Joplin, MO to El Reno, OK

Oscar's full 13 pounds bounced up and down on me this morning as he said "Hey Pete . . . wake up sleepyhead . . . it's time to hit the Mother Road. It's gonna be another great day!"

The Eggs rallied and off we went, westbound on Route 66 entering Kansas. In Galena, we discovered 'Mater, from the animated movie CARS hanging out at the Kan-O-Tex gas station.

CARS is one of Oscar's favorite movies and 'Mater was his favorite character. He was thrilled to meet him in person.

Sometimes, you must be very observant to find the road signs for the Mother Road.

And then there are times you just can't miss it. :)

West of Riverton, the Eggs rolled across the Rainbow Bridge, the only remaining bridge of its type to grace Route 66.

While Kansas was the home of Dorothy and her dog Toto, Oklahoma was the boyhood home of Micky Mantle. His home is found in Commerce. You can almost sense he and his dad out on the lawn practicing hitting balls over the house.

Chris was inspired so much he thought he'd take his turn at bat. Great form, Chris!

Coming into Miami we found Waylan's Hamburger . . . home of the KU KU bird which appears to be popping out of the building like a giant coo-coo-clock.


During the hey days of the "Roaring 20's", a theater was conceived in Miami, OK. The exterior of the Coleman theater is Spanish mission style. Inside we found is a classic showpiece of theatrical splendor . . .

Gloria and Rich sat front row, center taking in the ambiance.

This Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ put out a magical sound for our enjoyment. WOW!

For lunch, we dined at Clanton's Cafe, in Vinita, OK. Jim Sharp, a member on the Casita Club Forum met us all for lunch as we dined on chicken fried chicken sandwiches, chicken fried steak, and other delicious delights.

Jim got us a very special hors d'oervre to commemorate the occasion . . . calf-fries, aka bull oysters . . . Jim said they were simply "battered and fried souvenirs of a radical bovine vasectomy." I told Oscar about these yummy morsels when we got on the road again. All he could say (after some gagging sounds) was "Ewwwwww!" If you pass these parts around Mid-September, be sure to stop in at the Worlds Largest Calf-Fry Festival and have you some. :)

Just 4 miles east of Foyil, on HWY 28A, is the worlds largest totem pole. A colorful display of folk art, it rises to the sky claiming its dominance over the totem pole world.

Oscar was impressed.

Next, we all circled the wagons to take in The Blue Whale in Catoosa.

Oscar asked me how the whale got there. I told him it likely swam in . . . after all, Catoosa is one of the largest, most inland river-ports in the United States.

Mathew went to check it out up close and when he returns home he can tell all his friends "It was THIS big."

To be continued . . .

Stanton, MO to Joplin, MO

Early morning in Stanton, MO . . . folks having their morning coffee and preparing for the day's exploring of Route 66.


We gathered for a photo op . . . conveniently located at a church where we might get a bit of "overhead" guidance and protection for the trip. :)

Going down the road, Oscar grabbed the camera and took a shot of the bow of our kayak and a unique water tower in a small town. He said "Hey Pete, those folks are real serious about their drinking. Look at the size of that whiskey barrel!" (Click on the picture to see what the silly dog was talking about)

No need for passports as we drove through Cuba. They have numerous wonderful murals painted on the sides of buildings. Here's a sampling . . .




The "Worlds Largest Rocking Chair" can be found at the Route 66 outpost in Fanning, MO.

Speaking of large, Oscar grabbed the camera again and snapped a photo of a giant bowling pin next to a sign that read "Adult Superstore". He asked me if that was an ad for some giant bowling lanes and I quickly changed the subject on him. (He's only six and wouldn't understand)

Lunch at the Bell Restaurant, in Lebanon, was made memorable by monster double cheeseburgers and spaghetti casserole surprise, both served with copious amounts of french fries. Not for the fainthearted!

Gary Turner, a veritable fountain of information and hospitality mans the Sinclair Gas Station in Paris Springs. His congeniality is hard to beat, as are the Route 66 cherry soda soda pops he hands out free . . . "made with pure cane sugar". Nice, nice man . . .


Down the road a bit and just a little north of Carthage, MO is the one of a kind city of Red Oak. A city from the past, transplanted into a cornfield and brought back to life - simply amazing.
Here are a couple of the buildings from Red Oak. The school house . . .

and a farmhouse / barn combination.

After viewing all of these wonders today, Oscar & I felt a bit just plain-done-wore-out and a bit rusty, so we hopped in our vehicle and left for the campground.

To be continued . . .

