Route 66 baby ~ "FROM EARTH RABBIT TO RIBBON ROADS” (A blog series of our two week adventure!)

Wednesday, 5/8/13

Steve likes to Google “best breakfast in ‘insert name of city here’” and he came up with the City Diner in St. Louis.  We parked across the street in a little park and were greeted by a huge “Earth Rabbit” in a yoga pose.  It set the festive tone for the morning and once I saw Deep Fried French Toast on the menu at the diner, it was no holds barred!  It came piping hot, not greasy at all and was perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.  Absolutely delish!

Pods to the top of the Arch

We caught our first glimpse of the St. Louis Arch from quite a distance.  The closer we got the more graceful and delicate looking it got.  The bottom of the arch is surrounded by a beautiful park alongside the Mississippi.  The elevator pods took us 630 feet to the observation deck at the top (four minutes up and three minutes down) and boy are they tiny! Little windows in the pods allow you to see the emergency exit stairs and help to not feel quite so claustrophobic.  The observation deck is long and narrow with small windows (due to the pressure of the arch).  Our lovely and clear day allowed us to see for miles around (they say you can see 30 miles out).  Looking straight down we got a bird’s eye view of the Mississippi flooding as well – sidewalks still covered over and the banks flooding out the docks for the riverboat cruises.   It seems a bit ironic that the cruises were suspended due to the flooding of the river.

Our good friend Steve Stouter travelled Route 66 by motor home with his family just about a month before our trip and highly recommended the Anheuser-Busch tour.  Not being a beer fan, I was a bit skeptical, but am so glad we went.  The (free) tour travels about eight city blocks as you work through the process of brewing, history of Anheuser Busch and the actual plant facilities.  We went through the working parts of the factory, the stables for the Clydesdales and the very opulent holding tank areas.  We finished in the “tasting room” where I discovered that although I am not a beer fan, I do enjoy their newest concoction, the Straw-Ber-Rita, a strawberry margarita with a Budweiser base.  And…truth be told, I didn’t mind sharing the mixed six pack of Shock-Top we bought over the course of the next week or so.  Amy and beer - who knew?

The day was hot and Steve surprised me with a little backtrack to Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, open on Route 66 since 1941, for an afternoon ice cream treat.  Steve cooled off with a refreshing lemon crumble (along the lines of a blizzard, made with lemon and graham cracker crumbs) and I enjoyed the purity of what they’re famous for, homemade vanilla custard.  Our taste buds were mighty happy and satisfied!

The whirlwind day ended with making it in time for the last tour for Meramec Caverns.  The entranceway was a bit on the cheesy side with a “Jessie James Hide Out” story and theme, but the caverns themselves were fascinating.  There were only seven of us on the tour and our tour ranger had a wanna-be cop attitude going on and was entertaining all in himself with his swinging flashlight and holster and catch phrases of “Stop right there” and “Stay behind me”. The mineral formations are breathtaking and don’t really need to be enhanced by the cheesy light and music show at the end of the tour.  However, our young cop-guide really seemed to enjoy working the switches for the lights as he presented us with his “personally choreographed” show.

 

We stayed that night at the Meramec Caverns Hotel which was not only pleasant, but a welcoming sight at just at the other end of the parking lot.

Thursday, 5/9/13

On the hunt for breakfast at a local diner in Bourke, IL, we stumbled across the Circle N.  True diner style, complete with a few older gentlemen locals at tables across from the counter and two older women who were in the dining area with us that chain smoked all the way through breakfast!  The average eggs and pancakes tasted all the better when the server placed mine in front of me and announced “and this is for The Mrs.”.  Made Steven and I smile ear to ear!

We headed out and our first destination was Cuba, MO., artfully decorated with 12 murals depicting a mix of local history, the Civil War, and the golden age of travel along Route 66. The murals are skillfully worked into the natural flow of the town’s buildings and had incredible detail.   

A short way down the road we came to the World’s Largest Rocking Chair.  I was disappointed to find you couldn’t climb up onto it for a picture anymore, but Steve got one of me underneath it before we strolled through the Route 66 Outpost on the site.  

The store had tastings of the local alcohol offerings.  For those who’ve heard us talk about the Morgano wine Steve’s dad used to make (and I was introduced to cocktail hour at the tender age of 18 years of age with), I can share that the wine tasted strongly of that!  We picked up a bottle of that to enjoy with a dinner a little further into the trip, but passed on the moonshine that Steve had a very generous shot of!

