Getting Our Kicks on Route 66 (Day 2 - St. Louis to Joplin)

Late last summer, Alan and I spent 22 nights on the road in a dedicated effort to travel Historic Route 66 from start to finish, Chicago to Santa Monica.  Eight states, three time zones and 2,448 miles.  In my last post, I mentioned that 2026 marked the Centennial anniversary for Historic Route 66.  Shortly after I published that post, I learned that the City Council in Chicago arbitrarily decided to change the start of Route 66 to Navy Pier.  The city is spinning the move as “a ceremonial tourism-minded gesture that ties directly into the Centennial calendar.”  Personally, I believe it was a timely move to direct tourist traffic away from the history of Route 66 and to an area of the city where visitors are more likely to spend their vacation dollars.  Am I being cynical?  Yes, indeed.  A new “Begin Route 66” sign will be posted at Navy Pier, and it’s scheduled to be dedicated on March 25^th.  The removal of the old sign represents one more tangible piece of history that will be lost along the Mother Road.

The very first scavenger hunt item on our list for Day 2 was the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge which crosses the Mississippi River and connects Illinois and Missouri.  The old bridge is just south of Interstate 270 which is known as the New Chain of Rocks Bridge.  The old bridge was named for the rocky shoals found at this location on the Mississippi.  The shoals made navigation for mariners difficult; had the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge been built in a straight line across the river, the bridge itself would have made traversing the shoals even more difficult.  So, the old bridge is not a straight span across the water - it has a highly unusual turn in it.  One source reported the turn as 22 degrees; the National Park Service reports the turn as 30 degrees.  The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge both fascinates and horrifies me, and I was determined to get a photo of it - even if we had to drive back and forth across I-270 to get a long-distance shot from the window of the car.

The bridge fascinates me due to both its name and the unusual turn built into its span.  It horrifies me due to the rapes and murders of two sisters that occurred on the bridge back in 1991.  After the bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in 1968, gang activity and vandalism became frequent, making the bridge unsafe for visitors.  Differing opinions exist today as to whether the Illinois access point or the Missouri access point is the safer option.  Truthfully, I can’t tell you which side is the better option or even if the bridge is safe at all.  I can tell you that Alan and I decided to visit the bridge from the Illinois side, and we approached the stop with caution in mind.  We knew we would find a large dirt parking lot on the Illinois end of the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, and we decided to wait until we arrived to decide whether or not we would walk on the bridge.  If we felt the area was sketchy, we planned to make a run to the bridge, snap a couple of quick photos, and skedaddle out of there as quickly as we could.  As it turned out, there were quite a few cars in the parking lot.  And, as we looked toward the bridge, we could see a number of people enjoying their early morning stroll.  Armed with a How Bad Can It Be? attitude, Alan and I set off.  The fact that Alan is 6 feet tall and over 200 pounds gave me courage.  I figured if we had any trouble, I was small enough to duck between a perpetrator’s legs and make a run for it while my hero beat off the offenders.  Just kidding.  I can assure you that we were being very careful about our safety, making it a point to be consciously aware of who was around us and remaining alert for any signs of trouble.  I’m pretty sure we had our bear spray with us, as well.  We ended up with plenty of company on the bridge – older couples, young families, walkers, bicyclists – and everyone seemed to be enjoying the views of the Mississippi River from the bridge, as well as the span’s architecture.  The old bridge is just about a mile long.  With a long list of scavenger hunt items, Alan and I decided to walk only as far as the turn in the bridge.  (I really wanted to see that.)  I think we were still on the bridge when we agreed that our visit to the historic Old Chain of Rocks Bridge was a highlight of the trip, and we were delighted to walk the same pavement that carried Route 66 travelers across the Mississippi River for more than three decades.  Gotta say, whether that turn in the bridge is 22 degrees or 30, it’s tight.  It must have been a wee bit tricky to make if you met traffic coming from the other direction.

