So I can’t figure out how to add pages for pictures and travel stories, so I guess I will just put everything here! (Path of least resistance)

Preparation: We did our research, checked out the library books, created a spreadsheet and now we feel like we are ready to roll! Only 1 week till we fly to LAX, get our rental car (hoping to get a flashy convertible to travel like Thelma and Louise) and head out to Santa Monica Pier to officially start this adventure!

Day 1                Santa Monica Pier to San Bernadino, CA (Wigwam Motel) 1 hr 21 min 76 miles

Day 2                San Bernardino, CA to Seligman, AZ 5 hr 347 miles

Day 3                 Seligman, AZ to Holbrook, AZ 2 hr 27 min 166 miles

Day 4                 Holbrook, AZ to Albuquerque, NM 3 hr 23 min 233 miles

Day 5                 Albuquerque, NM to Amarillo, TX 4 hr 10 min 288 miles

Day 6                 Amarillo, TX to OKC, OK 3 hr 46 min 258 miles       

Day 7                 OKC, OK to Springfield, MO 4 hr 15 min 285 miles

Day 8                 Springfield, MO to St. Louis, MO 3 hr 21 min 218 miles

Day 9                 St. Louis, MO to Springfield, IL* 1 hr 33 min 98 miles

Day 10              Springfield, IL* to Chicago 3 hr 8 min 201 miles

*We may drive straight from St. Louis, MO to Chicago (skipping Springfield, IL) 4 hr 28 min 297 miles since we both have been to Springfield IL on many class trips in our youth!

Friday, April 24, 2026 – Travel Day, Beginning of the Adventure – “California or Bust”

Becky is already on the plane, and I have just boarded my plane. We will meet in LAX and begin the adventure. Interestingly, it is United’s 100-year anniversary as marked by the dinosaur’s attire at O’Hare! Route 66 100-year anniversary too! Symmetry!

We made it to Los Angeles, landing about 10 minutes apart. Hit the starting point at Santa Monica Pier. Every sign says “end of the trail” yet we are just beginning our adventure. The ocean is beautiful and the beach is calling us, but we have to move on to our next stop so we can check into the Teepee motel.

Before leaving the pier, we had to stop for a cold one on the pier and enjoy the warm sunshine and the sounds of the waves crashing on the beach. We only had 65 miles to drive for our first night’s accommodations, but it took us 3 hours! We decided that the reason the LA traffic is so bad is because there are so many cheaters. We were in the HOV lane and people with only 1 person in the car were driving in the HOV lane! Becky wanted to make a citizen’s arrest, but I squashed her “Barney Fife” idea, since we were nowhere near Mayberry. Don’t get me started on motorcycles, they zoom in between cars going 70 mph and fearless and they zoomed in and out of the HOV lane. Oh, my stars, is there no order here? Rules people!

LA traffic is unbearable, but we finally made it to our Wigwam Teepee motel in San Bernardino (site of the Cozy Cone Motel in the Cars movie), an icon of Route 66. Number 19 is our Teepee and actually quite comfy. My brother, Don (the king of Dome homes) would be very interested in the Teepees. You might be thinking we are staying in a buffalo hid made Teepee, but rather they are concrete structures shaped into a Teepee – not quite your traditional geodesic building. I might add that they charged $.025 for ice! We couldn’t get our convertible at the rental car center (thanks to the crowds of Coachella) but then look what Becky found!

Fun Facts and useless information: Route 66 covers 314 miles in the state of California. The first McDonalds opened in the 1940s and was located in San Bernardino so California has the reputation as the birthplace of fast food – yet Californians are so health conscious – go figure!

Saturday, April 25, 2026 – Day 2 Watch out Route 66, Becky has a map!

Got an early start, up at 5am (time change). Becky made us coffee with Baileys as we checked out of the Wigwam motel, bye bye Samir (clerk at the Wigwam motel). Drove through the San Bernardino national forest preserve with lots of fog and hairpin turns that gave Becky her first (OK, maybe 2nd) gray hair. Big Bear Lake was a great photo op stop. Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch is definitely one of Route 66’s most unique attractions, creating a “forest” of trees made from glass bottles and other various antiques. Absolutely something to see, but all the bottles were empty (no Mimosas this morning for us).

