Guide to Missouri's Route 66

Travel through Missouri on historic Route 66 and discover what 10 Missouri counties have toMissouri offer!Life • 1

Boat Town Brewing Phillipsburg, Missouri Missouri’s newest microbrewery,

tasting room, and large beer garden is now open in Phillipsburg. Take I-44 to exit 123 and find us on the south side frontage of original rte 66.

Our flagship beers are Perficle, a bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout; Barley’s Whine, an English style barley wine ale; and Wyota Wheat, a German hefeweizen. We offer flights with 4 taster glasses and 32 oz. crowlers to take home.

Come see us to choose your favorite!

Hours: Thurs 5-9 Fri 5-10, Sat 3-10 like us on facebook for events [ 2 ] 2016 Route 66 Guide

boattownbrewing.com

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Romancing the Road When Martin Milner and George Maharis (who was later replaced by Glenn Corbett) drove their Corvette in search of adventure way back in 1960, their only plan was to explore a 2,448-mile, two-lane ribbon of Americana that connected Chicago to Santa Monica. Ironically, though the television series Route 66 was filmed almost entirely on location, very few of those locations were anywhere near Route 66. Still, the show’s title, as well as a catchy song recorded by Nat King Cole, got a whole generation searching for kicks on the Main Street of America.

For more than fifty years, Route 66 was the epitome of the All-American vacation. It offered sightseers the beautiful, the bountiful, and the just plain bizarre. Fast food was invented on its shoulders. And when the long day’s journey stretched into night, the silent siren call of neon split the darkness. Abundant motor courts and motels meant you never had to stray far from the Mother Road. Come the daylight, a new adventure could be found just beyond the horizon.

This Guide to Missouri’s Route 66 is a tribute to those days past when a road trip was more exploration and less destination—the subtle difference between getting there and getting there. It might be more efficient to take the interstate, but it certainly isn’t more desirable. While much of the original Route 66 has changed over time—some having been cannibalized by the interstate system—what remains is more than enough to retrace the steps of America’s vacation pioneers.

The kicks are still there if you know where to look.

Let us show you.

GREG WOOD, PUBLISHER

[ 4 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

THE SPIR IT OF DISCOV ERY 501 High Street, Ste. A, Boonville, MO 65233 660-882-9898 | Info@MissouriLife.com

Publisher Greg Wood Editor in Chief Danita Allen Wood Creative Director Sarah Herrera Project Editor Martin W. Schwartz Managing Editor Jonas Weir Contributing Editor Robert Gehl Graphic Designer & Staff Photographer Harry Katz Graphic Designer Kath Teoli Graphic Design Assistant Cassandra Hemeyer Eastern District Sales & Marketing Director Scott Eivins, 660-882-9898, ext. 102 Western District Sales & Marketing Director Joe Schmitter, 660-882-9898, ext. 104 Sales & Marketing Associate Jim Negen, 855-484-7200 Advertising Coordinator Sue Burns Circulation Manager Amy Stapleton Bookkeeping Jennifer Johnson

Produced in cooperation with Missouri Division of Tourism and published by Missouri Life Media.

Keep the Route alive at Missouri66.org Special thanks to: Route 66 Association of Missouri Great River Engineering Robert Gehl Tommy and Glenda Pike Custom Publishing: For your special publications, contact Missouri Life Media at 800-492-2593, ext. 106 or email Greg@MissouriLife.com.

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Guide to Missouri’s Route 66 “Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.”

—Jack Kerouac, On the Road ALTHOUGH WE CALL THIS A GUIDE, think of it more as a suggestion.

In the following pages, you’ll find maps and route directions to help you plan your tour starting on the east side of the state in St. Louis and traveling west to the MissouriKansas state line.

Original vacationers on Route 66 enjoyed the ride more than the destination. To honor them, you’ll find lots of fascinating points of interest for the whole family.

This Guide to Missouri’s Route 66 is planned as an annual publication, and we really want to know where the Mother Road has taken you. Send your anecdotes, photos, and suggestions for possible inclusion in future editions to Sarah@MissouriLife.com.

It all started here Springfield is credited as being the birthplace of Route 66 (see page 6).

Missouri was also the first state to award contracts for the interstate system that would ultimately replace Route 66.

Those contracts led to the construction of Interstate 44 through Laclede County and Interstate 70 through St. Charles County. Interstate 70, which runs from Maryland to Utah, is considered the premiere interstate highway in the United States.

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ry

Fred and Sarah Elizabeth Fife at The Spur Tavern, Leasburg

For more than sixty years, visitors traveling south on Route 66 in Springfield had a closeup view of the world’s largest paper cup.

Lily-Tulip and, later, Solo Cup maintained the Brobdingnagian cup until it was demolished in 2015.

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TO MANY, ROUTE 66 RECALLS carefree summer days spent with memories behind and adventure ahead.

Yet, for all the happiness the familiar highway sign inspires today, the story of US Route 66 begins with angry state officials battling for two simple numbers that would forever change the face of America.

In 1926, the Missouri Highway Department printed 600,000 state roadmaps with Route 60, connecting St. Louis on the east with Joplin on the west.

This drew complaints from Virginia and Kentucky representatives, who wanted Route 60 to run from Virginia Beach to Los Angeles and Route 62 to run from Chicago to Springfield, Missouri. Tulsa businessman Cyrus Avery and John Page, the highway engineer on the project, suggested the final double-digit designation. Route 66 was approved on April

30, 1926, in the Colonial Hotel, located just east of Springfields Park Central Square.

Route 66 would ultimately cover 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica in a diagonal path across the central states and into the southwest.

The path avoided a more traditional linear course in order to link rural communities in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma to Chicago. Route 66 quickly became a boon to the early trucking industry.

Because Route 66 was so accessible to small towns, it was the first avenue when the Dust Bowl consumed much of Oklahoma. It has been reported that as many as 210,000 people took Route 66, searching for opportunity in California. John Steinbeck’s classic 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath (and the 1940 film) brought national attention to what the author called “the Mother Road.�

Carrying the message by car Meramec Caverns, near Stanton, is a four-and-a-half-mile cavern system believed to have been around for more than 400 million years. In 1935, when Lester B. Dill purchased the cave to be used as a tourist attraction, the intrepid businessman created two new promotional mediums.

D ill approached farmers who had weather-beaten barns and offered to paint them for free with his advertising message.

Dill also has been credited with inventing the bumper sticker to make every car on Route 66 a rolling billboard.

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Colony Inn, Joplin

By 1931, Route 66 had been completely paved in Missouri, though the rest of the highway wouldn’t be complete until 1938.

During the war years, most of the traffic along Route 66 was either military or military families going to visit loved ones. Traffic near Fort Leonard Wood became so heavy that a stretch was expanded into a divided highway.

