Route 66 Road Trip

[highdesertranger]

that's the most important thing. just slow down take it all in. highdesertranger

 

[Queen]

It's a lot of fun highdesertranger. Kind of like a cross-country scavenger hunt. We're lucky that we have all the time in the world to do this and can go slow. Some people have only a few weeks and miss a lot.

And some people lived right near there for 35+ years and never saw a lot of what you're seeing, always thought "there's nothing to do/see here".  :blush:

 

[rvwandering]

If you enjoy spending time in cities St. Louis is a fabulous place to stay for a week or two. There are so many things to do and a lot of them are free.  An abundance of Walmarts, a casino lot and a cheap campground gives you multiple overnight parking choices. 

  My favorite place is Forest Park. It's a huge city park with beautiful landscaping, free parking and miles of easy trails. A zoo, history museum, art museum and science museum are located in the park - all free.





  The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site, Laumeier Sculpture Park, and Anheuser Busch Brewery Tours are free too.  Seeing the Gateway Arch close up is a must but there's a charge you want to go to the museum or ride the tram to the top.





  We spent a week in St. Louis in 2012 and loved it but this time we’re driving straight through and staying close to the path of Route 66 which isn’t that easy because the route changed many times over the years. Very few old 66 hotels, restaurants or other attractions have survived through years of renewal and remodeling. The Luna Café sign is one survivor that recently received a complete restoration of all of it’s neon. Supposedly the Luna was a favorite stop in the 1930s for Chicago gangsters. If the cherry was lit, the girls were working.



 
  The Chain of Rocks Bridge, built across the Mississippi in 1929, became Route 66 bypass in 1936 then was closed to traffic in 1968 when I-270 opened. It’s now part of the Route 66 Bikeway. The bridge is a mile long and has an unusual bend halfway across the river.  A large parking lot is located on the Illinois side of the river. The lot on the Missouri side has been closed due to vandalism but the Illinois side is fairly safe.



  We spotted a couple of vintage neon signs as we drove along the city streets. Fresh Donuts -1952   Auto Seat Covers –1954  Both are still in business.





  But our main mission was to find Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. The Drewes family has been selling custard at this location since 1941. I don’t know if this is the best frozen custard ever since this was the first time either of us tasted frozen custard but it is rich, creamy and sweet. We shared a small which was just about right. The parking lot is fair sized but kind of tight for RVs. Parking on a side street might be the easiest option.



  Before leaving the city we took a side trip to the Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site. This was the plantation farm of Fredrick Dent, the father of Grant’s wife Julia. The Grants lived on the farm for six years in the 1850s but after Grant’s two presidential terms they settled in New York and only came back to the farm, which they had bought from Julia’s father, for visits. Long RV parking spaces in the lot.

 

[Queen]

Man, you guys move inspiringly slow!! I never slow down, just bust it as hard as I can, a side effect of never having more than a week or two off at a time. Cannot wait to go wander without a clock or a deadline.

 

[Almost There]

Man, you guys move inspiringly slow!!  I never slow down, just bust it as hard as I can, a side effect of never having more than a week or two off at a time.  Cannot wait to go wander without a clock or a deadline.

Me too, but I have a date set in jello...


I can't wait to be able to follow in Tony and Karen's footsteps on Route 66...  It's in the plans for next year.

Queen, it takes practice, lots of practice to be able to slow down. 2 of us practiced doing nothing for a whole day yesterday. Ok, we actually had to go scavenge some additional small firewood for the campfire so we didn't waste the whole entire day.... And then it took me almost 5 hours to do a 3 hour drive!

 

[Queen]

AT - I'm going to have to let my wife drive, when I'm behind the wheel we are ON THE MOVE, it's exhausting!

 

[akrvbob]

Queen, but at least you're honest with yourself and open to solutions. That makes for a good marriage and a good life!

Tony and Karen seem to have been born for each other!
Bob

 

[rvwandering]

It does take practice Queen but you'll get there. I remember well those years of one week vacations. We would drive all the way from Pennsylvania to Florida and back - 4 days of driving for 5 days of fun. This is so much better. We drove 25 miles today. :-D

Bob - I think you're right! We work together very well but then it's hard to fight when you live in a 8'x15' box! :-D

 

[rvwandering]

I find the changes from state to state fascinating. Once we crossed from Illinois into Missouri the terrain changed from farm fields to rolling hills covered in trees. Culture differences are more subtle but there's a definite southern vibe now.