We actually drove 66 mph on Route 66 and had the road all to ourselves.

Peggy Sue’s Diner has been a Route 66 icon since 1954. Sitting in the shadow of the Calico Mountains near Barstow, it was built using railroad ties and mortar from the Union Pacific Rail yard. The diner started small, with just nine counter stools and three booths. We stopped at Peggy Sue’s, had Elvis tell our fortune, sat at the counter where I had Tina Turner’s tuna sandwich and Becky had Milton Berle’s poached eggs. Becky did not forewarn me about the guy in the bathroom at Peggy Sue’s Diner (maybe a Boy named Sue??) and I found her laughing at the counter where we enjoyed our meal while listening to 1950s music. Connie was our waitress and she has worked here for 37 years; she sang all the oldies while serving us.

We met 2 delightful workers at the gift shop, Brianna 1 and Brianna 2 (they started on the same day, and their birthdays are on the same day – coincidence??) who introduced us to the only jeweled hamburger in Yermo California. Back on the road and a quick stop at the Bagdad cafe another historical site along Route 66. Temperature starts to rise as we find ourselves crossing over the Mojave Desert. No camels or Midnight Oasis, but lots of sand and sagebrush. Great Route 66 signage (not always the case as we often found ourselves asking strangers if we were on Route 66) along the way.

We did a little shoe shopping, but no luck as the primo shoes were at the top and we had no ladder! It looked like there was a party so we had to join the festivities at the Red Dog Salon, a fun dive biker bar with live music. No day would be complete without a bite at the Road Kill Cafe. The taxidermy on the walls creates an odd, but memorable, atmosphere. The kids menu was a hoot! Stopping for the night at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel. We wanted to stay at the Red Garter Inn in Williams, which has served as a bar, brothel, opium den, bootlegging operation during prohibition and a gambling house, but so sad, they were booked full. But hold on to your hats, the oddest thing happened to us at the bar at the hotel. For the first time in my entire life, I met someone who did not like purple! I know, crazy! Her husband loved the color (and oh, was he a talker!) but kept his wife even though she did not like the color purple. You just meet the oddest folks!

Fun Facts and Useless Information: Route 66 covers 401 miles through Arizona. Arizona boasts the longest uninterrupted, drivable stretch of historic Route 66 (385 miles). Wild donkeys roam the streets of Oatman, leaving Main Street when their food source leaves (tourists who feed them). Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their honeymoon in 1939 at the Oatman Hotel.

Sunday – April 26, 2026 – Day 3 Never Knew Arizona Was Such a Big State with Big Oddities!

Brrr…..it was 44 degrees this morning. We are not prepared for this weather. Coffee to go and we head for the Meteor Crater near Flagstaff. It was amazing. Hard to believe that this meteor, weighing several thousand pounds, traveling 26,000 miles per hour for 50 thousand years (think Big Bang Theory) crashed into the Earth, creating this crater. The Crater is filling up as the wind blows in so much dust and debris that the crater will eventually fill up and flatten. The Crater measures 550 feet deep and almost a mile wide. It impacted with a force 150 times greater than the atomic bomb. We could not walk around the crater as the winds were blowing more than 40mph. We did get to stand outside the door and take pictures, praying we wouldn’t fall over the railing being pushed by this crazy wind!

NASA actually used the crater to test out the astronaut’s suits when they were preparing to walk the moon as the surface is somewhat similar to the moon’s surface. Legend has it that Neil Armstrong torn his space suit and they had to design modifications to avoid this problem in space. Love a man in uniform but couldn’t get his attention, nor the attention of the space alien, not for lack of trying!

Back on the road, heading to Winslow Arizona. OK, so you think you know the story. Well, listen to this…. Locals tell us that the inspiration for the song did not occur in Winslow, but rather Flagstaff. It seems Winslow was much more melodic than Flagstaff, so Jackson Browne used Winslow while Glenn Frye added the words, “It’s a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford, Slowin’ down to take a look at me”. But of course, we stood on the corner and sang the song as did so many others. Check out the building behind us, can you find the Eagle and the girl?