Happier days for Route 66 would come shortly after the end of World War II. The post-war economic boom, more leisure time, and the increasing popularity of the automobile drove more and more families to the road. From the 1940s to the early ’50s, the destination seemed less

important than the journey.

Hotels, motels, restaurants, gas stations, and roadside attractions grew along the road that by this time had been dubbed, “America’s Main Street.”

In 1946, Nat King Cole released Bobby Troup’s song “(Get Your Kicks) On Route 66.”

Then in 1955, a new attraction in Anaheim, California, changed everything. Disneyland made the destination important. For a few more years, Route 66 would benefit from middle-class families taking their children west to see the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest, the Painted Desert, and other attractions along the road to the Magic Kingdom.

Joplin Museum Complex, Joplin

Movie night on 66 The 66 D rive-In at Carthage originally opened in 1949 and reopened in 1998. If you’re driving the Mother Road on weekend evenings in the spring through the fall, check out the drive-in’s selection of first-run movies. It’s a perfect family-night destination. [ 8 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

Macks, Joplin

Macks, Greene County

The television program, Route 66, premiered on CBS on October 7, 1960, telling the story of two friends searching for America in a Chevrolet Corvette.

To this day, Route 66 and the Corvette have become locked together in the American consciousness. The program continued until March 20, 1964.

In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower created the interstate highway system, based on his war experience with the German Autobahn network. With higher speeds, fewer stops, and more convenience, the interstates would soon bypass the innocent charm of Route 66.

If you’re looking for the old Route 66 diner experience, start your day at the Pancake Hut in Carthage. It’s a trip back to simpler times on America’s Main Street.

Route 66 road, Cuba

Crestwood Bowl, Crestwood

Photo Name, Photo Place

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Colonial Hotel, Springfield

In 1962, Hodak’s Restaurant opened in St. Louis. It has been attracting fried-chicken lovers ever since. For more information and to see the menu, go to Hodaks.com.

Elbow Inn, Devils Elbow [ 10 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

In 1985, near Williams, Arizona, the last stretch of highway bearing the Route 66 designation was decommissioned.

The Mother Road had run out. Fortunately, nostalgia for Route 66 was just beginning.

Missouri had led the way for the creation of Route 66 in the early part of the twentieth century. As the century drew to a close, Missouri once again championed the cause of Route 66, refusing to let the road die.

In 1990, the Route 66 Association of Missouri was formed to preserve, promote, and develop old Route 66 in the state. Governor John Ashcroft signed a bill that same year that

Best Western Route 66, Springfield

Telegram from 1926

led to the posting of more than 350 Historic Route 66 markers along the old highway.

In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the National Route 66 Preservation Bill, providing $10 million in matching fund grants to preserve and restore historic features along the route.

Today, one of the longest preserved stretches of the original Route 66 still runs from Springfield to Tulsa. In Missouri, state roads designated with a 66 in the name (Routes 366, 266, and 66) are all part of the original sections of Route 66. You’ll encounter several of them in the pages that follow.

Early Route 66, Springfield

To the towns and businesses along the original Route 66, the boom years were nothing short of magical. To anyone who experienced Route 66 in those halcyon days—days of wigwam courts and Stuckey’s pecan rolls, of cars that didn’t have air conditioning but restaurants that did, of roadside attractions that offered the lure of exotic experiences along with the promise of clean restrooms— it’s a memory of an America that begs to be rediscovered and shared.

History tells us how we got to where we are. How to get where you’re going is up to you. Happy trails.

The War Road

Buckhorn Meat and Grocery, Waynesville

Before there was a Route 66, even before there was a Highway 14, the dirt road that would become the most famous highway in America carried Union troops to the Civil War Battle of Wilson’s Creek. That battle was fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield

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According to local legend, travelers who find themselves on Calvary Avenue in St. Louis at sunset will sometimes encounter an attractive brown-haired girl wearing a white dress, who asks for a ride because her car has broken down.

Motorists who have offered Hitchhi er Annie a ride report that she mysteriously disappears as the car approaches Bellefontaine Cemetery.

The Chain of Rocks Bridge,

St. Louis

The Chain of Rocks Bridge, a mile-long span across the Mississippi River, was designated an officia part of Route 66 in 1936, when the highway was rerouted over the bridge. A new Chain of Rocks Bridge opened in 1967 just two thousand feet upstream and rendered the old bridge obsolete. Too expensive to tear down and too narrow for modern vehicles, the Chain of Rocks Bridge continued to decline in condition. The bridge was reopened as a pedestrian crossing in 1999, linking more than 300 miles of trails on both sides of the Mississippi that today make up the Route 66 Bikeway.

Other Attractions Route 66 State Park Visitor Center • The Diamonds Restaurant

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The Ga St. Lou

Ted Drewes, St. Louis

Ted Drewes has offered delicious frozen custard treats on Route 66 since 1941.

The Gateway Arch is the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere. The width and height of the Arch are 630 feet, and a unique tram system takes visitors to the top for a bird’s-eye view.

Jesse James Wax Museum has historical displays about and artifacts from the legendary outlaw and the Younger Gang.

The Gateway Arch, St. Louis Jesse James Wax Museum, Stanton

The Coral Court Motel was once a stunning example of the art deco and streamlined modern architectural style that helped define a mood on old Route 66. Now the suburban Oak Knoll Manor subdivision, several stone entrance gates are almost all that remain of Coral Court Motel. A carefully dismantled wall from the motel is on display at the National Transportation Museum (see a related story on the next page).

The former Coral Court Motel, St. Louis

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The Donut Drive-In’s iconic neon sign was restored in 2008, thanks to a grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. The landmark Route 66 business is still going strong and attracting new fans with the same recipes used in the 1950s. Be forewarned, Donut Drive-In is cash only and there is no indoor seating.

Donut Drive-In, St. Louis

At the Museum of Transportation, you’ll see an indoor re-creation of the glazed brick and glass block facade of one of the units of the Coral Court Motel as well as one of the largest collections of vehicles in the world.

POINTS OF INTEREST 1.

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Chain of Rocks Bridge Calvary Cemetery The Gateway Arch Donut Drive-In Ted Drewes Coral Court Motel Museum of Transportation Route 66 State Park

Museum of Transportation, St. Louis

Route 66 State Park, Eureka

You can see a portion of the original Route 66, including a historic bridge across the Meramec River, at the Route 66 State Park, located at Exit 266 in Eureka.

Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis

Directions •

Our journey west on Missouri’s Historic Route 66 begins at the Chain of Rocks Bridge.

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From the Chain of Rocks Bridge, take Route H (Riverview D rive) south along the west bank of the Mississippi River to North Broadway Street.

Continue south on North Broadway. You’ll come to a slight westward jog on Calvary Avenue, which will take you through Calvary Cemetery.

