By Thomas Best
Over the last three weeks, I have been sharing stories of my wife’s and my adventures along the famed Route 66. Today, we will take off across Missouri.
Unfortunately, a strong thunderstorm prevented us from doing much in the St. Louis area. We did have a few minutes to walk along the historic “Chain of Rocks” bridge which once was a main vehicle crossing point between Illinois and Missouri. With its unique angle on the Illinois section and stories of tragic events, including a murder, we were only able to walk a section of the structure before the storm hit.
Once heading southwest, we quickly came to the well-known Meramac Caverns, made famous by the dozens of painted signs that one adorned barn roofs around the county. The hideout of Frank and Jessie James in the 1800s, the current tour focuses on the fascinating details about the uses of the cave (including a dance hall) and a beautiful light and sound show.
In Cuba, called the “mural capital,” we walked along a series of intricately painted murals depicting life in early days ranging from its early businesses to the role this city played in the Civil War. Here, I had a wonderful time explaining the role of the Civil War to Missouri to a motorcycle-riding couple from France.
Outside of Cuba is the famous big “Red Rocker.” No you can’t climb up and rock back and forth on this 42’ high rocker. The Guinness Book of World Records once crowned this the largest rocker in the world. The largest is now in Casey, Illinois.
Of course, no stop in Missouri along Route 66 would be complete without visiting the mythical village of (that’s right) “Uranus.” Pronounced like the planet and part of the human body, this site is a hoot! Wild t-shirts, sweet treats, specialty drinks, funny statues, and old carnival artifacts await you here. Close by is what is proclaimed as the “World’s Largest Gift Shop” (I couldn’t even get the whole sign in a photograph!) This place is huge. From clothing and toys to books and t-shirts and nearly anything else you can think of—it is here!
At the far southwestern end of Missouri, you still have so much to see and do. There is Springfield, Missouri, often called the “Birthplace of Route 66” because of the work people did here to promote Route 66. I took in a minor league baseball team—the Springfield Cardinals, a class AA team of the Redbirds. You also have motels like the 1938 Rail Haven, where we rested and where Elvis also stayed in 1957. Once down the road in Carthage, there is the Munger Moss Motel, another iconic old motor lodge, opened in 1946 in Lebanon with 60 rooms for rent. In nearby Webb City is the rugged miner statue and the praying hands statue to honor the miners who worked this region of lead and zinc mining.
And did you know that some communities still have drive-in theaters. There is one in this region of Missouri which opened in 1949 and once featured pony rides, a Ferris Wheel, baby-sitting services, little bear cubs, and long sliding boards.
Next time, we are taking a short drive through Kansas.
photo by: https://www.missouri66.org/