By then we were hungry and made a stop at the Relic Road Brewery and had Lavendar Lemon drops with purple sugar rims! Delicious!! Last minute stops before we leave Winslow. The first is the wood carving named “Trail of the Whispering Giants” by Peter “wolf” Toth. In all of the 50 states he carved these “totems” as a tribute to honor all Native Americans across the country. (Jan – in Idaho is in Idaho Falls and in Washington, it is in Vancourver). The second stop was the 9-11 memorial with 2 of the beams from the twin towers.

Last stop before heading to Gallup and our hotel is the Painted Desert and Petrified National Forest Preserve. Amazing colors and so much land as far as the eye can see. It was a 28-mile drive of incredible nature.

Checked into the El Rancho Motel/Hotel, which hosted Hollywood stars like John Wayne during Western film shoots in the area. We are on the 3rd floor, in the William Holden Room. For those unfamiliar with Mr. Holden, he was a major Hollywood star in the 1950’s with a love attraction to beautiful women like Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn which earned him the irritation of Humphrey Bogart resulting in a fist to cuff between the two men! It is a very old building and when you call for the elevator you are responsible for opening the door and closing the door – no automation! You are actually given a card with instructions on how to open, close and operate the elevator. It even tells you to close the doors upon your departure in consideration of the next rider. We were disappointed to learn that town closed up on Sundays, so we hung at the bar and shared a quesadilla for dinner. Becky can’t pass up the opportunity to play a bar or two of “Shout” on the piano, especially with John Wayne as the audience.

Monday, April 27,2026 – Day 4 Help From Heaven

Today is a tough day for me but what better way to get through the day than continuing on the Route 66 Adventure with Becky! We were sad to ride the elevator one more time before bidding ado to the El Rancho Hotel/Motel. With high recommendations from local folks, we made our way to Earl’s Cafe for a hearty breakfast and a cup of coffee (sans Baileys). Before we leave the bustling town of Gallup, New Mexico, we go on a quest to begin the self-guided Mural Tour in town. We get stumped at the first mural (can’t find it) so we just wander around. We finally get some direction but by then the winds and 46 degree temperatures have convinced us that we could just as easily see the murals from the comfort and warmth of our car.

Back on the highway, we come to our next stop – the Continental Divide. OK, we have all heard of it, but what exactly does it mean (am I the only one who was semi-clueless?). For those, like me who are clueless, it is mountainous boundary running from Alaska to South America where waters either flow to the Pacific or Atlantic on either side of the Continental Divide. Pretty cool.

A friend of mine (thank you Jackie) told me about the Today Show coming to Springfield Missouri to celebrate Route 66’s 100th anniversary. As luck would have it, they are coming to Springfield on the exact same day – it is an omen. We sent an email to the Today Show, telling them our story and offering to be part of their show in Springfield. Becky is feeling good about our chances, it won’t be our first time on television! We are already planning on stopping for a new outfit for the show and where to get a hair “Blow Out” to prepare for the appearance!

Heading to Albuquerque for our next step for a little shopping and refreshments. As a side note, while Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico, it is not the capital, Santa Fe is the capitol. As luck would have it, we got a parking space directly in front of the cool church in town (San Felipe De Neri), so we had to go in and explore. Of course, the entrance was through the gift shop. We met a very friendly and talkative church guide who hailed from Indiana. It took us a while to disengage from him, but as we made our way back and out through the gift shop, the first sign we saw was “Cold Beer” so we had to scurry to the roof top bar to enjoy a cold one.

Our final destination for the day was Santa Fe, New Mexico. Becky kept singing “Do you know the way to Santa Fe” so I had to correct her and tell her it was San Jose, not Sante Fe. We checked in to our hotel and took off to explore the city. The sun was shining and while a bit cool, it was a beautiful day. We enjoyed drinks on the Plaza and hit a few interesting shops along the way. Our hotel bartender recommended a great spot for happy hour drinks and apps – “Table for Two” which did not disappoint. A brisk walk back to the hotel for one more drink at the bar and our day has ended.