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At Calvary Cemetery, catch Route 66 south through O’Fallon and into downtown St. Louis, past the Gateway Arch. South of the Arch, catch Highway 30 to Highway 366 and proceed west on Highway 366.

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At Possum Woods Conservation Area, Highway 366 joins Interstate 44 and continues west through St. Louis County.

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At Eureka, Route 66 leaves Interstate 44. You’ll know you’re there when you see the roller coasters and rides at Six Flags St. Louis. Take Exit 266 to visit Route 66 State Park.

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Follow Route 66 south and west into Pacific.

Calvary Cemetery is the second-oldest cemetery of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

The Chain of Rocks Bridge was used as a setting in John Carpenter’s 1981 cult-classic movie, Escape From New York.

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Meramec Caverns, just three miles south of Route 66, is the largest commercial cave in the state and features many unique formations created over thousands of years.

Guided tours showcase the beauty of nature along illuminated walkways.

Meramec Caverns, Stanton

Franklin County Directions •

At Pacific, Route 66 runs alongside, across, and along Interstate 44.

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West of Gray Summit, Route 66 joins State Highway 100 briefly before proceeding southwest on Route AT, which hugs and dances around Interstate 44 before joining it briefly just outside of Union. Old US Highway 66 acts as a frontage road to Interstate 44 through St. Clair.

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In St. Clair, take Commercial Avenue to Highway 47. The highway crosses Interstate 44 and joins up with Route WW. This road becomes the North Service Road. Follow that to Route JJ, then cross Interstate 44 to the South Service Road at Stanton.

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Continue on the South Service Road to Sullivan in Crawford County.

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POINTS OF INTEREST 9.

10.

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Jensen’s Point Shaw Nature Reserve The Diamonds Restaurant The Gardenway Motel Jesse James Wax Museum Meramec Caverns

s, just uth of argest in the many eated years. wcase along ways.

Shaw Nature Reserve, established in 1925, is dedicated to the region’s native flora and fauna. The 2,400-acre nature reserve has several historic homes and more than fourteen miles of hiking trails.

rve, Shaw Nature Rese Gray Summit

t, Jensen’s Poin Pacific

Jensen’s Point opened in 1939 as part of the Henry Shaw Gardenway. The limestone overlook offers stunning views of the Meramec River and surrounding valley.

The Gardenway Motel, named for the Henry Shaw Gardenway, was built in 1945 and operated for seventy years before closing in 2014.

The sign remains and is an excellent example of Route 66 nostalgia.

As part of the Historic Route 66 Hydrant Mural Project, Sullivan’s public works department has painted twenty-seven fire hydrants to depict a separate area, city, or site along Route 66. The colorfully painted hydrants can be seen from one end of the Sullivan city limits to the other.

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Kokomo Rolla

ine,

Restored Frisco steam eng Rolla

The Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba was— and still is—a popular stopover for Route 66 travelers. The landmark is celebrating its ninetieth year and is the oldest continuously operating motel on Route 66.

Look for the neon wagon wheel and the court-style rooms.

Before Rolla was a Route 66 stopover, it was a train town. This restored Frisco steam engine, coal car, and passenger car reflect a time when the rail, not the blacktop, was the main source of passenger travel. The train can be seen at Schuman Park, just a few blocks south of Route 66 in Rolla.

Other Attractions The Circle Inn Malt Shop, Bourbon • Skippy’s Route 66, Leasburg Maramec Spring Park, St. James • St. James Winery and Public House Brewery, St. James [ 18 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

Vacuum St. Jame

Missouri Hick Bar-B-Q, Cuba Kokomo Joe’s Family Fun Center, Rolla

Cuba natives know where to go for barbecue. Missouri Hick Bar-B-Q is a local favorite, offering dry-rubbed meats that are smoked for twelve full hours. Make sure you leave room for cobbler.

Kokomo Joe’s Family Fun Center has go karts, mini golf, batting cages, and more. You’ll find it just north of Route 66 on Route V. In St. James, allow yourself to be pulled in to the Vacuum Cleaner Museum and Factory Outlet, which offers exhibits and displays that trace the history of vacuum cleaners throughout the decades.

Meramec Vineyards and Winery started making wine in 1980, growing Concord grapes in the Ozark Highland viticultural area near Meramec Spring. Visitors today can tour and taste, dine at the bistro, purchase original art from local artists, and enjoy the winery’s garden area.

s

Meramec Vineyard and Winery, St. James

Vacuum Cleaner Museum and Factory Outlet, St. James

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The Wagon Wheel Motel started as a series of stone-and-mortar cabins built along the Mother Road in the time of Steinbeck.

The iconic neon sign would come in the late 1940s and was designed by thenowner John Mathis at his dining room table.

Wagon Wheel Motel, Cuba

POINTS OF INTEREST 15.

16.

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The Circle Inn Malt Shop Skippy’s Route 66 Onondaga Cave State Park Missouri Hick Bar-B-Q Wagon Wheel Motel Cuba’s Route 66 murals Giant Route 66 Red Rocker

The Circle Inn

Malt Shop, Bourbon

[ 20 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

The business district of Cuba was originally located closer to the railroad tracks that run through town. In the early 1930s, Cuba merchants moved to be closer to Route 66.

Cuba’s Route 66 murals are a total of twelve outdoor murals along the Route 66 corridor through Cuba, which has been nicknamed “The City of Murals.” The murals depict scenes from local and national history and include images of Harry S. Truman and Amelia Earhart.

Cuba’s Route 66

ve Onondaga Ca State Park, Leasburg

Murals, Cuba

Onondaga Cave State Park is home to the Onondaga Cave, which was discovered in 1886 and established as a state park in 1982. It is just fi e miles south of Route 66 on Route H near Leasburg.

Directions •

From Sullivan, stay on Frontage Road heading southwest through St. Cloud and into Bourbon. To follow the original Route 66 through Bourbon, take Alley Street to Elm Street.

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On the south side of Bourbon, take Chestnut Street to Old 66 Road and then rejoin Frontage Road along Interstate 44.

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Mirror Interstate 44 to Lea Road.

Eventually, you’ll pull away from the interstate and into the town of Cuba.

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Take Route ZZ out of Cuba. West of Fanning, Route 66 follows Interstate 44 as ZZ becomes the South Frontage Road to the highway.

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than life er rg la is y r to is h e er h w , Cuba The steel sculpture under construction by the Osage Trail Legacy Monument Project and local artist Glen Tutterrow will celebrate the history and legacy of the Osage Nation.

CUBA, MISSOURI, has painted the town in a big way. The city’s twelve murals have attracted attention far and wide, leading the Missouri Legislature to proclaim Cuba, Route 66 Mural City.

