.
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own meals and accommodations.
Weather
Expect daytime highs in the 60s F, lows in the 40s.
Recommended Attire
Long-sleeved shirts for daytime, medium-weight jacket for night.
A sweatshirt and a base layer would be wise. Layers are good.
Bring a hat and gloves just in case.
Comfortable and protective shoes are recommended for getting around.
Exertion Level
The exertion level of this workshop is Easy. (See more about our classifications.)
No vigorous activity will be required during the tour, but please consider your physical abilities prior to registering. There won’t be any long hikes, but there will be trails involved, and you should be comfortable carrying your own equipment over uneven ground in the dark.
Considerations
IMPORTANT: We encourage reading our FAQs section for more information about skill and gear requirements, and other information that pertains to all our workshops.
If you have questions, please contact us—we're happy to talk it over with you.
On the road again …
“The Gateway to the West welcomed us with open arms, some darn good BBQ and an inspirational Arch that was spectacular to photograph day or night.”
When my wife Nancy and I were engaged and planning our honeymoon we talked about many possible far-flung adventures outside of the United States. But in the end, and probably over hot dogs, Nancy suggested we go to as many baseball stadiums as we could road-tripping from New York to San Francisco.
Well, to say I fell in love all over again is an understatement! In 3 weeks we drove over 5,000 miles, went to 14 baseball stadiums, two national parks, and visited with so many friends and family along the way. Things kicked into high gear when we arrived in Chicago and stayed with my cousins. It was Fourth of July weekend and cookouts and the search for the best Chicago hot dog was on! We also saw back-to-back Chicago baseball games including the classic North Side versus South Side rivalry.
Our next stop was St. Louis, and on the way we started noticing some quirky roadside attractions. The Gateway to the West welcomed us with open arms, some darn good BBQ and an inspirational Arch that was spectacular to photograph day or night.
Then our road trip took the best turn.
We didn’t have another game scheduled for 3 days until we got to the “Simpsons-inspired” Isotopes Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. So with no need to put pedal to the metal, we started opening our eyes to the stranger and stranger roadside attractions: Paul Bunyon statues, blue whales, vintage and quirky hotel signs, and neon. (Lots of neon!)
We had hit The Mother Road, Route 66!
We seriously slowed things down. Before we’d just drive all day, see a baseball game, hit the hay, then do it all again the next day.
But after “discovering” Route 66? Now we wandered off the highways and weaved in and out of nostalgia. We became time travelers visiting teepee hotels, dinosaurs and Cadillacs plunged into the earth. We met amazing people at local shops that had been welcoming westbound dreamers since 1926.
In the end, the time we spent on Route 66 was easily our favorite part of our honeymoon.