Fun Facts and Useless Information: Elvis used to drive his pink Cadillac along the New Mexico stretch of Route 66, frequently stopping on Nine Mile Hill to view the Albuquerque city lights. The Blue Hole of Santa Rosa is a natural, 80-foot deep artesian well with crystal-clear water, located just off Route 66, popular for scuba diving. In downtown Albuquerque, the original 1926 path (4th Street) intersects with the post-1937 path (Central Avenue), creating a “Route 66 and Route 66” corner. The state features the longest stretch of the original Route 66, with many historic landmarks. Since 1957, all new buildings in Santa Fe are required by city ordinance to adhere to the Spanish-Pueblo or Territorial style, banning sharp-edged, non-adobe structures in many areas.

Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – Day 5 Halfway Through Our Route 66 Trip

Fun Facts and Useless Information: Texas Route 66, spanning 178 miles in the Panhandle, holds unique distinction for housing the exact midpoint of the entire highway, the infamous Cadillac Ranch art installation, and the shortest, most desolate stretch of the route. Adrian, Texas, is home to the official midpoint of Route 66, marked by the Midpoint Cafe, which is 1,139 miles from Chicago and 1,139 miles from Los Angeles.

Woke up to blue skies and warming weather! On a search for the perfect croissant, so we headed to Sage, a local favorite. Yum, great croissants and coffee. Back on the road with our matching lavender suitcases. We pretty much have the road to ourselves from Santa Fe towards Texas. The landscape looks like polka dots (green against tan) but it is bushes that dot the distance as far as you can see. We have to make a stop at the Blue Hole. The Blue Hole of Santa Rosa, or simply the Blue Hole, is a circular, bell-shaped pool or small lake located along Route 66 east of Santa Rosa, New Mexico that is a tourist attraction and swimming venue, and one of the most popular dive destinations in the US for scuba diving and training. Needless to say with the water temperature at 62 degrees neither of us ventured into the water, but great pictures.

Having traveled all the miles thus far, we were excited to stop at the Midway Cafe – the official midway point on Route 66. Unfortunately, the cafe is closed on Monday and Tuesdays, but it is attached to a cute gas station right out of the movie Cars. We did find our way to Roosters Cafe down the road a piece where ice cold beers and local cowboys congregate.

We are in a rental car, and I have to say, I love watching Becky throw empty water bottles in the back seat of the car, kinda willy nilly! You go girl and let go!

Inquiring minds (aka, Natalie) want to know why Route 66 only covers the bottom 2/3rds of the country. Well inquiring minds (aka, Natalie), Route 66 only covers the bottom two-thirds of the U.S. because it was designed as the shortest, year-round, diagonal link between Chicago and the Pacific coast, avoiding the severe winter weather and mountain passes of the northern states. Its route was constructed to connect the industrial Midwest specifically to Los Angeles, cutting through the Southwest diagonally. I still like Becky’s explanation which is related to the trains that transported goods and people and Route 66 duplicated that route. We have seen tons of trains, in the middle of the plains in the distance, so that also makes sense!

Next stop, the Cadillac Ranch, located west of Amarillo, is a1974 public art installation which features 10 graffiti-covered Cadillacs buried nose-down in a field. They actually have a spray truck (like a food truck, only they sell cans of spray paint) allowing visitors to spray paint any of the cars. They are amazingly colorful. We did not get any spray paint, but it was tempting. Becky was tempted and looked over which car she could add her personal touch!

Finally made it to Amarillo (supposedly the “heart” of Texas). Headed to Crush, a local favorite where we met local folks who wanted to follow our blog and recommended a local martini bar, Butlers, where we headed next. After one more at the hotel bar, we called it a night! Still no word from NBC and the today show, so we are back on our own schedule.