Each mural portrays an intriguing scene that celebrates the history and mystery of Cuba’s heritage, including dramatic Civil War battles and a mysterious stopover

by Amelia Earhart. A campaign appearance

by Harry S. Truman and an unauthorized photo of Bette Davis add to the mystique.

You’ll find three floors of history and a stunning war memorial to explore at the

[ 22 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

Crawford County Historical Society and Museum located at Recklein Commons.

The planned Osage Trail Legacy Monument Project continues Cuba’s quest to make history larger than life. The steel sculpture, overseen by local artist Glen Tutterrow, will be placed on the Visitor Center grounds at the intersection of Highway 19 and Interstate 44. The sculpture will stand thirty-five feet tall, twenty feet wide, and eighty feet long and will depict an Osage family traveling westward along the Osage Trail.

Plan your own historic visit to Cuba, the Route 66 Mural City.

The g Rocke forty-

The giant Route 66 Red Rocker in Fanning is over forty-two feet tall.

Amelia Earhart makes a mysterious stopover in Cuba in this mural.

Be sure to visit: • Wagon Wheel Motel • Missouri Hick Bar-B-Q • Dessert Island • Osage Monument Project • Route 66 Fudge & Flower Shop • Frisco's • The Cuba Bakery & Deli • Rock Fair Tavern • The Fourway

The Wagon Wheel Motel is a National Historic Landmark.

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St. James Winery opened in 1970 and has grown to be Missouri’s largest and most-awarded winery. Next door is Public House Brewing Company, offering craft beers and locally-sourced foods. The Gardens, located between the winery and brewery, is a beautifully landscaped outdoor seating area with a fire pit, l wn games and wood-fired pizzas

PHELPS COUNTY

St. James Winery, St. James

POINTS OF INTEREST 22. Vacuum Cleaner Museum 23. St. James Winery and Public House Brewing Company 24. Meramec Vineyards and Winery 25. Mule Trading Post 26. Kokomo Joe’s Family Fun Center 27. Donut King 28. Frisco steam engine, Schuman Park 29. Rolla’s Stonehenge 30. Totem Pole Trading Post

lla

Stonehenge, Ro

Students at the Rolla Rock Mechanics and Explosives Research Center at Missouri University of Science and Technology created their own version of Stonehenge right on Route 66. The half-sized replica of Stonehenge received the prestigious National Society of Professional Engineers Award in 1984. You’ll see it on your left as you head south on Bishop Avenue shortly after you enter the Rolla city limits. [ 24 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

pened wn to st and Next ewing beers s. The ween wery, caped a with es and izzas

g

Totem Pole Tradin Post, Rolla

Totem Pole Trading Post on Rolla’s west side has been in three different locations but ne er left Route 66. The gas/snack/tourist stop offers a ariety of items of interest to travelers. Established in 1933, the Totem Pole is the oldest Missouri business on Route 66.

Directions

Donut King, Rolla

•

At St. James, Route 66 joins Route KK for a tour through town. It then turns north onto Jefferson Street, crosses the interstate, and turns back west on Spring Street, which fronts the interstate on the north side. It will change names from Spring Street to Private D rive 2292 to County Road 2020 and to County Road 2000, but if you stay the course, you’ll do just fine.

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At Rolla, Route 66 turns west on Bishop Avenue and veers south before turning back west on Kingshighway. That leads into the Martin Springs Outer Road, then County Road 7100, which becomes Eisenhower Street in Doolittle.

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Just west of D oolittle, you’ll rejoin Interstate 44 for a brief time. Just outside the Mark Twain National Forest, Route 66 leaves the interstate to cross the Trail of Tears on the Powellville Outer Road.

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At Route J, you’ll cross the interstate again and join Route Z west into Pulaski County.

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a Paving Route 66 Through Roll The Phelps County Bank building at Eighth and Pine Streets in Rolla was originally the Hotel Edwin Long. The hotel opened on March 12, 1931. Three days later, it hosted the celebration of the opening of Missouri's Route 66.

From rail to road JOHN STEINBECK called it the Mother Road.

You know it as Route 66.

Like brightly painted bookends, two historic signs stand as sentinels on Route 66, guarding either edge of Rolla. Beneath those signs—one a giant totem pole, the other a towering mule with an accompanying hillbilly—two unique local trading posts transport visitors in time to a world that predates convenience stores. It was a time when Route 66 travelers could buy gas and groceries, moccasins and white-oak baskets, and postcards and picnic supplies; they could immerse themselves in the local hill culture.

Building the Mother Road wasn’t easy. Because of the rough terrain, the stretch of road just west of Rolla was the last to be paved.

[ 26 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

With the completion of America’s Main Street, the curtain rose on Rolla. Maurice Ernest Gillioz opened the Hotel Edwin Long on March 12, 1931. Just three days after opening, the hotel hosted the celebration marking the paving of Route 66 across Missouri.

It housed the National Bank of Rolla, which would become Phelps County Bank in 1960.

Great sections of the original pavement still wind through Rolla, so you can touch the Mother Road and see dozens of roadside icons along the route through town.

For more information, write or stop by the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center at 1311 Kingshighway Street, Rolla, Missouri 65401; call 888-809-3817; go to VisitRolla.com; or like Visit Rolla on Facebook.

The historic Mule Trading Post is still in business on the east side of Rolla.

Special signage marks the route.

Route 66 Mural Since the day that Kent Jewelry moved from its Eighth Street location to the corner of Tenth and Pine Streets in 2008, owner Kent Bagnall envisioned a mural on the north-facing masonry wall of his new location. The wheels turned for several years before he realized his final vision of a simple but elegant homage to the Mother Road.

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EXIT

195

FREE TOURS

get sucked in!

Stop along Historic Route 66 to see 100 years of progress and over 600 machines at the world’s largest vacuum museum. Plus, stop by the factory outlet for a great deal on a Simplicity or Riccar vacuum assembled right upstairs.

• Factory & group tours available by appointment • Ample parking for buses & RVs • Handicap accessible

Vacuum Museum and Factory Outlet Open Mon – Sat: 9 am to 5 pm • #3 Industrial Drive • St. James, MO 65559 [ 28 ] 2016 Route 66 Guide /vacuummuseum 866.444.9004 • vacuummuseum.com •

Gear up for hunting season with our unique, handcrafted knives. Each knife is handmade by the Richardson family, who have been creating these functional works of art for almost 40 years.

Calling all rock hounds!

3.0” Hunter

Visit our store: 68 Eaton Cemetery Rd, Cherryville, MO (573) 743-6135 | KenRichardsonKnives.com

Show this ad and receive 10% off of a $50+ purchase

Come visit Rolla’s comprehensive rock shop • Mineral and Fossil specimens • Lapidary Products and Jewelry Open seven days a week I-44, EXIT 189 on South Outer Road 11010 Dillon Outer Road, Rolla, MO 573-368-3737

Show this ad and receive 10% off any purchase

Expires 12/31/2017

Award-winning Ruby’s Ice Cream, homemade right at The Soda Fountain.

