Route 66 A Visual Tour.: Route 66 A visual Tour

Over the Mississippi River into Missouri

St Lewis - Gateway Arch and Old Court House

I found The Awakening by accident, looking for another cool sculpture park some other riders told me about.
Maybe it was Laumeier Sculpture Park

Sullivan - Merimac State Park

Day 3. Merimac to Marshfield - Around 135 miles
Riding the freeway or beside the freeway today.
A shorter day because the Caverns use a little time....and I broke down.

(Jesse James escaping)

Merimac Caverns

Bourbon - A Tower of bourbon...
So...it turns out there's a way cooler, no longer in use tower in town which would've made a cooler photo.
Research is underrated.

Cuba - Drive-in movie theater. Gas station turned cafe

Fanning - The world's 2nd largest Rocking Chair

Devil's Elbow... Not much here but an old fire engine, beautiful river and a bridge. And a few amazing locals.
Breaking down is possibly the only reason I wrote anything here about Devil's Elbow.

Stopped to take this lousy picture... and my bike wouldn't restart.

Managed to diagnose and bodgy together a repair with the help of a cool down swim in the river and some awesome locals. I wanna put their picture here, but I never got permission. If you guys are ever reading this and don't care, let me know and I'll add you!
Without them, I would've been screwed. No hotels. The nearest mechanic shop couldn't fix my bike for days... As it was, it only cost me about 4 hours. (Needed an impact driver to crack the ignition bracket. Finding one is what took most of that time, as people's tools had been washed away in a flood.)

Beware of road surprises.
Finally leaving town and this wee guy was looking to kick me off his road.

Uranus - Fudge Factory and Mayor Muffler Man

Waynesville - Frog rock. I didn't get a picture. You can see why if you click on the name. But the story is mildly amusing.

Hazelgreen - Gascondale River Bridge - I'm not a bridge hunter, but some of you might be.

Lebanon - Famous since 1889 for magnetic water. A well digger discovered that his tools were magnetized by the water while he dug a well. It's also said that the magnetic waters have healing properties.
There's also reportedly a cool museum in the library. I didn't see any of it, but you can learn about it if it interests you by clicking on the town name.

Philipsburg - I didn't stop, but I heard there's stuff to do if you have time because your bike didn't break down.

Marshfield - Hubble Telescope

Marshfield - Wild story here. I have to tell you coz it's so freakishly unlikely.
I was totally rinsed, riding the last leg to get here before collapsing off my bike, and running late without much time to find dinner. So I called and asked my wife if she'd find me somewhere to eat that was American cuisine, being that I'm doing a classic American route. She ordered chicken fried steak from home for me and told me to go to JNL's. (They say a good woman is hard to find. I guess I got lucky.) She said they'd have my food waiting for me, but I needed to hurry because they were about to close.

I arrived after closing and parked up, then walked around the restaurant, looking for someone to help me, to see if I could still pick up my food.
A really bubbly, happy and helpful worker offered assistance and got me my meal, asking about my trip etc. and telling me they'd been expecting me. She made me feel very welcome, despite my arriving after closing.
I ate on the lawn, looking at the hay bails and sunset.
The cook drove over, on his way out and checked in on the meal. Needless to say, I was grateful and it was excellent.

I left JNL's and went scouting for somewhere to put up my tent, as it was getting dark.
Down the street a little there was a cool old red barn, which would've made for a fun photo with my tent beside it. I went up the hill to the nearest house to see if they knew who owned the barn. They didn't. I opted not to camp next to a barn without permission, least a colt 45 end my journey there. I still had much to see.
On down the road I took a turn and found the perfect field. I pulled up to the house to ask permission and met a fun family, who spent a bunch of time talking with me and then introducing me to the neighbors. While we were chatting about life and where the best place to put up my tent would be, their daughter arrived home from work.
The. Same. Girl. From. The. Restaurant.
If I made this up it would've been cheesy.
Anyway, she got me a drink and made me feel welcome again, and the rest is history. I camped in their yard in the end, at their suggestion, and was grateful for such an hospitable family.
Strange. But kind of a cool story hey.