Fun Facts and Useless Information: “Amarillo” is a Spanish word meaning yellow or golden, chosen in 1887 to reflect the yellow-colored soil, wildflowers, and creek banks in the region. “The Yellow Rose of Texas” is a hub of surprising history, from holding the title of “Helium Capital of the World” to hosting the only nuclear weapons disassembly facility in the US (“Bomb City”).We learned that while armadillos live in Amarillo, the names are only coincidental and not related. Amarillo is home to the only facility responsible for the final assembly and disassembly of nuclear weapons, which is why it is called the “Bomb City”. Palo Duro Canyon, the second largest in the US after the Grand Canyon, is just outside the city, spanning 120 miles long and 1,000 feet deep. The cars at the Cadillac Ranch are buried at the same angle as the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Wednesday April 29, 2026 – Day 6 Missed the Texas Storms and Headed to OKC

Another blue-sky day for our next adventure. Heading to the historic district to explore what Amarillo has to offer. Still no armadillo sightings but we are keeping our eyes open and hope our first encounter is not in the middle of the highway (road kill).

Before leaving Amarillo, we had to stop at the Texan Steakhouse which offers a free 72oz Steak if you can eat it in an hour. I bet Becky that she could do it and well, she chickened out at the end! Notice the wheelchair next to the sign – I guess that is for those who do eat 72oz of steak! We also had to make a stop at the infamous Buc-ees, just a crazy store/gas station!

After being on the road a couple of hours, felt like we needed to make another stop for refreshments. We chose Elk City and found the Prairie Fire Grill and Train Station. Very cool place set in an old train station. The kitchen was the ticket counter and the food was actually darn good and very reasonable. It took Becky a while to figure out which beer to order, but agreed to a Mexican light beer. Loved the sign on the bathroom door!

Finally made it to Tulsa, checking in to the Hyatt Regency downtown Tulsa. Long day, but lots to do and see here. Tomorrow will be filled with some pretty cool things we hope to do. Went to an Irish pub that boasts 400 kinds of beers. They rotate 20% of the beers every other week. The place has fun decor, but the most interesting thing is the mugs. Once you drink 300 beers (most folks do 3 each visit) you get a large mug that is unique to you. A designer works with you to create the picture or design on your mug and then it hangs in the bar till you come back and order a beer!

Fun Facts and Useless Information: Yukon, Oklahoma is the birthplace of Garth Brooks (we stopped there for gas, but no sighting). Cyrus Avery founded Route 66 to connect small cities to larger cities. He is known as the Father of the Mother Road. Oklahoma has the longest drivable stretch of the Mother Road in any state. Route 66 is also known as the Will Rodgers Highway in Oklahoma. During 1907, Oklahoma produced more oil than any other state in the United States and any other country in the world.

Thursday Day 7 – April 30, 2026, Happy 100th Anniversary Route 66!

Well, we never got the call, so the plan is to finish exploring Tulsa before we move on to Springfield Missouri. We are more of GMA (Good Morning America) fans than the Today Show, so perhaps GMA will pick us up! Left the hotel looking for a good breakfast place serving Mimosas. Found Bramble (loved the picture of Humpty Dumpty) and enjoyed a pitcher of Mimosas and a delicious breakfast.

Next stop a much more sobering stop at the Greenwood Massacre History Museum on Greenwood Avenue. From what we learned, after major discoveries of oil fields in the early 1900’s, Tulsa was filled with racial tension against the black advancement. Blacks had created a community known at Black Wall Street and were doing very well financially. Then, on May 30, 1921, a 19-year-old Black man and a 17-year-old white girl entered an elevator and during the ride they bumped into each other. The girl started screaming and the boy ran. With racial tensions high, white mobs attacked the neighborhood, destroying both lives and property. Insurance denied all the Black family’s claims. In 2021, reparations began to those families still alive in Tulsa.

Next stop, the Mayo hotel in downtown Tulsa. We tried to stay there, but they were booked solid. J Paul Getty is known to have lived in this hotel, and the roof top bar has the best views in town. The lobby is beautiful with high ceilings and ornate decorations. Loved the signs outside a local hot dog joint playing rock and roll music to entertain those walking past. Back to Route 66 leaving Oklahoma!