Five premium flavors unique to Steelville.

Ice Cream Treats • Shakes • Malts • Sundaes • Old-fashioned sodas • Banana splits

Premium Flavors • Jalapeño Crisp • Brownie Fudge • Cherry Pie • Baklava • Gooey Butter Cake

We serve soups and salads during lunch hour Monday – Friday and featured entrées on Friday.

105 E Main | Steelville, MO | 573-775-2800 Inquire about our in-house catering See our concert schedule on our website

TheSodaFountain.us We serve fine dining during lunch hours, Missouri Life [ 29 ] and feature two meals every day!

Shelden’

Elbow Inn Bar & BBQ, Devils Elbow

Just west of the Munger Moss Motel, you can still see the remains of Wrink’s Food Market. The business opened in 1940s, but it wasn’t until Glenn Wrinkle took over operation in 1950 that his nickname became the store’s operating name.

Radio personality Paul Harvey once visited the store and did an on-air plug for Wrink’s ninety-nine-cent bologna sandwich.

The market closed after Glenn’s death in 2005.

For a trip through history, turn left on Teardrop Road. Just before the road meets the Big Piney River at Devils Elbow, you’ll see the Elbow Inn Bar & BBQ. This was the original location of the Munger Moss Sandwich Shop. When the highway changed, the owners relocated and expanded. You’ll come across the Munger Moss Motel later, when you cruise into Laclede County.

Munger Lebanon

Other Attractions W. H. Croaker, the Waynesville Frog Rock • The Lebanon I-44 Speedway • Redmon’s Travel Center, Phillipsburg

[ 30 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

Devils E

Shelden’s Market, Devils Elbow

Shelden’s Market has had a number of names since it opened in 1954. In the beginning, it was Miller’s Market, and later, Allman’s Market. Today, it serves as the Post Office for Devils El w and is a nostalgic step back in time.

In 1945, when a bypass near Fort Leonard Wood took traffic way from Devils Elbow, the Munger Moss Sandwich Shop closed its doors. Munger Moss would reopen a year later in Lebanon as a fourteen-room cabin court.

Munger Moss Motel added twenty-six more units in 1961 and remains in business today, offerin Route 66 travelers convenience and comfort without having to stray far from the Mother Road.

Look for the iconic neon sign.

Munger Moss Motel, Lebanon

Devils Elbow Bridge

Devils Elbow Bridge over the Big Piney River got a facelift in 2014 and was reintroduced to the public with a parade of classic cars crossing the nostalgic structure. This bridge over the Big Piney may be as close as you can get to the classic allure of the original Mother Road.

Pulaski County Museum is located in the old Pulaski County Courthouse, which was built in 1903. A project of the Pulaski County Historical Society, the museum is open most Saturdays.

Visitors can follow a guided tour or explore at their own leisure.

Pulaski County Museum Waynesville

POINTS OF INTEREST 31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

Hooker Cut Devils Elbow Bridge Elbow Inn Bar & BBQ Shelden’s Market Old Stagecoach Stop Waynesville Square W.H. Croaker Pulaski County Museum

The George M. Reed Roadside Park in St. Robert is the only remaining Route 66 roadside park in Missouri. It’s located at the beginning of the divided highway on Route Z. The remnants of three motels—the Ramada Inn, the Ranch Motel, and the Deville Motor Inn and Motel—are all nearby. You can enhance your Route 66 tour through Pulaski County with turn-by-turn directions, a free audio tour, and Route 66 Smartphone app. Go to VisitPulaskiCounty.org/rt66 to download. [ 32 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

When Cut re earth t consid was so on sev those

The Old Stagecoach Stop in Waynesville was originally known as the Waynesville House, a hotel that was a stop on the St. Louis to Springfield stage route.

The structure, built in mid-1800s, has been restored and houses a ten-room museum. uare

Waynesville Sq

Jensen’s Point was opened in 1939 as part of the Henry Shaw Gardenway. The limestone overlook offered stunning views of the Meramec River and surrounding valley.

Directions

Hooker Cut, Devils Elbow

When the 1941 construction of Hooker Cut removed ninety feet of rock and earth to create a safer Route 66, it was considered an engineering marvel. It was so inspirational that its image was on several picture postcards. One of those appears on page 7.

•

Follow Route Z into Pulaski County.

•

Old Route 66 pulls away from the interstate and is transformed into a somewhat bizarre four-lane stretch of highway.

D riving it today, you might question why a four-lane road was needed, but when it opened in 1943, Hooker Cut helped facilitate traffi from nearby Fort Leonard Wood.

•

You can follow Teardrop Road back to where it joins Route Z and take that into St. Robert.

•

Just west of the I-44 Spur, Route Z briefly becomes a divided highway and assumes the mantle of Business Loop 44 as it proceeds into Waynesville.

•

Just west of the Old Stagecoach Stop Museum, Route 66 joins Highway 17 through the southwest corner of Waynesville. At Witmor Farms Restaurant, Route 66 crosses Interstate 44 and proceeds southwest to clip a part of the Mark Twain National Forest. Through the remainder of Pulaski County, Route 66 follows Route AB.

Missouri Life [ 33 ]

unty

i co Getting your kicks in pulask

Have a sweet time at Route 66 Candy Shoppe in Waynesville.

Let our directional app be your co-pilot PULASKI COUNTY’S THIRTY-THREE intact miles of Route 66 will provide you with plenty of nostalgia and local culture.

Start by getting a copy of the turn-by-turn driving tour, available in print, phone app, and audio at PulaskiCountyUSA.com. The tour features detailed information about historic landmarks with easy-to-follow directions to guide you on Route 66.

Visit Hooker Cut, Elbow Inn Bar & BBQ Pit, the 1923 Steel Trestle Bridge, Gascozark buildings, and architecture from the past. Some have been revitalized; others are left standing as they were more than forty years ago.

Great photo opportunities include breathtaking scenic overlooks, the uniqueness of the Uranus complex, and the giant

[ 34 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

Frog Rock boulder overlooking 66.

Plan to stay the night in one of forty hotel and motel properties, offering comfortable stays, many of which are located right along Route 66.

While you’re in the area, visit the Pulaski County Visitors Center for information on float trips, fantastic eateries, unique shopping, and other trails and tours that are available to enjoy at your leisure.

Check out the PulaskiCountyUSA.com event calendar for upcoming Route 66 events and car shows.

Be sure to use #route66 when you tweet photos. Everyone at the Pulaski County Tourism Bureau wants to share your exciting adventures along Route 66.

