Day #4

It’s always interesting when you start your day at the Laundromat. Hurrah. Got everything dried while watching the Beverly Hillbillies on a TV there. Somehow, that seemed appropriate!

Got back to the room and it was a mad dash to get everyone showered and to the car. Pete really needs a tubby, but that tub was gross, so we’ve decided that tonight’s place is supposed to be really good, so we’ll wait. Besides, after everyone was done getting their skin peeled by the water pressure, the drain couldn’t keep up and so the tub was almost overflowing with used shower water…yuck!

Before we left, we documented the hotel with photos, including Room 215 where Elvis used to stay. Hmmm….donuts anyone? Instead we had a quick meal of cereal in the room, and then we were off…not very far, though. We were going right across the street! The Route 66 Museum was there. The birth of the Mother Road began in Oklahoma, and Clinton has always been a huge supporter of keeping the road going. Their museum consisted of walking through various rooms, each one dedicated to a different decade and what that brought to the road. The 70’s room had an old VW bus. And then it hit me. I reminded the family that the Pixar team came through here and saw this museum (they also had stayed across the street where we stayed). Perhaps that bus was the first inkling of Fillmore?

Anyway, the 20 minute film which was showing at the end was really good for the kids. Gave them a great sense of the history of the road (as well as of America!) and showed them with real footage what we’ve been talking about. Pete was busy with a sticker on the floor, so he didn’t distract from the film too much. ☺

After a quick stop in the gift shop, we were off. Today was a on/off the Mother Road kind-of day. We had a lot of distance to cover to get to New Mexico, and the road is just a frontage road at time. We would get off the road if we wanted to see something, drive 66 a bit, and then get back onto the highway. In some places you had to drive on the highway anyway!

We went past another Route 66 museum in Elk City. It was huge, and we just didn’t have any more time, but we photographed it. Into Erick, OK I told Steve we had to stop at the Curiosity Stop. It is home to Harley and Annabelle, the Mediocre Melody Makers. (both mentioned in the special thanks of the Cars movie!) I had seen them on my DVD, too. It isn’t a shop or anything, just a stop. They invited us in, gave us lemonade, talked with us for a spell, and then sang Route 66 to us. Andy got it on his camera, but there was something wrong with his disc. ☹ They were quite the characters. They had to get the shop ready because a group of about 30 Norweigan Bikers (I’m not kidding!) were coming through, so we thanked them, took some pictures and headed back down the road.

We crossed into Texas after going through the ghost town of Texola. Took some photos. We YEHAW and we were off! Headed to our STEAK MEAL. Unfortunately, it was getting late for lunch. I think we ended up having it for linner? Dunch? It was about 2:30, but the steak was mmm mmm, good! The Big Texan in Amarillo will offer your meal free if you can eat a 72 ounce steak in one hour. No one was trying it when we got there (and we had already said NO, ANDY), so he had to settle with a 21 ounce. He was full afterwards!

Another trip to the gift shop, some photos in the HUGE rocking chair, and we were off…to Home Depot! I bought some spray paint, and we headed to Cadillac Ranch. It is a series of Cadillacs that Stanley Marsh (an very rich man who loves art) buried half way in the ground in the 70’s. (We had seen Bug Ranch in Conway earlier in the day which is a smaller version someone did recently burying old VW Bugs part way into the ground.) People are constantly spray painting them with various things, and we let the kids do their thing. It was hot out there (it’s in the middle of a field) but Steve assured me it was a dry heat. Blah.

We loaded up the car again and headed to New Mexico. We were excited to get to Adrian, TX to the Midpoint Café. I had told the kids to not have dessert at the Big Texan because THIS was where we were going to get dessert! It is the home of the Ugly Crust Pie (and also mentioned in the Cars credits). This town is located midway between Chicago and Los Angeles (there’s even a sign!). Well, we pulled up and saw that they had closed 30 minutes earlier!! I was SO sad. We could look in the windows and see the pie in the cases. It was CRUEL! Everyone else got in the car and opened up the cookies. I just pouted all the way into New Mexico.

