Savoring the Mother Road

Rolla, Mo., Monday, Sept. 27 --

Yet another Route 66 giant sighting.

Unbelievable! That's what we said when we departed Zeno's in Rolla and the odometer said 16,666 miles on our T-Bird. How fitting as we struck out again for Route 66 and sights yet to be seen. We traveled through valleys and over hills with the top down, the warm breezes ruffling our hair and the sweet smell of new-mown grass all around us.

Rush hour on Route 66

Remember the pink highways? Here Route 66 is ocre colored, taking its hue from the local soil and rock. Just outside of Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri we encountered a four-lane divided Route 66. We discovered that in 1941-45, it was expanded to handle the additional military traffic from the fort. But today there were no jeeps or trucks, just us blue sky, fluffy clouds, the distant drone of an airplane and above us, a hawk riding the warm thermals.

Terry Beck, author and entrepreneur

Taking a 1923 bridge over the Big Piney River, we passed the Elbow Inn (site of countless bras stapled to the ceiling -- a la the Bird House in Alaska) and arrived in front of the Devil's Elbow, Mo., post office. As we were getting out of the car, a man came out of the P.O. and asked if we were driving Route 66. Hearing the affirmative, he handed me a book, "Route 66 Pocketbook," the tiniest guidebook ever printed. Complete with photographs and detailed information on things to do, stuff to know and places to see, the book was handed to me by Terry Beck, the man who wrote it! Wearing a shirt printed with Route 66 signs and icons, Terry is a consummate 66er. He was traveling with his wife, sister and brother-in-law. After a few moments, his wife asked if we were the T-Birders mentioned in Route 66 magazine. Indeed we were. We enjoyed some good conversation and before we said goodbye, Terry handed us yet another copy of his book; this one, the "large print edition" was a bit easier to read. Large is a relative term here,  of course. Meeting Terry and his family was a real treat, and we have since seen both versions of his book in gift shops. We wish him well!

Today we came across an interesting collection of road signs on one small parcel of land. Here's what they promoted: Liquor, Nazarene Church, Grace Covenant Christian Center and the Adult Super Store; adjacent to that was a giant bowling pin. We thought you'd most enjoy this one.

We've been so pleased with the Route 66 signage in Illinois and Missouri. Our guidebooks have been invaluable, and coupled with the frequent "Historic Route 66" signposts, it's been pretty much stress-free.

On one stretch of road today thought we'd entered a time machine. As we looked around, we realized that there was nothing that wouldn't have been in existence in 1957. We fancied that we were driving our brand new 1957 T-Bird over green hills and valleys. Rarely sharing the road with another car, we had plenty of time to imagine Route 66 more than 57 years ago.

It was then that we found it hard to imagine the kind of traffic that Route 66 saw over the years. Being the main road west for so many years, it was the route used by trucks as well as cars, two lanes most of the way, and not a lot of opportunities to pass another vehicle. It makes us appreciate the clever, homey and sometimes kooky sights along the way. Imagine a family traveling west, children bored in the back seat (no DVDs or Gameboys), and how welcome would be the sight of a huge coke bottle, a round barn, that oversized bowling pin! Anything to add a break in the tedium of driving a two-lane road for more than 2,400 miles. It is estimated that from 1930-40, more than 60,000 individuals moved west, many of them arriving and staying in California. Being able to drive this remarkable road for pleasure instead of necessity leads us to believe that we are seeing the changing American landscape in a much different context than the travelers of 60 years ago. We are incredibly lucky!

We popped into the Munger Moss Motel, a true icon, to look around. We would have loved to stay there, but our schedule didn't permit it. The woman in the gift shop showed us another bit of writing by Terry Beck, a prayer patterned after the Lord's Prayer:

Our Mother Road
Which art in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California
Traveled be thy ways 'til the end of time.
Thy road be driven on Earth as was in the old days


Give us this day our daily drive
And give us safe trip as we make our journeys
And lead us not into dead-ends
but deliver us from freeways
For thine is the old way, the quiet way and the right way

Who stole the "M?"

Forever and ever.
Amen

At one point today we drove alongside a school bus; the kids shouted in unison, "We like your car, we like your car!" Ah, it was a good thing.

Gordon's message at Britts

We had a wonderful lunch with Les and Jo at Britts Route 66 Grille, where everyone is encouraged to sign their names and add a message to the backs of booths and the walls. And then it was off to seek out antiques and other good stuff.

Others in the group went to the nearby university to explore a half-size replica of Stonehenge and tour the U.S. Geodetic Survey office where they learned about mapmaking and printing. They arrived after the Elbow Inn was open, so got to see the brassieres in person, then went to the Sweetwater Bar and Cafe for a lunch of barbecued ribs. They did not eat much dinner tonight!

By the end of the day, we'd bounced along through farmlands, pasturelands, alongside John Deere tractors, dairy cows, cattle; we'd crossed one-lane vintage bridges, sailed through tiny villages, and all the while savoring the Mother Road. I found out today that it was John Steinbeck who coined that term in "The Grapes of Wrath." He called it "the Mother Road, the road of flight."

Today brought us to another Springfield, this one in Missouri. Our stop for the night is another Route 66 icon, the Best Western Rail Haven. More tomorrow.

Judy and Gordon