Back in the car and we changed the Waze voice to The Wizard of Oz, so that the entire way to Missouri, we got to hear Dorothy say, “Come with us to the Emerald City” or “Maybe the Wizard can help you” from the Tin Man! It made us laugh, but not as much as the road sign for “Uranus Fudge”, which is on our list for Friday. We were on a quest for the largest fork in the world (which comes with its own controversy). Supposedly, the fork in Oregon (weighs 2 tons) and Colorado (weighs 600 lbs.) are both taller but weighs less than the one in Missouri which weights 11 tons. Once that excitement was over, we had to stop for a cold one at Schultz & Dooley’s Pub were the locals told us the story of the Springfield Cashew Chicken, a popular and famous local dish. The place to enjoy this delicacy is Leong’s (ask for white meat and fried rice vs. white rice). As always, yet more to the story. It seems that there were 2 brothers, both claiming they invented this dish. When one brother died (the one most local folks did invent the recipe), the other brother took full credit for inventing this dish. As a side note, the chef at Leong’s made an appearance on the Today Show (rumor has it, it was between us and Leong’s Springfield Cashew Chicken and the Chicken won out). This entire story was confirmed by the bartender at our hotel, so it must be true!

Springfield Missouri was selected as the Official Host City of the Route 66 Centennial National Kick-off starting on April 30. 2026. Well as luck would have it, and totally a coincidence, we landed in Springfield Missouri on April 30., 2026 to join in on the festivities. The celebration will continue in all the cities along the route. Becky says, “Stick a fork in it, Springfield is done!”.

Fun Facts and Useless Information: Springfield Missouri is known as the “Birthplace of Route 66”. On April 30, 1926, Cyrus Avery and John Woodruff met at a hotel in Springfield to agree upon a name. They wanted 66 because it had a more of a “catchy” tone to it. The first quick-draw duel took place between Wild Bill Hickok and Davis Tutt. Brad Pitt is from Springfield Missouri. Technically, he was born in Oklahoma, but he grew up in Springfield, and he attended Kickapoo High School. His family still lives in Springfield, and his brother is the founder of Care To Learn, which aims to help children in poverty so they can focus and thrive in school. John Goodman is a Missouri State University alumnus and hosted the concert as part of the 100-year celebration. 34 states have a Springfield, but Missouri’s Springfield is the largest one.

Friday, May 1, 2026 – Day 8 Would have been 50 years for Ed and Diane (Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary)

As we start to wind down our trip and head towards Chicago, thought it might be good to share the theme song of Route 66 with you, made famous by the King Cole Trio. (If I was really techy, you could click here and the song would play, oh well!) It does really describe the amazing adventure for those who embark on this connection with our country. It is said that Route 66 is a metaphor of this thing we call life. So often in life we embrace the new and abandon the old, sometimes too quickly before it has passed the test of time.

If you ever plan to motor west
Travel my way, take the highway that’s the best
Get your kicks on Route 66

It winds from Chicago to L.A
More than two thousand miles all the way
Get your kicks on Route 66

Now you go through St. Louis
Joplin, Missouri
And Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty
You’ll see Amarillo
Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona
Don’t forget Winona
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino

Won’t you get hip to this timely tip
When you make that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66

Won’t you get hip to this timely tip
When you make that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66
Get your kicks on Route 66

Hard to say goodbye to Springfield MO and the festivities of the 100th year anniversary of the Mother Road, but the road is calling. Headed for our free breakfast (after all we are on a fixed income – one of my favorite lines – thanks Gayle!).

We are on a mission, heading out to Uranus Fudge. Yes, we are like little kids giggling about saying Uranus. A shout out to the friends we made at the bar last night – two attorneys, no, my mistake they were both Optometrists! Any way, we looked for you at Uranus Fudge and did not see you – you must have gotten an earlier start! Safe travels. Stopping at Uranus was an adventure, more stuff, more laughs and just more stuff to see. Every 30 seconds, the cashiers shout out “Welcome to Uranus” and they would all join in. It was like a party in a store. We did not buy the fudge; it was just too freaky.

Got to St. Louis and decided to stop at the Old Union Station which is now a hotel. Opened in 1894, St. Louis Union Station was once the world’s largest and busiest passenger rail terminal, acting as the primary gateway between the eastern and western U.S. It handled over 100,000 daily passengers at its peak before closing in 1978, later transforming into a National Historic Landmark, hotel, and entertainment complex. I tried to crack the safe while Becky admired the stain glass windows and architecture.