At Exit 0 I told Steve that I was tired of the ‘super slab’ as Mother Roaders call the Interstate. So, we got off and headed through Glenrio, another ghost town. As we drove into New Mexico the road went from paved to dirt. The navigation system said “Historic 66” so I knew we were on a very old version. We drove for about 5 miles past all sorts of beautiful scenery far far away from the superslab. Our car got FILTHY (there was a layer of grime on everything IN the car too), but it was beautiful. The scenery had changed so much since our ‘pie stop’. We had started seeing mesas and a definite rise and fall to the previously completely flat land. There were no trees, but what there were can only be called brush. I could envision cowboys coming up over the ridge chasing a bandit.

We made it to the Blue Swallow an hour earlier than I had thought (Thank you Mountain Time!). It is an old motor court which has been lovingly kept up. Some of the rooms still have adjoining garages (as these Motor Courts did). We have adjoining rooms with the kids in one room and Steve and I in the other. The hall that connected us has a cute little closet and shared bathroom with a shower (Sorry Pete…tubby tomorrow night?). It is really a sweet hotel…and a favorite with “Mother Roaders” according to my guide books.

After a quick small dinner at Del’s (“Mom, I am still so FULL!” – Andy), we tucked in for the night. Tomorrow…all of New Mexico!

FYI: For a link to the pictures we have uploaded to the web so far, go to http://www.flickr.com/gp/34503352@N00/6M21nN

Day #3

We started out early today because there was so much we wanted to see. We took off immediately down the Route and enjoyed the quiet Sunday morning. Our first stop was at the world’s LARGEST Totem Pole in Foyil. We took many pictures, and petted the two family dogs that belonged to the caretaker. Because it was so early, we were the only ones there. It was nice!

We found our way back to the Route and went into what looked like a convenience store, but ended up being a restaurant. So, we all went in and had a nice breakfast. After that, we did need a convenience store for ice. It was getting HOT.

While at the store, we noticed a runaway horse. A few people at the filling station were watching it, and one guy got on the phone. Perhaps they recognized the horse? It was beautiful. I hope they caught it!

We saw the Will Rogers memorial, the Catoosa Whale, made it through Tulsa and ended up in Stroud at the Rock Café for lunch. (1:30 is still lunch time, right?) The food was EXCELLENT. They say that the food network is coming next week to do a segment on them! The owner, Dawn, wasn’t in which was a shame. She was the inspiration for Sally in the movie Cars. We did get some fun pictures outside where she has a wooden Sally on display.

With full tummies, we made our way down one of the most beautiful parts of Route 66. It was such an idyllic scene of cattle and horses in the distance. And with no one else on the road, we could slow down and take as many pictures as we wanted!

We saw oil drums, beautiful old bridges and plenty of ranches. We saw Garth Brook’s hometown, the Oklahoma City memorial, a beautifully restored Round Barn and one of the first ever gas stations in America (well, what is left of it).

As we got closer to Clinton, we decided to stop for dinner. We ate quickly hoping to get to the hotel for a dip in the pool because it was so hot. But alas, the pool is under repair. So, Emily and I ran to the Laundromat to get some clothes cleaned, and the boys hung out in the hotel room. Unfortunately, the Laundromat closed at 10, and we started at 9:30, and the clothes took 30 minutes to wash, so we now have a laundry bag full of wet clothes.

I know where I’m headed back to tomorrow when they open at 7! Ye haw. A busy day tomorrow too. We are all looking forward to a good Texas steak meal…

Day #2

We started out slow, enjoying the morning in our nice room. We finally loaded up and headed out…but not very far! Our first stop was 1 minute down the road at Wrink’s Market. We thought it would be closed. Mr. Wrinkle died in 2005, and it had been closed since. But NO! His SON opened it nary one week ago! We ended up spending so much time there visiting with Terry Wrinkle and his customers (plus buying a few things) that we were REALLY late on our start to the day when we finally got going! No worries. We are on the Mother Road where they say it’s not the destination, it’s the journey..

Before we headed out of Lebanon, though, we did stop at the local Library to see their special tribute to Route 66. They had a sample motel and soda shop set up, plus the blueprints to building the road, and other collectible items. These little museums are so neat.

So, we tripped along seeing various open and closed shops and motels, taking pictures and generally gawking out both sides of the window. We did make a major stop at the Exotic Animal Paradise in Marshfield, MO. We thought we had made a horrible mistake at first when we saw their petting zoo, but once we did the ‘drive through safari’ we realized it was worth the money. The kids had a BLAST feeding the animals from the car. We had a few very forward Emus and Donkeys come right INTO the car window! Peter squealed with delight…Mom squealed in absolute fear!

