Day 2 - Saturday, April 30, 2011

Day Two Stats

Miles Traveled: 248 miles    States Traveled: Illinois, Missouri

Origin: Litchfield, IL    Destination: Lebanon, MO

Time of Departure: 9:20 AM (CDT)    Time of Arrival: 8:15 PM (CDT)

Highest Observed Gas Price: $4.09/gallon in St. Louis, MO    Lowest Observed Gas Price: $3.72/gallon in Lebanon, MO

Day Two Summary

Day two was another great one.  We got a good night’s sleep in Litchfield and got on Route 66 much earlier than we did on day one.  However, we did spend several hours in St. Louis.  I had never been to St. Louis, so it was really great to see the Gateway Arch.  It was incredible – a landmark I’ve wanted to experience for a long time.  A special surprise was the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, one of the longest bicycle and pedestrian bridges in the country – and also the original Route 66 over the Mississippi River.  I had never heard of this bridge, but since I do a lot of bicycle and pedestrian planning in my work, it was a special treat.  The Mississippi River is still very high with several streets down by the river still flooded.  The weather was fabulous with sunny skies and a high of 79 degrees.

Much of our drive today was long stretches of great American landscapes – agricultural fields, winding curves, and hilly terrain.  An early treat was Henry’s Rabbit Ranch, a fantastic collection of Volkswagen Rabbits and a few furry powder-puffed tailed critters.  Later in the day we were amazed by the world’s largest rocking chair – Guinness certified!  It was constructed of steel just three years ago and is 42 feet 4 inches tall, 20 feet wide, and weighs 27,000 pounds.  It was required to actually rock the day Guinness certified it but has since been bolted down for safety.

Tonight we have the great fortune of staying at a Route 66 institution, the Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon, Missouri.  This place is quintessential Americana.  Ramona Lehman, who owns and runs the motel with her husband Bob, checked us in.  The motel has been here since 1946 (65 years) but Bob and Ramona are newbies as owners, having only run the place since 1971 (40 years).  We purchased an incredible souvenir from Ramona – an actual piece of Route 66!  In April 2011, the highway department reconstructed a portion of Route 66 and the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society is selling pieces of the old road to raise funds for local Route 66 initiatives.

Similar to yesterday, we traveled just about 250 miles on day two, beginning in Litchfield, Illinois and ending in Lebanon, Missouri.  We put Illinois behind us and should do the same with Missouri tomorrow.  Here’s the summary for today:

·         Litchfield, IL – Route 66 icons the Ariston Café; Skyview Drive-In Theater; and the defunct Route 66 Café.

·         Mount Olive, IL – Classic Soulsby Shell Station.

·         Staunton, IL – It was really hoppin’ at Henry’s Rabbit Ranch – that is, Volkswagen Rabbits.

·         Mitchell, IL – The Luna Café, a preserved roadhouse where Al Capone and his crew would hang when traveling the Mother Road.

·         St. Louis, MO – Old Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi River, which has been converted into one of the longest bicycle and pedestrian bridges in the nation; Gateway Arch; Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals; Ted Drewe’s Frozen Custard; and Imo’s Pizza.

·         Bourbon, MO – Seventh-day Adventist Church right on Route 66.

·         Cuba, MO – The Route 66 “Mural City”; Wagon Wheel Motel; World’s Largest Rocking Chair.

·         Lebanon, MO – Turning in at the Munger Moss Motel – in Room 66!

What I learned from my father today: No Big Deal

There were several times today where Route 66 was not clearly marked and our guidebook offered little clarity on directions.  In fact, we had to actually turn around a couple of times after traveling a number of miles in the wrong direction.  Each time, Dad just shrugged it off and kept on enjoying the journey – no big deal. 

What I learned from my son today: No Regrets

Ernie’s philosophy is, if there’s something you want to see or do, do it while you have the opportunity and you won’t regret it later.  Today he insisted we do a couple of things that I thought we shouldn’t take the time for – seeing the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge and experiencing the Gateway Arch.  However, after we did them, I was really glad we did, making memories to last a lifetime.