Route 66 - Day 4
Woke up in the hotel after a good nights sleep. It was not long enough since we got in really late but it was dry and comfortable. The weather was going to be fantastic. Went downstairs to the free breakfast and coffee then headed upstairs to start packing. We got all our luggage packed, grabbed a cart, and got it all the bikes.
Before we left Lincoln, we wanted to see the Largest Covered Wagon in the world (according to Guinness). We stopped and it is BIG.
The only issue is Abe was reading a book while driving (I guess distracted driving started back in the 1800s). After getting our photos, we headed out on 66.
The road is great. We are going thru tons of small towns. Many of these towns have some really cool old gas stations in great shape. In one town, there was a giant sign post that had cities and distances posted for anything from St Louis to Bangkok.
We were not making great time since the road is always entering small towns. It makes for very interesting riding. You head is constantly on a swivel seeing tons of Route 66 related sights.
We stopped for gas in Litchfield, MO and decided to get some food. We found a cool café called Ariston. We rode over and when you entered the dining room, you stepped back in time. It felt like 1950.
I felt under dressed. We ordered a healthy lunch and the food was fantastic. Ok, so we got fried artichoke hearts and portabella mushrooms too as appetizers but the Greek Chicken Salad hit the spot.
After lunch, we hit the road again. We are not stopping at every little thing but slowly ride back commenting to each other on all the various items we see.
Are destination is the Chain of Rocks bridge. While driving, Kirk saw this car place he heard about. We turned around and went to Country Classic Cars.
There were several hundred cars for sale. These are cars from the early 1900s to early 2000s. I really liked the 66 Dodge Charger they had. After a small delay looking at all the cars, we headed for the bridge.
Right before we got to the bridge, we passed Henry's Rabbit Ranch where we got a photo of the Campbells Express trailers featuring Snortin Nortin (a camel) with the phrase "Hump'n to Please".
After a quick stop, off to the bridge. It was not what I expected. I read that the Chain of Rocks bridge was pedestrian traffic only. Not true.
The bridge has a stop light for single lane traffic only (and a bike lane). We waited for a green light and we were able to ride OVER the actual bridge.
Once on the other side, we snapped some photos and then got to ride back over. FYI, from this point until we get around St Louis, we are NOT following Route 66. We just wanted to get around the city quickly. But before we leaving, we needed a picture of our bikes and the Arch. One of our previous hosts told us to avoid riding to the arch but instead, on the Illinois side, there was a park where you can park your bikes and get the arch in the background. She did warn us that driving there may seem a bit sketchy but to stick with it. She was right. We rode by trash, mattresses, and other odds and ends. At the end, she was correct, a really nice park.
We stopped at the park and got some great photos of the bikes and the arch.
While there, we needed to look at our maps to bypass the our current Route 66 map to get around the city quickly. We got on the loop and then I-44. At some point, our map will pick up the route and we can continue on. The only problem was a glitch in the map and we got off Route 66. We stopped for gas and regrouped. We were running out of time and wanted to be respectful to tonight's hosts and decided to hit the interstate to get there by 6:30. So technically, we were not on 66 but it was right next to us the entire time and we still were able to see ALL of the cool sites.
We got to the exit, got gas, and texted the hosts who met us at the gas station and took us to their house. The hosts, Scooter and Renee, are fantastic. We arrived and they showed us where to park. The invited us into their garage/entertainment room and had our PBR on ice. They had two other couples over as well and we started chatting. After the first beer, we decided to unpack, put our bikes in their shop, changed clothes, and headed back to the garage.
We were shown our accommodations. The entire basement! Our own bathroom. Our own bedroom. Fantastic. We went back to the garage and after an hour or so, got some dinner (they made goulash). It was great. We were having a great time laughing and telling stories. They asked if we only wanted to stay one night so we changed and are going to stay for two. I should be able to get laundry done.
We are so happy with this choice and will hopefully get a great nights sleep and enjoy another day of great company.
Total miles today? 312