Missouri Route 66 - Gray Summit

Gray Summit, a community of less than 3,000 Missourians, was actually founded by a New Yorker, Daniel Gray, who decided to build a hotel there in 1845. One hundred and sixty one years later, I found this wonderful old sign in Daniel's town, squeezed in between old Route 66 and Interstate 44. The Gardenway Motel, per the sign, is located nearby and is still in operation. As for the Diamonds Restaurant, one of the classic Route 66 landmarks that opened way back 1927, well, I just had no idea where to find it. According to my 66 sources and guides, it was or wasn't originally built in nearby Villa Ridge, was or wasn't moved to a spot near this sign in 1948 or 1967, burned to the ground at some point, turned magically one day into the Tri-County Truck Stop which may or may not have closed down since the transformation, or is located on the moon. At the time, I was just happy to get a great photo of the sign, got back in the car, and headed west. Getting in the car and heading west on Route 66 solves a lot of life's little problems. Log Book: 324 miles motored on old 66. 

Missouri Route 66 - Pacific

     The Red Cedar Inn is the main 66 attraction in Pacific, Missouri. It opened in 1934, with the original owners having the good sense to wait for the arrival of Route 66 in 1932, and, more importantly, the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. I'm sure good times were had by all in those early years, whether townsfolk or 66 traveler. The Inn stayed in operation as a restaurant until 1972, when the son of one of the original owners retired. It was reopened in 1987 by a grandson, but closed for good in 2005. It is now some kind of business center, but its listing in the National Register of Historic Places will keep the building available for future 66'ers. Also of interest is downtown Pacific, where many of its 19th century buildings have been restored.
     Roadside businesses sprang up in Pacific with the new highway in the 1930's, and contributed to the local economy until the interstate arrived. The recent Route 66 revival has brought some of that traffic back. Silica, used in making glassware and for other industrial proposes, has been mined in Pacific since the early 20th century. Route 66 runs right by the U.S. Silica plant, and the mining caves from the old days can be seen from the old road. The town has probably always had its share of St. Louis commuters, who commute today, no doubt, on the modern interstate. Log Book: 320 miles motored on old 66.

Missouri Route 66 - St. Louis

     Here's the plan for St. Louis: Walk across the Mississippi River on the Chain of Rocks Bridge (see previous entry), the original crossing for Route 66 which is now a pedestrian walkway and bike path. After a quick car ride downtown, ride to the top of the Gateway Arch in a little egg shaped pod, where you wonder if the oxygen inside the pod will run out before you arrive. Once up there, you can peer through tiny windows to the city below. (I happened to be visiting the Arch during a thunderstorm, inside the biggest lightning rod in the world!) A Cardinals game is a must see, at almost brand new Busch Stadium, as is the Old Courthouse, where parts of the Dred Scott case were held. 
     The most important stop can be made as you head out of town heading west, for custard (known locally with all due respect as "concrete") or a shake at Ted Drewes. Ask them to hold the cup upside down for you. Nothing will spill out, I assure you.