FRIENDLY FACES ON 66

Hi everyone

Bit late writing this up, but yesterday we had a good drive.  We headed out of St Louis and realized that the actual route 66 road had disappeared a bit, so we took the I44 south out of town and then spied the exit for the route 66 park and visitor centre.  Sharp right and we were off that freeway!  The next 1 ½ hours were fabulous.  We met with the visitor center worker and a park ranger and we had a lovely time chatting to them.  They were so intrigued that we came from NZ and asked lots of questions and us of them too about life in the US.  It really was a like a meeting of mind!  Just as we left other visitors arrived – from Scotland and Aussie – so it was certainly international.

But we really needed to head off.  They gave us instructions on how to get back onto the real route 66 and they worked!  A series of small towns, quite lush green landscape, some very similar to the rolling hills of NZ made us feel right at home.

South of St Clair (after we got a road stone chip on the windscreen!) we came to the Meramec Caves – It’s set in a lovely park where you can camp – but like many of the American tourist places there were several food places too!  All that good stuff, ice cream, fries and pizza and burgers!  There were even a few slot machines – sad!  The caves are natural caves and were the hiding place of Jesse James and his gang. – they are huge – really caverns, not simply caves.  You can go on a 1mile plus guided walk thru them but we decided not to go- quite a steep walk back up and I wasn’t sure I could make it back up! 

limited edition route 66 motorcycle at the Route 66 Visitors centre just south of St Louis

Inside the entrance to the Meramec Caves once home to Jesse James

Inside the cave - about 3 stories high

Bronze of Jesse

The riverboat near the Meramec Caverns

In Cuba there are all these painted murals depicting either route 66 or famous american scenes

The gigantic rocking chair on 66

oops cant figure out how to turn the pic around  but u get the idea

more murals

Neils route 66 root beer from the yeehaw Mule Trading Shop

Just around the corner from the caves is the Jesse James Wax Museum.  There is a short film about Jesse James and then a bit of memorabilia.  The interesting thing is that the outlaw was supposed to die back in the late 1800s, but apparently it was someone else and passed off as Jesse – who apparently took an assumed name and lived until he was 102!  This has  been verified.  There pictures of the old guy and Jesse James when he is younger and they’ve done those aging things like police do and sure enough the young is a dead ringer for the older.  No photos from here as we were not allowed to do so.  The lady in the museum mentioned they had lots of people thru from Norway – I think she thought we were Norwegan!  We didn’t correct her. 

Interesting too is that there is his family tree – he had a bunch of kids.  I had heard that Jesse James of Monster garage fame (married to actress Sandra Bullock) was meant to be a direct descendant.  This is not verified however.  But apparently he and Sandra visited the site a while back. 

 Stopped at Fanning home of the giant rocking chair and the Mule trader store – home of a couple of really down home pensioners.  They were yeehaw kind of guys.

Heading through the Ozarks, lovely scenery – green and rolling. 

Route 66 disappears about 40 miles north of Lebanon, Missouri, so we took to I44 again.  Stayed at a Days Inn Motel – observation – America has sooo many accommodation places.  I wonder why so many, there never ever full and even in the smallest town there is more than one. 

Today is our 30^th wedding anniversary and we’re heading to Tulsa, Oklahoma

See you back here tomorrow

Jane and Neil