W.H. Croaker, the frog rock on Way nesville Hill, was sculpted by local artis t Phil Nelson and is currently maintained by volunteers from Fort Leonard Woo d.

w ng Devils Elbo bridge crossi the ng ri du 41 This railroad in 19 the US Army ard Wood. was built by of Fort Leon on ti uc tr ns co

The Uranus En

tertainment Co mplex offers dining, nightli shopping, fe, and "world famous" fudg e.

Missouri Life [ 35 ]

Route 66 Museum, Lebanon

The Route 66 Museum, located in the Lebanon-Laclede County Library, features a completely restored indoor gas station and Route 66 memorabilia.

POINTS OF INTEREST 39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

45.

I-44 Speedway Forest Manor Motel Munger Moss Motel Route 66 Museum Bennett Spring State Park Redmon’s Travel Center Conway Welcome Center

Benn Leban

el Center, Redmon’s Trav Phillipsburg

tel, Forest Manor Mo Lebanon

in the atures tation abilia.

The Lebanon I-44 Speedway is Missouri’s only asphalt track and has played host to such national drivers as Ken Essary, Larry Phillips, Billy Moyer, Bill Frye, Rex McCroskey, Rex Merritt, and Leslie Essary.

dway, Lebanon I-44 Spee Lebanon

me Center, Conway

The Conway Welcome Center offers a pla ground, restrooms, and vending. Many Route 66 inspired designs can be seen, including a shelter inspired by painted barns advertising Meramec Caverns.

Conway Welco

Directions

Bennett Spri ng State Park , Lebanon

In the early 1920s, Lebanon officials sent the high school band to Jefferson City to perform for the State Highway Commission in a campaign to get Route 66 to come through town.

•

At Laclede County, Route 66 becomes Heartwood Road (Route N) and tracks the south side of Interstate 44.

•

D RIVING NOTE: The Gasconade River Bridge on Route 66 is closed, necessitating a detour. At Exit 145, get on Interstate 44 for fi e miles. Then at Exit 140, cross back to Heartwood Road on the south side of the interstate.

•

At Route F, take the ramp to cross I-44 and resume a southwest course on Pecos Drive on the north side of the interstate.

•

At Lebanon, you’ll veer west, away from the interstate.

•

Stay on Elm Street through town and join up with Route W outside of the city limits.

Then, take Route CC through Conway and into Webster County.

Missouri Life [ 37 ]

Steak n S Springfie

Rest Hav Springfi

Birthplace of Route 66, Springfield

The US Highway 66 Association came about in 1927 as the direct result of a meeting between Springfield attorney John .

Woodruff and Cyrus S. Avery, the chairman of the Oklahoma Highway Commission.

The two called for a unique joint conference of representatives from chambers of commerce in every city along the proposed route and a resolution was passed to incorporate the US Highway 66 Association. Woodruff was elected as the association’s first president

[ 38 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

Springfield is not only the birthplace of the original oute 66, it was also the first city in the country to display the Historic Byway sign that commemorates Route 66.

Other Attractions College Street Cafe, Springfield • Garbage Can Cafe and L wery’s Phillips 66, Marshfield • Hidden aters Nature Park, Marshfiel One-Mile Winding Climb, between Marshfield and Nort view

Wild Anim Strafford

Steak n Shake, Springfield Rest Haven Court, Springfield

Steak n Shake at St. Louis Street and National Avenue takes you back to simpler times when Route 66 was America’s Main Street.

Rest Haven Court opened in the 1940s, but the huge neon sign for which it is best known didn’t come along until the 1950s. The hotel is still operating near the intersection of Kearney and Glenstone Streets in Springfield Wild Animal Safari is a drivethrough animal park with more than seventy different species and 750 exotic animals.

Springfield’s ark Central Square has been witness to many historic events. It was from a hotel just a few blocks east of the square that the deal was agreed upon to create a Chicago-to-Los Angeles route to be numbered 66.

re Park Central Squa Springfield Wild Animal Safari, Strafford

Missouri Life [ 39 ]

Dr. Edwin Hubble was a Marshfield native. A onequarter scale replica of the famous space telescope bearing his name sits on the town square.

Hubble telescope scale replica, Marshfield

POINTS OF INTEREST 46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

Garbage Can Cafe Hubble Telescope scale replica Hidden Waters Nature Park One-Mile Winding Climb Wild Animal Safari

The original Route 66 covered 317 miles from St. Louis to the Kansas state line. Interestingly, there are only thirteen miles of Route 66 in the entire state of Kansas. [ 40 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

Hidden Waters Nature Park is a fi e-acre park with four full-time springs, the 1853 Callaway Cabin, and nature trails that pass waterfalls, ponds, through gardens, and over bridges.

ubble hfield onescale of the space earing on the quare.

The forty-foot Route 66 Mural in Marshfield was painted by Kansas City Art Institute student Elizabeth Long in 2006 and depicts landmarks along Route 66 through Missouri.

Route 66 Mural, Marshfield

Directions

ture Park, Hidden Waters Na Marshfield

•

D riving down Route CC might feel like you’re coming in the back door, but this bit of rural Route 66 closely mirrors the original, with long stretches of Missouri countryside.

•

Route CC continues into and through the center of Marshfield. Take West Hubble D rive to Route OO. You’ll be riding between the interstate and the BNSF railroad tracks through the rest of Webster County.

Missouri Life [ 41 ]

The Gillioz Theatre, Springfield

The Gillioz Theatre, located on Park Central East, hosted the premieres of two Ronald Reagan movies, The Winning Team and She’s Working Her Way Through College.

urg Red’s Giant Hamb eld gfi rin Sp n, sig ca repli

Red’s Giant Hamburg has long been credited with having the first dri e-through service window in the world. The local landmark was razed in 1997, but a replica of the sign is at the new [ 42 ]66 Guide to Missouri’s Route Roadside Park. Route 66

Downtown, Springfield

,

The Shrine Mosque Springfield

Abu Ben Adhem Shrine Mosque, known simply as “The Shrine Mosque” to locals, was built for about $600,000 in 1923.

The National Historic Landmark has been the site of entertainment venues from circuses to a concert by Elvis Presley.

on Park emieres ies, The king Her College.

POINTS OF INTEREST 51. Rest Haven Court 52. Steak n Shake 53. Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven Motor Court 54. Gillioz Theatre 55. History Museum on the Square 56. The Shrine Mosque 57. Route 66 Roadside Park

Directions •

Follow Route OO through Strafford. At the eastern border of Springfield, Route OO gives way to Highway 744, also known as Kearney Street.

•

Turn west on St. Louis Street, and enjoy a constant fl w of Route 66 memories.

•

On the west side of the square, St. Louis Street becomes College Street.

•

Take College to Chestnut Expressway, and take Highway 266 on to Lawrence County.

