Missouri Route 66 - Paris Springs

      Proprietor Gary Turner (top) can't wait for you to stop by, just so he can show off his restored Sinclair gas station in Paris Springs, Missouri, which he refers to as Gay Parita. When I first showed up in 2008, Gary was busy giving a tour of the grounds to a young couple from Spain, proudly pointing out the old pumps, the old cars, and all the antiques he had accumulating back in the station garage. I hooked up with them and tagged along with my camera. These adventurous Europeans were touring Route 66 on one black motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson, and playing along with open road Route 66 tradition, were dressed absolutely appropriately in black outfits and sunglasses. I leapfrogged from site to site with them and their hog for the rest of the day, and we even tried to have a conversation when we met up behind Eisler's store in Kansas. We didn't get very far with my high school Spanish and their English travel phrases, but they were a pleasure to meet nonetheless.

     The station at Paris Springs is where I had the opportunity to experience Route 66 from the other direction - that of a stay in one place proprietor rather than a constantly moving-on traveler. During a return visit in 2010, I sat in the shade on Gary Turner's little porch for about an hour with him and watched as he greeted the passersby. First to pull up were two old high school buddies about my age, who were driving 66 in a Corvette. It was something they had been planning to do since they were kids, and life had paused just long enough for both of them to fulfill their dream. A bit later, a retired couple from Canada wandered in, telling us how much they enjoyed exploring the U.S. in their retirement. This inspired a friendly discussion about the differences between Canadian and American cultures. I could really get to like this, I thought, as I sat back and relaxed with my new friends, all of us enjoying Gary's hospitality. But when two more cars pulled up to the curb a bit later, I realized there would be no time for me to meet the new arrivals, that I had more places to see down the road and had to get moving. I reluctantly packed up my camera and said my goodbyes, a little bit upset that I had to take my leave. The disappointment passed quickly, though, as I began exploring what was around the next bend.  Log Book: 553 miles motored on old 66.

Missouri Route 66 - Springfield

The Rest Haven's neon may draw the truckers, and Route 66 travelers seeking a completely authentic experience would probably want to spend the night there, but this baseball fan and over-eater always stays in the center of Springfield, Missouri. There is a Holiday Inn Express on St. Louis Street - one of the old 66 alignments through the city - in just the right spot, with Hammons Field, home of the Double A Springfield Cardinals, on one side, and an original Steak N Shake restaurant on the other. Back home, I have to drive to Queens on the crummiest roads in the nation to see a noisy Mets game, and you can't get a Steak N Shake burger in New Jersey unless you drive out of state for at least 600 miles. With the Cardinals in town and with plenty of Route 66 sites to explore, I could happily spend a week or two in Springfield. This would, however, require some explaining to family and friends back home as to why I would spend so much time in this little Midwestern city. But you guys understand. Log Book: 530 miles motored on old 66.

Missouri Route 66 - Wrink's Market

Just a local convenience store in Lebanon, Missouri, Wrink's Market was made memorable by owner Glenn Wrinkle, who opened the store in 1950 and turned it into a Route 66 fixture that lasted 55 years. From what I hear, he was one of those special small business owners on the old road that always had time for his customers, greeting travelers with his own tales of Route 66. This famous little 66 attraction closed in 2005, at the time of Mr. Wrinkle's passing. These photographs were made during my visit in 2008, when I had the privilege to talk to Terry Wrinkle (above), Glenn's son, who was trying to make a go of it himself and had reopened the store in 2007. Sadly, when I returned for a visit in 2010, it looked like the store had closed again.

Missouri Route 66 - Lebanon

     One of the most generic of road signs - just a very tall "MOTEL" - pales in comparison to the classic neon found closer to the lobby of the Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon, Missouri. The Munger Moss with its sign is such a famous 66 attraction that I waited around until dark during one of my visits, just for a photo with the lights of the sign turned on. The roots of this vintage Route 66 property date back to a BBQ joint in Devil's Elbow, Missouri, way back in the 1930's. (Yes, the same building that now houses the Elbow Inn Bar, seen pictured in a previous entry.) When business there dried up in the 1940's, thanks to a new alignment of Route 66 that bypassed their joint, the owners took the name with them and built a restaurant and motel in nearby Lebanon, where the motel is still going strong. Things are going so well they have a website and free Wi-Fi - things quite unimaginable during the heyday of the old road. Of course if you decide to stop there for the night, ask for the Route 66 Room!
     The city of Lebanon may just be too busy these days to notice Route 66 at all. It is the "aluminum boat capital of the world", with half a dozen manufacturers with plants in town. The Copeland Corporation, makers of air conditioning and refrigeration compressors, has production facilities there. The Durham Company's corporate headquarters is in Lebanon, where they also have a factory that makes meter sockets, whatever those are. I have to wonder if Lebanon is feeling the current recession much at all. 
     On the fun side, Lebanon has long been a stopping point for people visiting the Ozarks. Jack Rittenhouse counted 3 hotels and 4 tourists courts in 1946, and today, I count more than a dozen motels, an RV park, and a campground. Fishermen may fish for smallmouth bass in the nearby Niangua and Gasconade Rivers, and hunters may hunt whitetail deer in the many thousands of acres of national forest that surround Lebanon. Log Book: 473 miles motored on old 66. 

