Missouri Mother Road
Missouri has shaken my confidence in my ability to find my way on this Mother Road, and has challenged my greatest strength - adaptability. The day started well... got on the road about 11 am, with skies on their way to clearing... found my way along the suggested route down Hwy 67 to I-44 (which my Route 66 guidebook says is the best way through St. Louis to follow the Mother Road)....stopped at Route 66 State Park, which has a very helpful Visitor Center.... and was finding signs along the historic route just fine. Until I got to Grays Summit. Route 66 went north of GS, and followed a beautiful winding road, taking off on a side road called 00. That was another beautiful winding road that made me wish I was on my friend Mark's Matilda (his Harley.) 00 came to an intersection, and there was no Route 66 sign.
Past experience usually meant when there was no sign to turn nor any on the adjoining road, the Route goes straight. So I went straight. The road became even more winding, more beautiful, and just woods after woods. And no Route 66 signs popping up anywhere. But there was also nowhere to turn around, so I figured it eventually had to come out somewhere and it was a gorgeous drive anyway.
Wow, sure enough, it came out somewhere.... by the Six Flags amusement park at the point where historic 66 breaks off the Interstate... where I had been about 45 minutes earlier. Geez. Guess at that intersection I wasn't supposed to go straight. How did I miss the sign?
So I got on I-44 instead of driving the same way along 66 that I had already covered, and got off for the exit at Grays Summit, figuring I'd retrace that part of the Route and find the sign. Drove the 20 min. or so to that same intersection, watching carefully for the sign. No sign. I'm sure. Positive. So I figured since straight didn't work, and I was north of the Interstate and wanting to go west, I should turn left. Makes sense, doesn't it?
This seemed to make sense, but I was still seeing no signs. I decided to drive until the next town, get my bearings and find my way back using the map I picked up at the Visitor Center this morning (which was of no help in this, by the way.) Driving, driving, driving.... no sign, no town... until I see businesses approaching. There we go... "Wildwood Mall." Wildwood. I look at the map and see that I'm almost back to St. Louis again. What??? I turned left! How the heck did that happen?
Well, since going that direction at the intersection took me back in the direction of St. Louis despite all logic, I was probably supposed to go the other way. So I get back on the road, backtracking all the way, going past the road where I got on to start with.... and somehow end up back in Grays Summit! What the *(^$*^#&? By this time, it was well over 2 hours since I left the hotel, and I was still barely out of St. Louis. Forget that crap! 3 times in Grays Summit, and I'm still no further along the Mother Road. My brain was thinking other "Mother" thoughts. Yes, saying them too. Loudly.
At this point, I decided that I would be allowed to forego a few miles of the actual Historic Route 66, and got back on the freeway so I could try again down the road. Following an exit sign for Route 66, I got off only to find the signs only took me east. No clear direction on whether the route was to the north or the south of I44 at that point. Forget it. I stayed on the Interstate another 10 miles to Stanton to go to the Meramec Caverns, from which I knew I could find my way again.
So sadly, I will have to always add a caveat to my claim to driving Route 66 all the way from Chicago to Santa Monica now. About 20 miles of Missouri were lost to me. Damn Missouri and their poorly placed signs. I did manage to follow well after the Caverns, but the Route followed my map well instead of jumping all over so even when signs were not in place, I could follow it anyway. Damn Missouri.
I really wanted to get to Springfield tonight, but decided Rolla would have to do. As I checked in to the hotel, I asked the clerk for a recommendation for a really good BBQ place so the day could be redeemed. I'm in Missouri - gotta get bbq, right? She sent me to Johnny's Hickory Pit, with the suggestion to get the briscuit burnt ends... and she was right. They were excellent. The folks at Johnny's were wonderful, and my feelings toward Missouri are mostly restored.
So tomorrow hopefully I will actually make it the rest of the way through Missouri. I'm going to do some photo downloading now, so I can update the blog with other adventures too - the good ones that still make this trip a worthwhile adventure!
Past experience usually meant when there was no sign to turn nor any on the adjoining road, the Route goes straight. So I went straight. The road became even more winding, more beautiful, and just woods after woods. And no Route 66 signs popping up anywhere. But there was also nowhere to turn around, so I figured it eventually had to come out somewhere and it was a gorgeous drive anyway.
Wow, sure enough, it came out somewhere.... by the Six Flags amusement park at the point where historic 66 breaks off the Interstate... where I had been about 45 minutes earlier. Geez. Guess at that intersection I wasn't supposed to go straight. How did I miss the sign?
So I got on I-44 instead of driving the same way along 66 that I had already covered, and got off for the exit at Grays Summit, figuring I'd retrace that part of the Route and find the sign. Drove the 20 min. or so to that same intersection, watching carefully for the sign. No sign. I'm sure. Positive. So I figured since straight didn't work, and I was north of the Interstate and wanting to go west, I should turn left. Makes sense, doesn't it?
This seemed to make sense, but I was still seeing no signs. I decided to drive until the next town, get my bearings and find my way back using the map I picked up at the Visitor Center this morning (which was of no help in this, by the way.) Driving, driving, driving.... no sign, no town... until I see businesses approaching. There we go... "Wildwood Mall." Wildwood. I look at the map and see that I'm almost back to St. Louis again. What??? I turned left! How the heck did that happen?
Well, since going that direction at the intersection took me back in the direction of St. Louis despite all logic, I was probably supposed to go the other way. So I get back on the road, backtracking all the way, going past the road where I got on to start with.... and somehow end up back in Grays Summit! What the *(^$*^#&? By this time, it was well over 2 hours since I left the hotel, and I was still barely out of St. Louis. Forget that crap! 3 times in Grays Summit, and I'm still no further along the Mother Road. My brain was thinking other "Mother" thoughts. Yes, saying them too. Loudly.
At this point, I decided that I would be allowed to forego a few miles of the actual Historic Route 66, and got back on the freeway so I could try again down the road. Following an exit sign for Route 66, I got off only to find the signs only took me east. No clear direction on whether the route was to the north or the south of I44 at that point. Forget it. I stayed on the Interstate another 10 miles to Stanton to go to the Meramec Caverns, from which I knew I could find my way again.
So sadly, I will have to always add a caveat to my claim to driving Route 66 all the way from Chicago to Santa Monica now. About 20 miles of Missouri were lost to me. Damn Missouri and their poorly placed signs. I did manage to follow well after the Caverns, but the Route followed my map well instead of jumping all over so even when signs were not in place, I could follow it anyway. Damn Missouri.
I really wanted to get to Springfield tonight, but decided Rolla would have to do. As I checked in to the hotel, I asked the clerk for a recommendation for a really good BBQ place so the day could be redeemed. I'm in Missouri - gotta get bbq, right? She sent me to Johnny's Hickory Pit, with the suggestion to get the briscuit burnt ends... and she was right. They were excellent. The folks at Johnny's were wonderful, and my feelings toward Missouri are mostly restored.
So tomorrow hopefully I will actually make it the rest of the way through Missouri. I'm going to do some photo downloading now, so I can update the blog with other adventures too - the good ones that still make this trip a worthwhile adventure!
posted by Kris at 6/16/2009 08:23:00 PM
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