The route maps we’d bought suggested we make sure to go into Arlington, MO., what it quaintly referred to as “a scenic side trip”.  So, we took the very bumpy ride down a long dirt dead end road to find a community of four houses with four mailboxes.  Although considered a ghost town now, it was once a bustling town that boasted one of the busiest destination resorts in MO, the Stony Dell Resort, where movie star Mae West visited at least once.  It was the first town we saw that showed the sign of deterioration that came from the old Route 66 being abandoned in favor of the highway when it came along.  The first, but certainly not the last.

The Missouri landscape reminds me of our travels through Pennsylvania with the rolling mountains and greenery. 

After a stop at the World’s Largest Gift Shop and Candy Store, in Phillipsburg, MO, and bought some nostalgic treats, we headed down the road and into Oklahoma where we hit some of what’s called the “Sidewalk Highway” or “Ribbon Road”.  Pouring more than 2,400 miles of concrete turned out to be a pretty expensive project, especially back in the 1920's.  So, the state of Oklahoma came up with a solution: a road that's half as wide should cost half as much.  To save money as they paved parts of Route 66, they poured the concrete just 9 feet wide, creating just one hard-surfaced lane. (Who knew those automobiles were going to catch on and there’d be more than two on the road at the same time!)   Incredibly, two sections of this roadway still exist, and are drivable…and drive them we did.  What a blast and truly another part of what made the journey so awesome…

Along with ribbon road, OK presented us with cows for as far as they eye could see.  We stopped in Claremore for the evening and had a comfortable dinner and some wine and beer for dinner in the hotel room.  Very relaxing but a long night followed as we listened to the trains blow their whistles all night long as they rumbled by on the tracks next to the hotel!

Route 66 baby ~ FROM THE CROTCH OF A GIANT TO LINCOLN’S STAIRWAY” (A blog series of our two week adventure!)

Monday, 5/6/13

It was our first day on the road and night was falling.   We’d run a little long on our dinner stop at Steak-n-Shake, but the great burgers and rich milkshakes were worth it!   Just as I began to worry whether we’d make our first official kitschy route 66 stop, we rounded a corner and there it was.  The Gemini Giant.  And within minutes, we’d documented our visit - standing under the crotch of a giant.  What an auspicious beginning!  Sadly, the Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant that hosts the Giant is closed (as in permanently) with overgrown weeds surrounding the building.  Locals must be used to the sight of tourists stopping for a photo op, because for all the cars that passed by while we were running back and forth setting up the camera on the hood of the car and taking our picture not one person even so much as honked! 

A ways after the Giant, around Dwight, IL., we passed the first of many huge windmill farms to come on the trip.  They became a fascination for us as we traveled West through land so well suited to the air currents these require.  We know there are pros and cons to be argued for both sides, but we really did find them to be a beautiful site as the sun set behind these giant behemoths, stoic and steady sentinels across the plains.  Steve pegged it… “elegant.”

Pulled into our lodging for the night late, however the neon sign that greeted us from the Route 66 Hotel & Conference Center was a welcoming site! 

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

I thought it was kismet that the restaurant we found next door in the morning was “Abe’s Southside Café & Pub” until Steve pointed out we were in the “land of Lincoln”, in Springfield, IL., and LOTS of places would have the name Abe in them,  for the 16^th President of the United States and NOT our son!

Driving is Springfield was unique.  For quite a stretch of road, we were on a four lane, one way highway that passed straight through the middle of a neighborhood (like out street, only wider).  Made me wonder how the town of Springfield developed as it dealt with the notoriety and tourism of its most famous resident.

Our first stop after breakfast was to visit the Lincoln Home, Part of the National Park Service, where the staff was friendly and helpful.  Timed perfectly, we waited on benches drenched in shade by beautiful Maple trees for about five minutes across the street from the Lincoln Homestead.  You have to have a ticket, but the tour is free and the park ranger was knowledgeable and chatty as he took our group of ten or so on a walkabout through the house, filled with original pieces.  The rooms were roped off, but he did point out the original stairway railing as we traveled upstairs.  I felt a chill as I imagined Abe walking up those stairs; hand lightly brushing the same railing. A short drive took us to Lincoln’s Tomb, much larger and more impressive than I expected.  Martha Lincoln and three of their four sons are buried there as well.  The entrance has a little sign on the door that read “Welcome. Please come in.”  Fitting that his entrance would have such a gentlemanly invite. 

Back on the road, I took the wheel for a short time and was surprised at the oil wells in the front and back yards of houses we passed.  Water wells I expected, but the oil wells took me off guard.  Our timing was right for an afternoon sweet pit stop as we hit the Ariston Café, believed to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest restaurant on Route 66. It was a diner, yes, but with more of an upscale décor with linen napkins and tablecloths.  Steve had the bread pudding and I enjoyed a cream cheese/chocolate layered cake.  All was delish (except the coffee – help McDonald’s!). 

