So Where Did We Leave Off? Land of Lincoln

I have been remiss in getting the journey wrapped up in words and pics. Coming home was bittersweet. I miss the traveling, but it's good to be in my big bed and to see the rest of my furry babies. We arrived at the coming of spring....again! We witnessed spring unfolding 6 different times since March. Spring is Gerard's favorite season and the fact that Duluth has little or no spring until June, well....this trip was a fabulous treat. We are entering the second week of June and the lilacs are just blooming here up north. We are still a week or more before the peonies open.

I think we last left you in St. Louis. I was so surprised at how much I liked the western communities– Kirkwood and Webster Groves.

Hansel and Gretel houses

I fell in love with these houses!

A number of the communities or as they are called City of...  City of Kirkwood, City of Webster Groves, City of Frontenac.... feel like small town America. There are 79 different neighborhoods with their own distinctive style and characteristics. I particularly liked Soulard a mini New Orleans. I loved the daily farmer's market in Soulard. I especially enjoyed hanging out with my sister and playing in her garden at her home in Kirkwood.

Laumeier Sculpture Park

I will miss taking walks and exploring the parks in and around the area. I look forward to heading back down. We have entertained the idea of storing OZ down that way so we don't have to travel so far next March through the snow and ice.

School of Rock in Kirkwood... hmmm there is a striking resemblance to someone

Built in 1932 Odell, Illinois

Crossing the Mississippi put us in the Land of Lincoln. Illinois is where the "Mother Road" begins–in Chicago. Route 66 is a compelling story that begins in Chicago as a gateway to an "end" in the Great America West. A story of modern American mobility and freedom. The road gave birth to service stations, diners and of course all this kitschy roadside attractions I have been making you endure while following our journey. Route 66 is arguably one of the most famous roadways in the world. As I may have mentioned before, I was continually surprised by all those we met from across the globe who came just to make the drive.

Pontiac, Illinois

For over 50 years, between 1926 and 1977, U.S. highway 66 was the principal roadway that connected Illinois with the Great West. The road continues to be an inspiration for artists, authors, film makers and musicians. The power and romance continue to be discovered.

Murals on Main Street in Pontiac, Illinois

The Mother Road was deemed obsolete in Illinois as much of it had been replaced by Interstate 55. The entire road was decommissioned on June 27, 1985. However, the travelers who make the journey continue to keep it alive and there are many restoration and preservation groups who keep the cultural icon alive and thriving.

Not far past Joliet, Illinois, we left the Route and headed on to Hoffman Estates, Illinois to visit with the family. Although, we were a number of days from being home.... we just stopped the kicks on 66.

Polk-a-dot Drive-In  Braiwood, Illinois

Polk-a-dot Drive-In  Braiwood, Illinois

Polk-a-dot Drive-In  Braiwood, Illinois

Polk-a-dot Drive-In  Braiwood, Illinois

Until we check the oil and tire pressure and buckle up again.... the great road adventure is just about over.

Meet Me in St Louie

May 12, 2014

Waking up to a subdued sunrise, it was already hot and humid. Supposedly we are headed for a cool spell. It must be coming after the rain that we can see brewing. The decision is to pull out and go another 110 miles to Miami(pronounced My-am-ah)  or Quapaw (pronounced o-go-paw), Oklahoma. We thought about sitting it out for another day, but what if the weather turns really nasty? At least we will have another 100 miles under our belt.  We hoped to see the blue whale, but construction prevented us  from finding the entrance.

On we went in search of the world's largest totem pole. 4 miles away from the Route is a story to experience…. Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park  is the oldest and largest example of folk art in Oklahoma: its construction lasting from 1937 to 1961. The park is located just 3.5 miles from the Mother Road. All the art objects are made of stone or concrete reinforced with steel rebar and wood mixed in 5 gallon buckets. Galloway carved the objects in bas-relief and applied paint to decorations that include representational and figurative images of birds and native Americans of Northwest Coast/Alaska and Plains cultures arranged facing the four cardinal directions.