Downtown Springfield, through which Route 66 once fl wed, was the site of a famous gun battle between Wild Bill Hickock and Davis Tutt, who were fighting ver a watch.

Missouri Life [ 43 ]

Springfield's Crossroads

Best We has hos 78 year

Downtown Springfield still has plenty of Route 66 history to be discovered.

Come back to where it all began SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI, is known as the crossroads of many historic trails including the Trail of Tears, the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach route, the Old Wire Road, and of course, Route 66.

Route 66 was born in Springfield on April 30, 1926, when officials sent a telegraph proposing US Highway 66 as the name of a new highway between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Today, the spirit of the Mother Road can be found in many businesses that continue to cater to travelers wanting to experience a journey back in time.

Traces of the historic road are still visible in downtown Springfield along College and St. Louis Streets, Kearney Street, West Bypass, Glenstone Avenue, and on Missouri 266 to Halltown.

Red’s Giant Hamburg, which is said to be the

[ 44 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

birthplace of the drive-through window in 1947, was located along the route in Springfield. A full-size reproduction of the iconic Giant Hamburg sign can be seen at the Route 66 Roadside Park on West College Street between Fort Avenue and Broadway Street.

The Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven at the corner of Glenstone Avenue and St. Louis Street opened in 1938 and has been welcoming Route 66 travelers ever since.

Elvis Presley stayed there after a performance at another Springfield landmark, the Shrine Mosque, in May 1956. Lucky guests may even be able to book the popular Elvis Room.

The road that was once the east/west thoroughfare for travelers in a hurry now serves sightseers taking a more relaxed pace to savor every nostalgic detail.

n ute 66 Rail Have Best Western Ro its in ies rit celeb has hosted many e 66.

78 years on Rout

The Route 66 Car Museum has 70 cars on display, including the truck from the 1940 movie, The Grapes of Wrath.

A 1929 Auburn sits in front of the Springfield Visitors Center.

Missouri Life [ 45 ]

Side Trip!

s ie it il ib ss po ss le it m li 's n so n Bra This fifteen-story erris wheel was previously featured at Chicago's Navy Pier before it was brought to Branson by the Track Family Fun Parks

MILLION D OLLAR QUARTET at the Welk Resort Theatre is based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical and inspired by the electrifying true story of the famed recording session sixty years ago when Sam Phillips, the Father of Rock ’n’ Roll, brought together icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for one unforgettable night.

The iconic fifteen-story Ferris wheel purchased by the Track Family Fun Parks has been completely restored, using the 280 light bars that are original to the ride, but replacing the incandescent bulbs with 16,000 LED fixtu es that have 144,000 multi-colored

[ 46 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

LEDs. A computer program can control each light individually, so it can display everything from a vintage look all the way to a modern, animated light show that can be synced to the new sound system at the Branson Ferris Wheel.

The epic saga of Moses comes to life at Sight & Sound Theatres. Travel with Moses on his quest for personal identity that changes the course of history. Your whole family will journey back in time as you witness the moment God first speaks to Moses at the burning bush and experience God’s aweinspiring power as the Red Sea parts in front of you.

wheel red at fore it by the Parks

Experience the story of Moses at Sight & Sound Theatres.

Explore Branson • Attend star-studded performances at Branson’s many live shows.

• Enjoy Silver Dollar City, one of the world's top ten theme parks.

• Take in the beauty and adventure of the Ozark Mountains and three pristine lakes.

• Play some of the best golf in the Midwest.

• Visit museums highlighting the area’s rich history and culture.

• Relax at spas and resorts.

• Shop at Branson’s many boutiques, galleries, and outlet stores.

Million Dollar Quartet follows the story of music icons coming together for one unforgettable night.

Missouri Life [ 47 ]

Cruising

Visitors looking for a paranormal experience in the Joplin area flock to a point south of the city near the Oklahoma border to view the famous “spook lights,” softball-sized glowing apparitions that are said to appear between the hours of 10 PM and dawn.

Most locals will be able to direct you to the ideal location.

After that, it’s a matter of finding the perfect summer night, a comfortable chair, and lots of patience.

[ 48 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

Gary’s Gay Parita, Ash Grove

To get the real feel of driving on Route 66, grab a cold bottle of Route 66 Root Beer at Gary’s Gay Parita, just outside of Ash Grove.

Before his death in 2015, owner Gary Turner took painstaking care to recreate the Sinclair gas station as it might have appeared in the late 1940s or ’50s. You can’t get gas there, but you will still find plenty of nostalgia and Route 66 souvenirs.

Praying Webb C

Other Attractions Well, there actually aren’t many. Route 66 in Lawrence County west of Springfield is often called the “ghost stretch” because o the number of abandoned towns left when traffic was rerouted Interstate 44. The ruins are still there to explore.

Red Oak Carthag

SuperTAM, Carterville

Indulge your inner superhero with some ice cream and Superman memorabilia at SuperTAM on 66, located on Main Street in Carterville.

A quick detour east on Highway 171 will take you to the Praying Hands Monument Park. The thirty-two-foot-tall hands were sculpted by local artist Jack Dawson and dedicated in 1976.

Just east of the Carthage city limits, stop and visit artist Lowell Davis’s Red Oak II, a tribute to his hometown of Red Oak. Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage features murals and stained glass windows of Bible stories done in Precious Moments art.

Praying Hands Monument, Webb City

, Precious Moments Carthage Red Oak II, Carthage

Missouri Life [ 49 ]

Holsum Bread sign, Spencer

This Holsum Bread sign on the door of a timeravaged stone building is one of few signs of prior habitation in Spencer.

The town was never that big but showed signs of life and prosperity when Route 66 came to town.

POINTS OF INTEREST 58.

59.

60.

61.

62.

Whitehall Mercantile Gary’s Gay Parita Three-span truss bridge Old Holsum Bread sign Shadyside Camp

Route 66 along bridge, Three-span truss Halltown

In Kansas, Prohibition didn’t end until 1948. Because of that, the STATE LINE BAR, at 7889 West Old 66 in Joplin was the first and las place for early Route 66 travelers to “wet their whistles.” It’s still in operation at the Kansas state line. [ 50 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

d sign timeding is prior encer. r that gns of when town.

Whitehall Mercantile is a two-story, woodheated structure built in 1900 to be a general store. Today, owner Jerry White says the store has a little bit of everything collectors are looking for. The store is open in warmer months on Route 66 in Halltown.

ile, Whitehall Mercant Halltown

mp, Shadyside Ca Phelps

Shadyside Camp had four cabins and was built from native rock by L.F. Arthur in 1927.

Directions •

The last leg of Missouri’s Route 66 begins on Highway 266 at Halltown. Continue west on Highway 266, and cross the steel truss bridge over Turnback Creek.