 Our first stop was  Route 66 State Park, the former site of Times Beach. In 1925, as part of a newspaper promotion, 20’ × 100’ lots were sold for $67.50. A summer cottage resort developed and over the years people began living there fulltime. All was well until it was discovered that dioxin tainted oil had been used on the dirt roads in the early 1970s. The residents accepted a government buyout and almost 200 million dollars were spent on the cleanup. All that is left is the visitor center building, which used to be a roadhouse on the edge of town, and the remains of the streets that ran through the town. We were planning on visiting the town site but the old Route 66 bridge is closed due to a missing deck  and we went way past the turn off before we realized it. Get good directions if you want to go to the old town site. 

The visitor center has information about Times Beach plus some great old 66 business signs and other 66 memorabilia. The town site has walking, biking and horse trails along the old paved and dirt streets. There's room for RVs to park at the visitor center and at the town site.

         
 
  Purina Farms was established in 1926 as a animal feed research center, which is still a large part of the operations, but it also has a visitor center, petting area, dog agility performance arena and an event center where dog and cat shows take place. We visited on Monday when the public facilities are closed but we did watch part a German Shepard agility show at the events center. We had no idea what a dog show entailed but we struck up a conversation with a long time competitor and she filled us in on all of the details. It’s really pretty interesting and intense for both the owners and the dogs. This is a good free stop if you enjoy animals but I'm not sure if you're allowed to take your own dog into the facilities.   

 The parking lot is large enough for RVs but on busy days you may have to park in the special RV area.

      

As we drove farther into Missouri’s rolling hills more old motels appeared. Some are in sorry shape, some have been updated and some have been given new uses.  I especially like the sign on Skylark Motel which was bought by the VFW in 1993 –wish we were seeing these at night!

            

Meramec Caverns has been a Route 66 attraction since 1933 so even though it’s expensive at $21.00 per person (look for dollars off coupons at other roadside stops) and not the most spectacular of caves, it’s still a must stop for any road tripper. In the best traditions of roadside kitsch colored lighting and tall tales are part of the cave experience but the natural beauty still wins out.  Very big parking lot.

    

 

[Queen]

Glad Meramac Caverns stopped their old practice of tagging every car in the parking lot. They used to have a teenager whose job was to put a big bumper sticker on every car. Hoooo boy my dad was pissed!

 

[rvwandering]

Yeah, I read a little about that. The original owner was very proud of the fact that he invented the bumper sticker! If you didn't want a sticker you had to leave your visor in the down position. There must have been a lot of POed people!

 

[Queen]

Yeah, I read a little about that. The original owner was very proud of the fact that he invented the bumper sticker! If you didn't want a sticker you had to leave your visor in the down position. There must have been a lot of POed people!

The parking lot was full of people trying to get them off and generally being very pissed.  I doubt they had many repeat visitors.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Man, you guys move inspiringly slow!!  I never slow down, just bust it as hard as I can, a side effect of never having more than a week or two off at a time.  Cannot wait to go wander without a clock or a deadline.

Actually, you'll still need a clock.  I recommend THIS one:

 

[B and C]

I would love to have one of those clocks.  They are for dementia patients   and RVer's.  All of them seem too big for anywhere in our Roadtrek.  If I could find one around 6 inches in diameter, I would jump on it.

 

[exitinn]

That would probably break it ;-D

 

[B and C]

Seriously, any clock builders out there?  A perfect size would be 4 inches in diameter and able to hang on the wall.

Oops!  sorry for the hijack.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Seriously, any clock builders out there?  A perfect size would be 4 inches in diameter and able to hang on the wall.

Oops!  sorry for the hijack.

You can buy the seven day clock action itself for under $10.

http://www.coastaltideclocks.com/Day-Clock-Motors.html

Regards
John

 

[rvwandering]

Cuba, Missouri is a nice little stop along Route 66

 The newly renovated Wagon Wheel Motel which claims to be the oldest continuously operated motel on Route 66 is on the east side of town. The stone cabins of the Wagon Wheel were built in 1935. A gravel pull off across the street is a good place stop to to take a photo.