In my previous post, I mentioned having two special experiences on Day 2 of our Route 66 trip.  Enjoying a relaxing stroll across the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge was definitely one of them.  The other turned out to be our visit to Union Station in St. Louis.  With a population of about 300,000 people, St. Louis is a fairly large city.  We expected to be dealing with a lot of traffic, and had resigned ourselves to the possibility of having to settle for a “drive-by shooting” for a photo of Union Station.  Imagine our surprise when we spotted at least a dozen open metered parking spaces directly across the street from the station.  Not only would we be able to avoid a drive-by shooting, but Alan suggested that we actually go in to check out the station and its architecture.  I'm SO happy we did because Union Station is AMAZING!  When it opened in 1894, it was the largest and busiest terminal in the world.  As one of the “Harvey Houses” owned by Fred Harvey, it became famous for its hospitality – thanks, in no small part, to the “Harvey Girls” who welcomed guests and provided exceptional service to track-side diners.  I don’t how long we wandered in awe through the huge station, but wander we did.  And we enjoyed every minute of our visit.  The hotel lobby was gorgeous, and the architecture was incredibly impressive.  Of utmost intrigue, was the Whispering Arch, located near the north entrance of the station.  The curve of this arch – part of the original architecture – directs sound in such a way that a person who faces the wall at one end of the arch and whispers can be heard quite distinctly by another person on the opposite wall, nearly 40 feet away.  Did we try it?  Why, yes, we did.  Does it work?  You bet it does.  After we determined that the Station Grille, the hotel’s restaurant, was still serving breakfast, Alan and I decided to experience a meal in this historic station, just like travelers of old.  There were, of course, no Harvey Girls to be found, but the breakfast buffet was absolutely scrumptious, and the service was top notch.  What started with a fear of having to settle for a quick photo of Union Station from the car window ended up being a happily memorable experience!

DAY 2 Scavenger Hunt Highlights: 

Old Chain of Rocks Bridge - Granite City, IL

Tight turn on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge

Old Chain of Rocks Bridge viewed from the Choteau Island Fishing Area

Union Station - St. Louis, MO

Union Station - Hotel Entrance

Union Station - Hotel Lobby

Union Station - Station Grille Restaurant

Fox Theatre - St. Louis, MO

That architecture!!!

Wagon Wheel Motel - Cuba, MO               

Wagon Wheel Motel - Office

World's Largest Rocking Chair on Route 66 - Fanning, MO

Munger Moss Motel - Lebanon, MO

Gillioz Theatre - Springfield, MO

Steak 'n Shake - Springfield, MO

I love these old neon signs!

Boots Motel - Carthage, MO

Boots Motel - a gorgeous renovation!

Bonnie & Clyde's Garage Apartment - Joplin, MO

Bonnie & Clyde - sign outside garage apartment

Random Comments, Observations and Bits of Info

Before I actually got into planning this trip, I was expecting our scavenger hunt to consist mainly of old motels, gas stations and restaurants.  The number of lovingly restored theaters and the stately old train stations to be found along Route 66 were unexpected, but impressive, surprises.  Whether you’re a fan of architecture, history or ambience, these majestic buildings spoke volumes.

Regarding the restaurants along Route 66 . . . We were hoping to enjoy meals at more restaurants than we managed to squeeze in.  As much as I love my food, there’s just so much you can eat, and there are plenty of fan favorites along Route 66 to choose from.  We did the best we could, but (sadly) we passed up a lot of good eats along the way.

There were plenty of vintage neon signs on our scavenger hunt, and we located a number of the legendary ones.  Because we traveled Route 66 in late summer of last year, we really weren’t out on the road after dark.  We caught a few classic neon signs at dusk, but it would have been SO much more impressive to see them at night when they were truly aglow.

When the Fox Theatre in St. Louis opened in 1929, it was the second largest theater in the country and the first one in the United States to be built with full “talkie” equipment.  Imagine enjoying a movie industry milestone in such a gorgeous theater!

Alan, Kyra and I had stopped at the Wagon Wheel Motel back in 2017 when we were crossing the country on our West Coast National Parks trip.  But this lovingly restored motor court was so charming that Alan and I wanted to include a return visit on this special Route 66 trip.  The Wagon Wheel’s office and the small “cottages” that surround it were built with Ozark stone – and I’m a sucker for a stone house.  We only stayed long enough to snap a few photos, but the Wagon Wheel was a “must see again” for us, and we were happy we stopped.