We also stopped suddenly beside a replica of an old Sinclair gas station and met Gary, the nicest man! He told us all about his shop and his friends, and he gave us all signed copies of the Route 66 Pulse newspaper which had the opening of Cars and an interview with Michael Wallis on it. He was so incredibly friendly and loved having people stop in!

After that, we were headed to Kansas. We skipped downtown Joplin due to the time, and headed straight for Galena. As we wandered toward Kansas, Pete decided he’d had too much fun and it was time to nap. We entered Kansas, went about 2 miles, turned the corner at Galena and saw before our very eyes the REAL TOW-MATER!! (from the movie Cars). And, as if on cue, Pete woke up and said “It’s Mater!” Well, that was good for about 45 minutes buying T-shirts, taking pictures, and getting the whole story about the Pixar team and the truck. It was really fun. We also made sure we saw the Arch Rainbow Bridge and Eisler Brother’s store (they were given a special ‘thanks’ at the end of the Cars movie). Kansas only has 13 miles of the Mother Road, but they contain some pretty good stuff!

We made it into Oklahoma and past a few interesting towns. Vinita isn’t all I wanted it to be, though. The only place in which I was interested in eating was closed, and the drive-in restaurant in the nearby town didn’t sound so appealing in the hot sticky night. So, we ended up taking the kids to the World’s Largest McDonalds which is located in a highway oasis over Hwy. 44. I know, I said no fast food on this trip, but I decided that because it was the World’s Largest, it would somehow, in a weird way, be an okay exception to my rule. We were able to park on a side road and not have to get onto the Toll Road to enter the restaurant. Now I know how the employees do it!

So, we are now at our roadside retreat for the night. We are all exhausted and looking forward to an early tomorrow. We have about 50 more miles to go tomorrow, and we had trouble getting in all the miles we had to today! We could take two months to do this trip and still not have enough time!

Day #1

Today was less sightseeing and more ‘getting there’. We spent the first five hours in the car getting to where we left off on our last trip (somewhere near Meremec Caverns). Once on Route 66 we fell quickly back into our old routine. We hunted down landmarks and took tons of pictures. And what a BEAUTIFUL DAY to do it all in!

John’s Modern Cabins are so close to being complete ruins, that I am surprised they are still standing. I confirmed with myself while standing outside the Wagon Wheel Motel that it was better we push on to Lebanon to the renowned Munger Moss Motel. I realized that we had all better be careful in the trading posts and tourist shops because truly ‘a fool and his money are soon parted.’

We missed a few stops, some intentionally (ran out of time) and some we just couldn’t find (like Frog Rock…how does one miss a rock painted like a frog sticking out of the side of a hill?!?)

We checked into what can only be called the quaintest room on the Route. When we signed in, I couldn’t believe she gave us Room 66! (it must be fate…) In this room, Ramona (the keeper of the motel) has turned one wall into a restrospective of Michael Wallis’ works (he was the voice of the sheriff in Cars and is authority on Route 66…I wonder if he stays in this room when he stays here…).

Bell Restaurant was a wonderful roadside coffee shop near the hotel. We sat at dinner and laughed at the silly things Pete did, and I realized that this is going to be as good of a trip as I had hoped it would be. Oh, and the waitress was really really nice. I think most of the people we meet along the way will be that way (except for the troll-woman at the gas station who yelled at Pete…no, really, she looked just like a troll!)

It was a good day. I look forward to less driving and more enjoying of our route tomorrow.

Things We Want To See!

WE ARE READY TO GO!!