  A 1932 Phillips 66 Gas Station stands on the intersection of 66 and Route 19. It’s been restored but is unoccupied. One of the town’s 12 murals is painted on the side. Small RVs will fit in the lot. 



The Crawford County Historical Museum is filled with items donated by local residents. Unlike most museums visitors are permitted to touch any of the artifacts.  Small RVs will fit in the lot. Larger RVs can be parked along the street.



Get a mural walking tour brochure at the museum. Most of the 12 murals are painted on buildings along Route66/Washington Blvd.



The World's Largest Rocking Chair is located just a few miles down Route 66 at the Fanning 66 Outpost which sells all types of souvenirs and archery equipment. The lot is large enough for RVs.



And just to prove that we stop for everything – the Vacuum Museum!  This is the personal collection of the curator, of which he is very proud, so please don’t snicker. ;-) The museum is laid out in a series of rooms with each room representing a different decade and decorated with period floor coverings and furnishings.

This is also a working factory and an outlet. Tours are available. It’s so cool that it’s still possible to buy a vacuum cleaner that’s made in the USA! The parking lot is large enough for RVs.



My favorite part - the period ads.


 
  Look for the dripping faucet sign at Murdon Concrete Products. The Mule Trading Post has been on Route 66 since 1957 and is stuffed with souvenirs, antiques, old books, knives and assorted junk.  The lot is large enough for RVs.
 
     

The main thing to look for in Rolla is the Stonehenge replica at Missouri S&T campus - a half sized, partial reconstruction of Stonehenge. There isn’t any good parking but you can see it as you drive by. 

 

[rvwandering]

For 110 miles, from Rolla, Missouri to Springfield, Mo, Route 66 plays tag with I-44. Along this section old alignments of  66 have been abandoned for years, cut off from most traffic, but it's worth taking the side trips. 

 Vernelle’s Motel was built in the late 1930s when Route 66 was a two lane road. 66 was widened to four lanes in 1957, then became part of I-44 in 1967. In 2000 I- 44 was re-aligned to straighten the bends and Vernelle’s was bypassed completely. They’re still in business but I doubt many people drive down this stretch of road that goes nowhere.



Drive a little farther to the turn off to John’s Modern Cabins. Built in 1931 and unmaintained since 1971, they’re falling down but the sign is still legible.



The road dead ends at Arlington which was once a popular resort served by the railroad and later by Route 66. The bridge across the Gasconade River was demolished in 1967 and the town consists of a handful of houses and this empty building.



We backtracked to the newer alignment of Route 66 and made another side trip to drive a bit of the road where the Gasconade River bridge once led. The gate to the Trail of Tears Memorial is locked and the memorial is crumbling away but you can still see a little of it from the road. Larry Baggett  built the memorial using rocks and concrete after he learned that the Trail of Tears ran right through his property. He died in 2003 and it seems like no one is going to take over the upkeep. :-(   There’s a small area where you can pull over to take pictures.



This pretty little park in Waynesville was an overnight stop for the Cherokee as they were forced to marched from Georgia to Oklahoma, a journey that became known as the Trail of Tears because of the sickness and death that they encountered along the way. A paved trail with a few interpretive signs follows the river for a mile. Small RVs will fit in the lot.



Loren and Norma Alloway built the Satellite Café in 1965. It burned down in 1999 but this sign survived. There’s also a rocket which was at the entrance to attract the attention of travelers. Since there’s no sign of any structures existing here I didn’t realize it was part of the café complex and didn’t take a picture of it. Room enough to pull off along the side of the road.



Lebanon, Missouri is home to the Munger Moss Motel with it’s wonderful neon sign. The strange name is a combination of the last names of Nelle Munger and her second husband Emmett Moss.



The Lebanon Library houses a small Route 66 Museum which has a complete gas station display and a room from a motor court cabin along with information about road conditions and attractions in the early years of 66.



Another old building, a gymnasium, but no signs indicating anything else about it.



Side trip -  Edwin Hubble, inventor of the Hubble telescope, was born in Marshfield so it’s only fitting that a 1/4 scale replica should sit on the town square.  RVs can be parked on the side streets or you can  just drive around the square to view it.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Wonderful shots of that era of our nation's history.

Here's one you'll encounter at the end of the road (sans Margie of course)