 
Galloway was a proficient wood carver and blacksmith. When he retired he moved to the property and built his craftsman house and then started on the turtle, a rock in the yard, that is the base of the totem.

His workshop is now a museum which also houses his 300 fiddles he made each from different woods from different countries.

The other "have to" stop is where Route 66 heads into Miaimi, Oklahoma and is only 9 feet wide.

This house in Chelsea Oklahoma was ordered and shipped

from the Sears Catalog back in 1912. Sears sold ready-to-assemble kit houses through the mail and were shipped via railroad box cars. These kits included all the materials needed to build a house!



We are grateful that the site seeing was short lived because of a storm rolling in. We made it to Quapaw Casino and by the time I had us registered, Gerard had us hooked to electric and water and we were getting the bed set up when the skies turned ominous.

lightening storm brewing  over Quapaw Casino

Grateful for the rain, because I was sure the twister possibilities had most likely passed.  But little did I know the storm was just rearing her head. The lightening!!!!! Sitting in a tin can is not a place to feel secure. Two lightening strikes –one on the silo behind us but the other must have been a few feet away. It rocked us and I felt like I had been punched in the chest. Now there is just a steady rain and I can feel the temperature drop. It looks like rain the next couple days and only low 60s on the mercury.

Dairy Delight in Commerce

 Sights along the way are old 1930s gas stations some repurposed into ice cream shops like the one in Commerce.

Old Conoco Station embedded into the building wall

Old Conoco Station embedded into the building wall

Old Eisler Market continuously run since 1929 in Riverton, Kansas

We woke to chilly temps indeed and set out on the rode grateful to be inside the car most of the day. Heading out of Oklahoma and cutting across the corner of Kansas into Missouri. 

Baxter Springs, tiny town was cleaning up after some twister action.

Galena, Kansas afforded us a wonderful breakfast at Street Car Station, a rehabbed building with a sweet coffee  and jewelry shop owned by retired teacher and banker.

breakfast at The Streetcar Station

Good conversations over breakfast.

Bush Creek Marsh Arch Rainbow Bridge is the last remaining of it's kind on Route 66. In Kansas there where 3 of them built around 1923 on what would become Route 66.

The bridge was slated for destruction but was finally saved with the help of the Kansas Route 66 Association.

Once through Kansas, we still were only going a 100 or so miles to a campground 20 miles north of Lebanon, Missouri. Temps never did see the 60s so dang chilly. We would have to just tough it out because Suzi wouldn't be in St Louis until Thursday. The camp sites were right on the river....screech owl included.

campsite on the Niangua River 20 mi. north of Lebanon, Mo

tiny screech owl

We had stop in at the Munger Moss Motel. We bought the print that Jerry McClanahan painted of the place. 

Devil's Elbow pre 1926 Route 66

It was a great day for travel. We found more original pavement in Missouri than we ever expected. The road climbs and twists through hills and tiny towns that are definite throwbacks to the the 50s.

rehabbed Texaco station in Cuba, Mo

We found a fabulous Mennonite bakery in Cuba, Mo, another mural town.

Circle Inn with fabulous food at amazing prices

Fabulous road food is to be had at the Circle Inn Malt Shop in Bourbon, Mo. Can't resist a water tower filled with Bourbon?

Forest Park

Forest Park

We were happy to roll in to Kirkwood, Mo, home of Matt O'Toole and Suzi Ostos. Two different alignments  of Route 66 run on the north and south side of Kirkwood. Gerard and I both became enamored with this quaint suburb of St. Louis. It is small town America on western reach of a fairly sizable city. It was founded in 1853 and I love the architecture. While visiting we hiked Sitka around Forest Park and Laumeier Sculpture Park. We spent a morning in the Soulard neighborhood with it's fabulous Farmer's Market....

Soulard Farmer's Market

St Louis and Land of Lincoln will need to be continued as the computer's Iphoto program is not working ....keeping my fingers crossed because all our photos are there and I can't imagine losing them all. So more Kicks on 66 to come.