These are the things we want to see each day. Colors mean:
■ Places with Food
■ Pixar Cars Points of Interest

Friday:
Chicago, IL to Lebanon, MO (456mi)
> Mule Trading Post – St. James
> Wagon Wheel Motel – Cuba
> Route 66 Motors & Gift Shop – Dillon
> Totem Pole Trading Post – Rolla
> Trail of Tears Stone Gateway – near Arlington
> John’s Modern Cabins – Doolittle
> Devil’s Elbow – Hooker
> Old Stagecoach Stop – Waynesville
> Frog Rock - Waynesville
> Bell Restaurant – Lebanon
Stay at Munger Moss Motel - Lebanon (backtrack if necessary to see previous listed items)


Saturday:
Lebanon, MO to Vinita, OK (197mi)
> Exotic Animal Paradise – Marshfield
> CD’s Pancake Hut (or Gooseberry Diner or Carthage Deli & Ice Cream) – Carthage
> R&M Restaurant/Wilders Finer Foods – Joplin
> Richardson’s Candy House – Joplin
> Eisler Brothers Old Riverton Store – Riverton *
> Rainbow Arch Bridge – Riverton
> Café on the Route – Baxter Springs
> Mickey Mantle Home, 319 S. Quincy – Commerce
> S. of Miami – OLD Alignment
> Rocket Drive-In – Afton
> Buffalo Ranch (remains)
> Backtrack to Route 66 Drive-In, Carthage, MO for movie!
Stay at Route 66 Inn and Motel - Vinita


Sunday:
Vinita, OK to Clinton, OK (271mi)
> Little Cabin Pecan Co - Vinita
> World’s Largest Totem Pole – Bushyhead
> Will Rogers Memorial - Claremore
> Blue Whale – Catoosa
> Ollie’s Station Restaurant (Trains!) – Red Fork
> Frankoma Pottery – Sapulpa
> Giant Coke Bottle - Sapulpa
> The Rock Café – Stroud *
> Old ’66 Antiques – Stroud
> PJ’s BBQ – Chandler
> Phillips 66 – Chandler
> Seaba Station – Warwick
> Bob’s BBQ & Round Barn – Arcadia
> Pop Hick’s Restaurant – Clinton *
Stay at Best Western Tradewinds Courtyard Inn - Clinton


Monday:
Clinton, OK to Tucumcari, NM (285mi)
> OK Route 66 Museum – Clinton
> National Route 66 Museum – Elk City
> Two Giant Kachina Dolls – Elk City
> Country Dove – Elk City * (French silk pie)
> AS&K Railroad Museum – Sayre
> Sands Hill Curiosity Shop – Erick
> Texacola – ghost town
> U-Drop Inn – Shamrock
> Devil’s Rope Museum – McLean *
> Phillips 66 – McLean
> McLean Alanreed Museum - McLean
> Cowboy Café – McLean
> Jericho Gap - Jericho
> Leaning Tower of Groom
> Giant Cross – Groom
> Bug Ranch - Conway
> Long Horn Trading Post – Conway
> Big Texan Steak Ranch – Amarillo *
> Cadillac Ranch - Amarillo
> Midpoint Café – Adrian * (pie!)
> Glenrio – ghost town
> Someplace Else Lounge & Route 66 Mural – San Jon
> The Rustler – San Jon
> Tee Pee Curios – Tucumcari
> Tucumcari Cheese Factory – Tucumcari
> Mesalands Dinosaur Museum - Tucumcari
Stay at Blue Swallow Motel - Tucumcari


Tuesday:
Tucumcari, NM to Gallup, NM (310mi)
> Route 66 Auto Museum – Santa Rosa
> Gift Shop – Clines Corner
> Longhorn Ranch Site – Moriarty
> Aztec Motel – Albuquerque
> Indian Pueblo Cultural Center? – Albuquerque
> 66 Diner – Albuquerque
> Rattlesnake Museum - Albuquerque
> Sky City – McCartys
> Grant’s Underground Museum – Grants
> Uranium Café - Grants
> Bandera Volcano & Ice Cave, Grants
> Continental Divide
> Oldest Indian Pueblo – Acoma?
Stay at Hotel el Rancho - Gallup


Wednesday:
Gallup, NM to Mesa Verde National Park (148mi)
> Cliff Dwellings
> Hike in the park
Stay in Mesa Verde National Park


Thursday:
Mesa Verde National Park to Holbrook, AZ (238mi)
> Petrified Forest National Park
> Painted Desert
Stay in Wigwam Motel - Holbrook


Friday:
Holbrook, AZ to Grand Canyon (189mi)
> Joe & Aggie’s Café – Holbrook *
> Rainbow Rock Shop - Holbrook
> Jack Rabbit Trading Post – Joseph City *
> Roadworks Gifts & Souvenirs – Winslow *
> Old Trails Museum – Winslow *
> La Posada Hotel & Gardens - Winslow
> Museum Club – Flagstaff *
> Sunset Crater Volcano
Stay in Grand Canyon National Park