Rt 66 Springfiedl, IL - Stanton, MO

It may not be the famed "Yellow Brick Road", but this nostalgic red bricked portion of Route 66 in Auburn, IL helped set the mood for a great day of exploring the Mother Road.

In Carlinville, Macoupin County has some unique architectural marvels that give the flavor of the times back in the 1800's around these parts. First is the 1869 jailhouse made with canon balls cemented within the stone walls to inhibit jailbreaks. :=O

Then there's the "Million Dollar Courthouse" that cost more than that to build it in 1870! A huge scandal ensued which is talked about to this day . . .

Did you know that at one time you could order a house through the Sears Roebuck catalog? We took a "windshield tour" through a neighborhood of these homes which were brought in by Standard Oil Company for its Carlinville mine workers.

In Benld, IL we found one of Al Capone's hangouts. The Colisum Ball Room was a dance hall that hosted many of the nations the greatest entertainers for over fifty years. Jazz greats and rock and roll favorites were regulars. Another "regular" was the moonshine still in the basement that produced something to lift the spirits of the dancers upstairs during prohibition . . . that is until "The Revenuers" put a stop to it.
Speaking about prohibition, these folks are dead set against smoking!

Down the road a piece you come to the Luna Cafe in Granite City, IL - another hangout for Mr. Capone. Locals light the lamp early at this speakeasy.


Renown for its humongous tacos, we just couldn't help ourselves. "A round of TACOS, please!"
Lane's grandson, Mathew, had never faced such a gastronomical challenge and was cautious on how to proceed . . .

Gloria said "No problem Mathew, ya just grab it with both hands and attack!"

Spanning the Mississippi River is the Chain of Rocks Bridge. There is a sharp bend in the middle because Illinois started its span without confirming there was bedrock on the Missouri side at the intended point of landing. OOPS

Sam & Lane
Me & Lane

Sam & Gloria manned the old firetruck in the event of any mid-bridge emergency.

To be continued . . .

RT 66 - Springfield, IL

Springfield. IL has a lot to offer the Route 66 traveler and American History buffs. I told Oscar I was going with Lane & Mathew to eat a Cozy Dog and he gave me a rude look and a "Harumpf!" before going to hide in his cave under the bed.

Inside, they have all the iconic Cozy Dog things to pose next to, like Lane and Mathew here.

And a pose for me.

I overheard a customer ask the cashier if a Cozy Dog wasn't simply a corn dog on a stick. The cashier's eyes got big and he exclaimed "Oh, no . . . they're MUCH better." well, here's a look at my freshly battered and deep fried Cozy Dog, dipped in a bit of mustard getting ready to sacrifice itself for a test of that statement. Ya know . . . that cashier sure knew what he was talkin' about. YUMMER!

Springfield is home to the Gemini Giant's cousin, the Lauterbach Giant. This guy sports an Abe Lincoln beard and has stayed closer to his roots - he's still in the automotive business.

Speaking of Abe, here he is in his museum, sitting by his old log cabin, wondering what the future would bring.

Do you think he had any idea his family would live in the White House, much less during a civil war? His museum is great and should be visited by anyone who passes by these parts. It contains numerous items personally used by or penned by the great man himself. There's even one of his stove-top hats where you can see spots worn down by his fingers from always tipping his hat to others.

Isabella, the Italian Greyhound has been watching Oscar's blog for a while. She even sent Oscar get well wishes last year when he was feeling under the weather. She figured out he was nearby and asked 'her people" (Pamela & Bill) to take her to meet Oscar. So they Did! Here are Oscar's new best friends, Isabella the Italian Greyhound and her people, Pamela and Bill. We had a great time over dinner, talking about camping in little trailers. Isabella even gave Oscar a baggie of her favorite treats. What a great dog she is!

RT 66 - Dwight to Springfield

We gathered at Kankakee, IL for our "Little Plastic Trailers on Route 66" trip yesterday and started out to explore The Mother Road.

In Dwight, IL we found the Ambler Texaco gas station which was the longest continuously serving fuel stop along The Mother Road, serving up go-juice to customers for 66 years straight!

The Odell Station is nicely restored, with a gift shop where we all bought Route 66 stickers for our trailers. I can't believe I put a decal on the trailer . . . Oscar looked at me and said "What the heck Pete, snap out of it! Its Route 66!" (Wise little dog)

Near lunch time we couldn't resist dining at The Old Log Cabin restaurant in Pontiac, IL. It was constructed from cedar telephone poles in 1926.

After a good meal, we continued on down the road in search of new sights (and smells, reminded Oscar)