Not having an agenda to follow, we were able to make an impromptu stop just off Route 66 in Staunton, IL., at Country Classic Cars.  For a few hours we wandered through about half the buildings on site and looked at a couple hundred cars.  Steve got to educate me on some car history, makes and models, and tell a few good family stories.  We walked and chatted until they started to close the doors on the buildings around us and we got the hint it was time to close up shop!

Purely by chance we stumbled across Henry’s Rabbit Ranch in Staunton.   Henry's Rabbit Ranch Station and Visitor's Center looks like a real old classic filling station once found all along Route 66 and they pay a nice homage to the Cadillac Ranch as well!

Not all parts of the route are passable by cars anymore and the Chain of Rocks Bridge is one of those places.  For more than three decades, the bridge was a significant landmark for travelers driving Route 66. Due to the 22 degree turn midway across the mile-long bridge that caused so many accidents, the bridge was closed to vehicle traffic in 1968. The middle of the bridge posts the Illinois/Missouri state line.  It was an enjoyable walk across and at a little over 60 feet above the Mississippi; it gave us our first glimpse of the extent of the flooding, still a good quarter to half a mile inland. 

We stopped for the night just over the border in St. Louis, MO and Steve found Sam’s Steakhouse.  Its old world charm and great service were a nice compliment to the succulent steak and prime rib we had with a kick-ass bottle of wine.  It was one of our more expensive meals, but well worth it in good food, service and conversation. 

Route 66 baby ~ DYNAMICS OF “LIFE IN THE CAR” (A blog series of our two week adventure!)

We love road trips. 

Our "Constant"

We embrace them, often choosing to drive to our vacation destination over flying.  We traveled often with Abram when he was younger – trips that included car games, laughter and good conversations with a noted absence of DVD players or earplugs.  The time together is the point of the drive.  Besides the destination of where we’re headed, the car time is a little separate vacation within a vacation. 

Route 66 was a stand-out.  This was the first time the drive was the focal point of the trip and for two weeks no less.  The dynamics changed a bit when the car became the only constant on the trip.

Coolest McD's on the trip!

First dynamic? Coffee and Tea.  As much as we wanted to stay true to local diners (more about these in another post) this was one necessity we quickly addressed.   Tea for me was no problem - vacation or not, I carry my own 24/7 because I prefer Bigelow Constant Comment.  So, a little hot water and I’m good to go (add a little Sugar in the Raw, which I also carry, and I’m extra happy).  Steve however was at the mercy of the local diner coffee gods – and they weren’t too kind this trip.  Enter…McDonald’s a couple times a day for a good, consistent cup of brew that Steve enjoys.      

We switched on & off driving and the person riding shotgun this trip definitely carried the title of Car Concierge.  From that seat you ran the inner working of the car and believe me, it’s no fluff job.  It’s total control of all zones in the car other than the driver’s seat.  This includes:

• Passenger side foot area –Amy’s purse, various tourist publications for the current state, three ring binder with maps, travel journal and garbage collection bag
• Glove compartment – receipts, snack items, napkins and utensils (getting this all in around that pesky car manual is no easy fete!)
• Center console – keeper of glasses, sunglasses, iPod, and the occasional stray map or two
• Dashboard – useful for heating leftovers, warming cookies to that “just out of the oven softness” and of course on this trip, monitoring Wilson (our Ore-Ida smiley French fry – more about HIM in a later post)
• Back seat - case of water, snacks, picnic/hiking backpack, pillows, and cooler filled with individual packets of peanut butter and jelly, butter and cream cheese from the hotel breakfast bar, leftovers from the previous days lunch or dinner, and the stray candy bar or two.  (Each morning at the hotel we’d fill a couple of gallon Ziploc bags with ice for the cooler.  Worked like a charm!)

More about this meal in another post!

As Car Concierge, you juggle the planning and execution of all beverages, meals and snacks, including dashboard reheats (complete with makeshift foil “oven”), navigational devices, maps, iPod and music stations, glasses and sunglasses,  pictures of passing sights, pillow placements for weary arms and tender elbows  and of course, note taking (I’m a writer – of course there’s always a running travel journal!)

Oldest DQ we could find!

We love to snack and that pastime definitely rose to a whole new level on this trip.  Our McDonald’s stops generally vetted a couple cookies or a pie or two for the glove compartment.  There were stops at Dairy Queen or Sonic, nearly every day.  Not something we do at home, where an ice cream stop is a once a month treat!