Checked into our hotel – The Hyatt Arch Downtown – great location right at the Arch and within walking distance of lots of activities. Headed straight to the Arch to ride up to the top. Engineering genius to transport pods of 5 people up to the top. Such a great view that we walked to a roof top bar overlooking the Cardinals baseball stadium and as luck would have it there was a game. The Cardinals won against the Dodgers, and we could watch the entire game from the roof top across the street. You could look straight down onto the field. Getting a little chilly but lots of Cardinal and Dodger Fans walking the street.

Fun Facts and Useless Information: St. Louis serves as a major hub for Route 66, being the largest city on the route between Chicago and Los Angeles, with a rich history of neon, road-side diners, and multiple historic alignments. The Luna Cafe, located near the Chain of Rocks Bridge, was a popular spot allegedly frequented by Al Capone. St. Louis, nicknamed the “Gateway to the West,” is a city of historic firsts and unique culture, featuring the 630-foot tall Gateway Arch, the invention of 7-Up, and the first U.S. kindergarten. St. Louis was the first U.S. city to host the modern Olympics (1904).  The Mayfair Hotel in St. Louis, was the first to leave a chocolate on the pillow, inspired by Cary Grant.

Saturday, May 2, 2026 – Day 9 Does it have to end?

The Luna Cafe is our first stop which is rumored to have been visited by Al Capone. Unfortunately, it was closed. We don’t really understand what Bobtail parking is, but we think it has something to do with big trucks and trailers. I will ask my brother Joe.

Then on to Collinsville, famous as the horseradish capital of the world producing 85% of the world’s supply as well as the world’s largest ketchup bottle, standing 170 feet tall built in 1949. It also holds the largest Italian festival in the Midwest. We stopped at Lottie’s (another local fav) for breakfast and met a very helpful waitress who gave us the skinny on fresh horseradish. Needless to say, we couldn’t find it – hard to believe that they produce 85% of the world’s horseradish and we couldn’t find any to take home. We did however, find the Hare Rabbit Ranch (not to be confused as the Cadillac Ranch, but a good substitute). Quite a selection of things to see include a line of cars positioned similar to the Cadillac Ranch.

We decided to skip Springfield Illinois since as school kids we took several trips to the state capitol and the Land of Lincoln. As we were so close, we decided to head to my home to spend the night and then take the train to Chicago on Sunday for the last days of our Route 66 Adventure. It was nice to have some down time to rest and relax from our non-stop traveling.

Sunday May 3, 2026 – Day 10 Sweet Home Chicago – Trains, Planes and Automobiles!

It was so nice to land in a quiet house, a comfy bed and familiar surroundings on Saturday night. We got up early and since Uber doesn’t like coming to the boonies on an early Sunday morning, we drove to the train station to finish the last leg of the trip – Sweet Home Chicago. The train ride was an adventure in and of itself with a few strange characters at the Elgin train station which included a snoring man on the bench, a kind short person gentleman who opened the door for us and a very loud and talkative pacing man who talked nonstop for 35 minutes about a party the night before. However, the best was a barely clad young woman dressed in lace and boots who decided to take selfie photos in the glass (where we were standing on the other side of). At first, we couldn’t figure why she was taking our picture but then realized she was doing suggestive poses, not for us, but for her selfies! The train ride was otherwise uneventful, and we caught an Uber to the hotel. The Uber driver had to have come in 2nd place at last years’ Chicago Nascar race, and he was out to prove his need for speed. He ran every stop light, passed every car and cut off every taxi on the way to the Drake. Even I white knuckled the arm rest! We were greeted by the hustle of Chicago, the tulips in bloom and the friendly Drake doorman.

We hit Navy Pier on our search for the Route 66 ending (or beginning) point and found it. Of course, decorum calls for a celebratory toast at the end of Navy Pier.

2448 miles, 8 states, and 3 time zones on the Mother Road. What an adventure!

And, what happens in Chicago, stays in Chicago!

The End.