•

At County Road 2061, turn right and pass over a second steel truss bridge at Johnson Creek. Just down the road, you’ll join Highway 96, which runs about as straight as any road you’ll encounter on this trip. Set the cruise control, and look for the remnants of gas stations, motor courts, and tourist attractions from Route 66’s glory days.

Missouri Life [ 51 ]

66 Drive-In, Carthage

The 66 Drive-In is one of the few historically intact drive-in movie theaters along Route 66.

The theater opened for business in 1949 and was renovated in 1998. It continues to show first run movies on weekends from April through October.

Directions •

At the Jasper County line, stay true west on Highway 96 through the town of Avilla and on toward Carthage.

•

At Carthage, take Old 66 Boulevard. It twists a bit on its way west.

•

Turn south on Pine Street and into Carterville. Go right on Main Street, which will take you into Webb City.

•

Take Madison Street south, and look for the Historic Route 66 signs. Navigating the original Route 66 through Joplin can be confusing. Turn right on Zora, left on Florida, right on Utica, veer left on Euclid Avenue to St. Louis Avenue, and then take a right on Broadway to Main Street and downtown Joplin.

[ 52 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

Don’t 1939 on W

of the ive-in te 66. siness ted in first s from tober.

Stretch your legs and see the historic Thomas Hart Benton and Anthony Benton Gude murals inside Joplin’s art deco city hall. otel, Boots Court M Carthage

Don’t miss the historic Boots Court Motel. Built in 1939 by Arthur Boots, the motel is still in operation on West Central Avenue in Carthage.

Jasper County Courthouse, Carthage

POINTS OF INTEREST

Woody’s Wood-F

ire Pizza, Joplin

63.

64.

65.

66.

67.

68.

69.

70.

71.

72.

73.

74.

75.

76.

77.

78.

Avilla Post Offi Boots Court Motel Red Oak II Precious Moments Jasper County Courthouse Powers Museum CD’s Pancake Hut Best Budget Inn Super TAM on 66 Praying Hands Monument Joplin City Hall Joplin Museum Complex Route 66 Mural Park Route 66 Drive-In Woody’s Wood-Fire Pizza State Line Bar

Joplin is one of two Missouri cities (the other is St. Louis) mentioned in the classic song, “Route 66,” written by Bobby Troup and originally recorded

by Nat King Cole in 1946.

Missouri Life [ 53 ]

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Missouri Life [ 55 ]

Route 66 Events ROUTE 66 FEST Waynesville, annually in March, June, and October E-mail Route66Festots@yahoo.com Enjoy live music, contests, children’s activities, vendors, and special sales from downtown vendors. It’s a family-friendly celebration on the square in Waynesville.

MAIN STREET THROUGH ST. LOUIS Missouri History Museum, St. Louis Now–July 16, 2017 ExploreStLouis.com This yearlong display explores the St. Louis connection to Route 66 with stories about the motels, custard stands, and tourist traps, as well as displays ranging from gas pumps to roadside signs.

PACIFIC CRUISE NIGHT AND CAR SHOW Annually in June Facebook.com/PacificCruiseNigh See thirty-three show classes plus four specialty awards for classic cars, plus vendors, music, and fi eworks in downtown Pacific ROUTE 66 SUMMERFEST Rolla, annually in June Facebook.com/RollasRoute66Summerfest The celebration begins with a cruise down Route 66 from St. James to Rolla. Events include Miss Route 66 pageant, a drummers competition, a movie under the stars, a tennis tournament, and a car show on Pine Street in downtown Rolla. Arts and crafts booths will be open at 9AM along with the food vendors, kids activities, and skateboard park. Don’t miss the “burnout contest.”

2016 MISSOURI STATE CASI CHILI CHAMPIONSHIP Hogs and Hotrods Saloon, annually in August Facebook.com/ Route66MotherRoadChiliCupOfMissouri [ 56 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

Billed as the greatest chili cookoff on the Mother Road, this Chili Appreciation Society International sanctioned event welcomes chili heads from around the world.

BIRTHPLACE OF ROUTE 66 FESTIVAL Springfield, annually in Augus Route66FestivalSgf.com Long heralded as the place where it all began, Springfield celebrates the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival every summer. Scheduled events include a car and motorcycle show, live music, a parade, and a 6.6-mile run.

HUB AND SPOKE TOUR From Kirkwood to St. Louis in the east and to Sullivan in the west September 9–11, 2016 Missouri66.org This second annual event celebrates ninety years on Route 66 with stops at the Missouri History Museum’s Route 66 exhibit, World Bird Sanctuary, and Meramec State Park. The event is open to all ages and vehicle types.

ROUTE 66 CUBA FEST October 15–16, 2016 Facebook.com/route66cubafest Festive family activities and live music celebrate Route 66. This year’s event commemorates ninety years of Route 66. Bob’s Gasoline Alley, a collection of Route 66 gasoline memorabilia, will be open both days of the festival.

MAPLE LEAF FESTIVAL Carthage, annually in October CarthageChamber.com/maple-leaf This autumn family-friendly celebration includes a 5K/10K run, beauty pageants, baby and toddler contests, a dog show/skill competition, gospel singing, and a lip-syncing contest. This is the golden anniversary of the Maple Leaf Festival.

A C B C B C B Q B C B C B C C C a Q Q C S L C C C Q C C C C

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Missouri Life [ 57 ]

CHO113-11971_MO_Life_5.75x8.75.indd 1

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[ 58 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

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Mother Road Antiques & Uniques

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[ 60 ] Guide to Missouri’s Route 66

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Early Booking Savings Ends Soon

12 Days • August 13-25, 2017 $2,723* Military Tattoo included *airfare not included

On this Essential Britain tour you’ll experience some of Britain’s most fascinating towns as you travel through England, Wales, and Scotland stopping for overnights in London, Plymouth, Cardiff, Liverpool, Glasgow, Inverness, Edinburgh, and York. Plus, part of the charm of traveling through Britain is seeing the marvelous scenery. Enjoy the best weather of the year with average highs of 66 to 73 degrees. You’ll cruise on Plymouth Sound, one of the world’s great natural harbors; take a photo at breathtaking Land’s End, England’s most southwesterly point; drive through Brecon Beacons National Park, with its dramatic landscapes; explore England’s tranquil Lake District, England’s largest and finest natural park; visit the Isle of Skye, with some of Scotland’s best scenery; and trace the shores of Loch Ness.

BONUS $25 off of an optional excursion when you book by October 30, 2016!

For more info visit missourilife.com/travel/travel-with-fellow-missourians/ or travelerslane.com • 314-223-1224 • travelerslane@hotmail.com [ 62 ] 2016 Route 66 Guide

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[ 64 ] 2016 Route 66 Guide