Passing thousands of miles through farm and agriculture country each day found each of us casually remarking  “you’ve got cows” and the inevitable “lost your cows” when a grave yard was passed.  We didn’t bother keeping count, it was just enough to know whether you had some or not. A silly road trip game that stuck; even with a couple of 50 year olds.  At times there was a stray horse or two thrown in and one time Steve even got credit for a few Gazelles! 

Gas stops fell into an easy routine of Steve at the pump while I cleaned the window with the squeegee – something I never do at home.  I’m not one to pass up a restroom opportunity, so we generally went into each store and then stocked up on glove compartment and backseat snacks while the opportunity presented itself!  One store had a particularly busy, albeit shady transaction being done in the front row of the parking lot that ended when the plain clothes cop finished his shopping, went over and shooed them off the property. 

The luxury of time, two whole weeks, afforded plenty of long, companionable silences and plenty of great extended conversations. There were no interruptions, no residual irritations about a work issue from earlier in the day, no deadlines of heading out to a meeting or obligation to be somewhere.  I loved that there was a particular stock Steve was watching during the trip and over the course of a few days he taught me about what it means to short a stock, how it works and how it affects the market.   We chatted about family histories, world events, places we’d just visited, Route 66 facts, retiring and writing plots.  Often he had me laughing until I cried.  Some days we made note at the top of the travel journal page of items to look up on the internet that night.   (I’m talking really important stuff like…How long ago did George Carlin die? T. Boone Pickens and his view of windmills and the Ghia automobile.)

When we planned the trip, partially as a 30^th wedding anniversary gift to each other, I honestly hadn’t given much thought to all the car time we were going to have.  It certainly took on a life of its own as we got rolling.  Sure, we could have gotten in and just driven.  But we took it to the next level.  It was fun and adventurous.  Hence, neither of us had a moment where we dreaded having to get back in the car again.  Yes, it was our constant – a source of good food, good conversation and good times.  It’s nice to know that after two weeks in the car, I’m ready to hit the road again with this man for the next thirty years and beyond.

Next up... "Oh, The Places We've Seen!"  Join me, won't you?

Route 66 baby ~ THE OVERVIEW (A blog series of our two week adventure!)

If you ever plan to motor west,
Travel my way, take the highway that’s the best.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.

It winds from chicago to la,
More than two thousand miles all the way.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.  (Nat King Cole, Route 66, YouTube)

That was us!  We planned to motor west; we were looking for some kicks, so we decided on Route 66. 

We got to Chicago on May 6^th, grabbed our Tahoe rental and headed out.  Our only time commitment stretched 13 days away, at 7 am May 18^th when our flight for home left LAX.  Such freedom!

A few months of prep work got us a three ring binder that held The Route 66 Map Series, a list of Route 66 attractions as well as a few “off-route” ones, and of course an enticing list of “foodie” stops.  It was great fun when we stumbled across Billy Connolly's Route 66, a British documentary television series, consisting of four episodes, shot between April and June 2011.  His unique take on the route and British accent made the episodes (found on YouTube) an entertaining preview of the trip to come.

Other than following the route, we had no agenda and no reservations.  Lucky for us, the past thirty years together have held many road trips, so the prospect of spending the better part of two weeks in a car together didn’t scare us.  We quickly settled into a routine of changing hotels each night and a balance of road time, attraction time and down time. 

It took a bit, but we deciphered the flow and instructions of the maps which were a little quirky and with basically no mileage markers, or lengths of travel but more landmarks and route turns.  It was a mix of constant vigilance and a willingness to miss a turn or two and just keep on going.  We would make a rough plan of the next leg of the journey either the night before in the hotel room or over a leisurely breakfast. 

Somewhere around mid-afternoon we’d decide on our stopping point for the night and call ahead to make a reservation.  Traveling in the off-season made this possible and we didn’t run into any issues until our very last reservation, but we were in LA by then, truly back to civilization and it made for an interesting twist!

So what was the REALITY of spending two weeks together, rolling over two thousand miles in 13 days?  Well, it WAS a lot of time ~ and when all was said and done, on the last night over dinner, I asked Steve if he was ready to go home.  He replied, “I could keep going…” And I could have too.  So, maybe the trip will hold more than memories for us.  It could be an initiation into more cross country trips like it or it could be a glimpse into our retirement lifestyle.  Then again, it may just be another fond memory of the vacation we took for our thirtieth anniversary.  

In any form, it was great and the blog series is where I plan to write and share some of the highlights of the sites and places we visited, meals that ranged from awesome steaks to dashboard reheats, a roadway that seemed to come as go as it pleased (even into a dry riverbed) and a little friend we picked up along the way.  

Join me, won’t you?