The “World’s Largest Rocking Chair on Route 66” (at 42’ high) used to be the “World’s Largest Rocking Chair” - until a larger rocking chair (at 56.5’ high) was built in Illinois in 2016.  This rocking chair is made of steel pipe, and the rockers are welded on the bottom so the chair can’t rock and tip over on anyone.  (Yikes!  Imagine THAT!)

Thanks to the efforts of the Neon Heritage Preservation Committee, the Route 66 Association of Missouri, and the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, the neon sign at the Munger Moss Motel – rumored to be one of the most impressive neon signs on Route 66 – was restored to its former glory.

The Gillioz Theatre opened in 1926, fell into disrepair during the 1970’s, and closed its doors in 1980.  BUT, a group of locals in Springfield formed the Springfield Landmarks Preservation Trust, restored the Gillioz to its former glory, and reopened it in 2016.  Throughout our Route 66 journey, we learned of many individuals and small groups of dedicated preservationists that have been responsible for documenting the history of Route 66 and keeping its memory alive.  Honestly, it’s heartwarming to see what any number of willing owners and dedicated volunteers can accomplish.

The original Route 66 Steak ‘n Shake opened in 1934 in Normal, IL, but it’s gone now.  The Steak ‘n Shake we visited in Springfield contains many of its original features (neon signs, porcelain exterior, counter, floor tiles and curb service) and has become a favorite of Route 66 travelers.

The Boots Motel was built in 1939 with a radio in every room, tile showers and a furnace with a private thermostat – quite advanced for its time.  This is another property that has been lovingly renovated by individuals intent on preserving the iconic attractions of Historic Route 66 – and an absolutely beautiful job they did!

Our last stop on Day 2 was the most difficult to find.   According to our Moon Route 66 Road Trip guide, the garage apartment in which Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow lived while they were in Joplin was on 34^th Street between Joplin Avenue and Oak Ridge Drive.  It was described as a square, sand-colored building with two garage doors in front.  Alan and I just couldn’t seem to find it, so we checked Google.  For those of you who believe that the Google gods know everything, I’m here to tell you that they don’t.  Google lists the address of Bonnie & Clyde’s garage apartment as 3347 Oak Ridge Drive in Joplin, Missouri.  The garage apartment actually is on 34^th Street.  Maybe the house that the garage is associated with is on Oak Ridge Drive, but the garage apartment is definitely on 34^th Street.  In fact, it’s located at 299 West 34^th Street, and I wrote that in our guide book so we wouldn’t run into this trouble again on any future Route 66 trips.  In case you’re unable to read the sign in the photo above . . . “Clyde Barrow, Bonnie Parker, Buck and Blanche Barrow and W.D. Jones rented this apartment and holed up here for thirteen days.  On April 13, 1933, law officers from the Joplin Police Department and from Newton County, seeking suspected bootleggers, approached the dwelling.  The outlaws opened fire on them killing Joplin detective Harry McGinnis and Newton County constable J.W. Harryman.  The Barrow gang escaped, leaving behind a roll of Kodak film that yielded the first publicly seen photographs of the infamous gang.”  Just over one year later, on May 23, 1934, Bonnie and Clyde were killed by law enforcement officers in an ambush near Sailes, Bienville Parish, Louisiana.  Their deaths ended one of the most extensive manhunts our nation had seen up until that time.  This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May of 2009.  I must say, the attractions along Route 66 are quite, uh, eclectic.

And so ended Day 2 of our Route 66 journey.  I can’t tell you how many service stations, motels, restaurants and museums listed in the guide book that we passed up.  You could literally spend weeks on this journey, and I wonder if, even then, you’d be able to see it all.  Alan and I stayed overnight in Joplin, Missouri, not far from the Kansas border.  Day 3 would find us navigating the short stretch of Route 66 that crosses the southeast corner of Kansas and spending most of our day in Oklahoma.  For fans of the Pixar movie “Cars,” our stop in Galena, Kansas, would be a memorable one.