Missouri Route 66 - Munger Moss Motel

I waited around until it got darker, just to see the neon in action!

Missouri Route 66 - Devil's Elbow

     One approaches the town of Devil's Elbow in Missouri via Highway Z, on the cracked but still solid concrete remains of what once was old Route 66 (top). (Note from this photo that there is not much traffic in this part of Missouri, allowing a foolish photographer to set up his equipment right in the middle of the road.) Don't be fooled by the highway's rough condition, though, as this was actually a later (1940's)  alignment of 66. For the original route from the 1920's, make a left on Teardrop Road, and travel just far enough to park near the Elbow Inn Bar. (It may help here to have arrived by motorcycle.) Before heading inside for some elbow bending of your own, take a walk over the nearby Big Piney River on a steel truss bridge, which features its own crumbling concrete road bed from the 20's. You'll need to time your crossing over this narrow bridge to avoid oncoming traffic and a plunge into the river, but again, that's not difficult here. The heart of town, such as it is, is located on the other side of the river.

     The town of Devils's Elbow was named for a dangerous bend in the Big Piney River, and not for any local demons that may be lurking in the shadows along the highway. But the menacing name only adds to the old road's mystique in the area. Log Book: 433 miles motored on old 66.

Missouri Route 66 - Newburg

        Two classic Route 66 attractions only a short walk from each other in Newburg, Missouri. Built in the 1930's, Vernelle's Motel is still in business. First know as Gasser Tourist Court, it originally had cabins, a gas station and a souvenir shop. A restaurant was added later. The motel and classic sign are all that remain today, but that is quite enough to justify a visit. The modest, hand painted sign was just the right size to attract the leisurely Route 66 traveler of the 1940's and 50's, but for the interstate traffic that now whizzes past nearby, a much larger version had to be installed behind it. If you spend the night, bring your own phone, your own internet connection, even your own remote control - only an old TV is provided. This bit of marketing genius (or lack of funds) forces you to sit outside your room instead, where you can meet your neighbors. And I think they keep the old phone booth around just in case Superman stops by.

     As rustic as any accommodations get, even when they were newly built in the 1930's, Johns Modern Cabins are quickly deteriorating in a wooded area nearby. As close as they are to Vernelle's, the cabins still take a bit of searching to flush out, and you better hurry if you want to see them before the site is nothing but a woodpile. Originally known as Bill and Bessie's Place, the "complex" was renamed in the 1950's when sold to new owners from Chicago, John and Lillian Dausch. I'd like to know how the new owners explained to guests about the outhouse at back (that little white building, above), after they had just checked into Johns "Modern" Cabins. Log Book: 419 miles motored on old 66.   

Missori Route 66 - John's Modern Cabins

John's "Modern" Cabins. Hard to believe from this video that they are not all that far from the interstate.

Missouri Route 66 - Rolla

     Yes, Rolla, Missouri, is a happening place, and no, I have no idea how to correctly pronounce its name. (There are countless theories on that subject, mostly found in more scholarly Route 66 articles and guidebooks.) Rolla was and is a transportation center, with U.S. highways 63, 66 & 72 running through town for many years. I-44 was added to that mix later on, thanks to President Eisenhower and his new highway system. First the federal roads, and then the interstate, supported the many filling stations, motels, and restaurants that still line up waiting for customers on the western side of town. (Jack Rittenhouse reported that there was a Trav-L-Odge tourist court located in Rolla during his 1946 trip. I imagine Jack meticulously recorded that name on his yellow legal pad for the exact spelling.) Rolla has always been an ideal location in regards to old 66, positioned halfway between St. Louis and Springfield. As for the Railroads, the original terminus of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad was located in Rolla, and the BNSF Railway still runs through town. (The BNSF Railway was originally known as the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad, but they shortened that officially down to just the initials. Tell me folks, why shorten such a classic brand name?)

     Rolla is also a college town, with Missouri University of Science and Technology churning out graduates there since 1870. (The school was originally known as the Missouri School of Mines, and again, why make such a change? The old name sounds much more down to earth.) Royal Canin, the dog food people, have production facilities in Rolla, and Briggs and Stratton had a manufacturing plant in town from 1996 to 2007. Senator Clair McCaskill was born in Rolla, and former Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan lived and practiced law there.

     The traveling 66er can park the car and take a walking tour of downtown Rolla, or jump in and out of his conveyance while visiting the attractions located right on the two-lane. The Mule Trading Post (pics 1 & 2) is a fun stop, with a colorful curios shop located on a dead end portion of old 66. I spent so much time taking in the buildings and memorabilia around the shop that I don't remember if I actually went inside. The old Mobil Oil Pegasus sign can be found at Route 66 Motors, a place I can't really report on because even after half a dozen tries, I have never seen it open for business. Zeno's Motel and Steak House, in business since 1956, closed down just a few days ago. I hope someone saves that sign. Log Book: 410 miles motored on old 66.