Saturday:
Grand Canyon National Park to Williams, AZ (113mi)
> See Grand Canyon
> Rod’s Steak House – Williams
> Twisters 50’s Soda Fountain - Williams
Stay at Red Garter Bed & Bakery - Williams


Sunday:
Williams, AZ to Oatman, AZ (159mi)
> Angel & Vilmas Route 66 Gifts – Seligman *
> Snow Cap Drive-In – Seligman *
> Copper Cart - Seligman
> Grand Canyon Caverns
> Fontier Café – Truxton
> Bidirectional Sign – Truxton
> Hackberry General Store – Hackberry
> Gunfights in Oatman
> Oatman Hotel & Café – Oatman
Backtrack a bit and Stay at Hotel Brunswick – Kingman


Monday:
Oatman, AZ to Pasadena, CA (324mi)
> Irene’s – Needles ?
> Welcome Wagon - Needles
> Amboy Crater, Amboy
> Roy’s Café? – Amboy
> Bagdad Café – Ludlow
> Forest of Bottle Trees – Helendale
> Roy Rogers Double R Bar Ranch (drive past) – Helendale
> Emma Jean’s Holland Burger – Oro Grande
> Bono’s Historic Orange Stand – Fontana
Stay at Saga Motor Hotel - Pasadena


Tuesday:
Sightseeing in L.A.
> Santa Monica Pier & FINISH ROUTE 66!!
> Hollywood Sign
> Grauman’s Chinese Theater
> Hollywood Sign
> In-N-Out Burger
Stay at Saga Motor Hotel - Pasadena


Wednesday:
Pasadena, CA to Sequoia National Park (232mi)
> Explore Sequoias
Stay in Sequoia National Park


Thursday:
Sequoia National Park to Las Vegas, NV (400mi)
> Ride the Monorail to MGM and walk the Strip
> Explore hotels
> One of the best free shows in Las Vegas is held every night in front of the Treasure Island Hotel in Sirens Cove. The free show goes on nightly at 7:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 10:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. in Sirens' Cove at the front entrance of Treasure Island Hotel and Casino.
> Get up close with the lions of the MGM Grand. This attraction also allows you to take a picture with some lions. (for a fee) The habitat is at the entrance to the resort and offers large viewing areas of the habitat and the lions. (11am to 11pm)
> Stand out front of the Bellagio and watch as the music and the water are perfectly choreographed for your pleasure. 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., show every 1/2 hour, 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m., show every 15 minutes
Stay at Las Vegas Hilton – Las Vegas


Friday:
Las Vegas, NV to Bryce Canyon National Park (260mi)
> Explore Bryce Canyon
Stay in Bryce Canyon National Park


Saturday:
Bryce Canyon National Park to Arches National Park (275mi)
> See Canyonlands National Park
> Explore Arches National Park
Stay in Arches? Somewhere else??


Sunday:
Arches National Park to Rocky Mountain National Park (400mi)
> Meander...
Stay in Rocky Mountain National Park


Monday:
Spend the day in Rocky Mountain National Park
> Take the Georgetown Loop Railroad through the mountains
> Hike the park
Stay in Rocky Mountain National Park


Tuesday:
Rocky Mountain National Park to home (1030mi)

The Trip at a Glance

Here is the trip as it is mapped out. The blue line is the early summer weekend trip. The pink line is the big summer trip!

Things to See Chicago to Stanton

Following is a list (though not comprehensive) on the things I want to be sure to see and the places at which I want to eat:

Chicago to Stanton:

Henry's Drive In, Cicero, IL
Riviera Restaurant, Gardner, IL
Ambler's Texaco, Dwight, IL
First National Bank, Dwight, IL
1932 Standard Station, Odell, IL
Memory Lane, Lexington, IL
Funk's Grove Pure Maple Sirup, Funks Grove, IL
Dixie Truckers' Home, McLean, IL
Pig-Hip Restaurant, Broadwell, IL
Cozy Dog Drive In, Springfield, IL
Lincoln Museum, Springfield, IL
Ariston Cafe, Litchfield, IL
Chain of Rocks Bridge, St. Louis, MO
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, St. Louis, MO
Merimac Caverns, Stanton, MO