I'd do just what you are thinking, Stuart. Cruise Hwy 66. Start maybe in Ill/Mo. and cruise to CA. and hit as much as the old road as possible. A lot of it is in the Midwest so you can talk to those regular folk you were talking about. Make sure you let me know if you decide on that because 66 goes right through Tulsa. I could at least get you through Tulsa to OKC via Route 66, with maybe a cool one and a good meal somewhere. First I would get one of those biker tour guides, specifically for Route 66.

"Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at seventy miles per hour can double your vocabulary" Author unknown