Days 9 & 10 Route 66 in St. Louis

Our Adventure Caravans Route 66 guided RV tour has been such fun, thus far, and our days are filled with such a variety of activities.  Our days in St. Louis were no exception.  

Sandy is happy to board our motor coach bus for a full day of exploration of the city that is the Gateway to the West.  

The Museum of Transportation was an outstanding museum that featured many modes of transportation.  We spent much of our time with our knowledgeable guide, Stan, who spoke about the trains that he loves so much.  We also enjoyed a ride on a train, and the cars that we might have seen on Route 66 in its heyday.  

This 1939 GM engine proved the efficiency of diesel power
over the previously dominant steam engine power. 

Proof that you don't have to be a child to love trains!

True to its roots on Route 66, the Museum of Transportation had lots of cool cars, including Bobby Darin's 1960 DiDia 150.  This car is so cool that the headlights and tail lights are hidden and swivel as the car turns.  Darin bought the car in 1961 at a cost of $150,000.  

The Coral Court Motel was a 1941 Route 66 Missouri motel that offered a special service:  a garage for cars.  All part of its No Tell Motel privacy policy!  This 1965 corvette convertible, though, is ready to be seen!  Corvettes were built in St. Louis from 1954 - 1981.    

After a wonderful morning at the Museum of Transportation, our motor coach drove us to downtown St. Louis for lunch and some exploring.  

St. Louis native, Chuck Berry, was right there on Delmar Blvd to greet us!  The 8 foot tall bronze statue features Berry, frozen in a semi-duck-walk, circa 1955, playing his big electric-acoustic guitar.  Just across the street is Berry's nightclub, Blueberry Hill --- a great place to see the memorabilia of Rock 'n Roll and stars past and present, but, in our experience, not such a great place to eat.  

But, just across Delmar Blvd., some of our group found a great BBQ lunch experience at Salt and Smoke!   After lunch, a walk down Delmar Blvd. led us to the St. Louis Walk of Fame with sidewalk stars for such greats as Chuck Berry, Maya Angelou, Tina Turner, Redd Fox, John Goodman, Josephine Baker and many more!  All inductees into this Walk of Fame were either born in the greater St. Louis area or spent their formative or creative years in St. Louis. 

In our downtown visit, we learned of the role of St. Louis in the years preceding the Civil War.  Today the Old Courthouse remains one of the most prominent architectural landmarks in the city but in 1847 and 1850 it was the site of the first two trials of the pivotal Dred Scott case  in which Scott and his wife Harriet were granted their freedom. After many appeals, the United States Supreme Court determined that slaves were, in fact, property and had no right to sue.  These decisions plunged the nation into Civil War, even as slaves were being auctioned in estate sales from the Old Courthouse steps. 

Today the Old Courthouse is where one goes to purchase tickets for The Arch, while it is undergoing renovation. 

View of the Arch from the Old Courthouse steps 

Since our tour focusses on Route 66, our motor coach drove the historic Route 66 through St. Louis.  Though we had driven much of it in our RVs, this time we could really appreciate the neighborhoods through which we traveled.  We made one stop to a Route 66 icon ---- Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, a family owned business started in 1929 and still very popular today! 

No unhappy travelers here!  

As we ended this day in St. Louis with great food, we began our next day with a staff-prepared breakfast of sausage biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, and fruit.  

The Harvey's gifted us with some of the famous Route 66 
donuts.  Thank you!  

After a travel brief to prepare us for our next day's drive, we headed over to Route 66 State Park where we found a great little museum and gift shop.  Terry found a great tri-fold laminated map of Route 66 that will give us all "the big picture" as we drive the Mother Road day by day.  

After a visit to the state park, the rest of the day was a free day….to explore more of St. Louis on our own.

While some of us used the afternoon to catch up on rest or laundry, MO, our caravan monkey mascot did some exploring with his "parents".  Pictures to follow:  

Mo loved going all the way to the top of the Arch in St. Louis!  

And here Mo is sipping some brewskies at the Budweiser plant …wait a minute!
Just how old ARE you, Mo, and what were your "parents" thinking?!

Mo prays…for forgiveness?  for the wisdom of his "parents"?  Only God knows.
Mo loved St. Louis, and is ready to get more kicks on Route 66 --- tomorrow -- Cuba, MO!