by Lisa Putnam

Created on: June 27, 2010   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

Route 66, otherwise known as “The Main Street of America”, is a 2,448 mile long stretch of road that extends from Illinois to California.  Built in 1926 but decommissioned in 1984, the road that connected the rural with the urban is still on the hearts and minds of people around the world.  For people wanting to experience a trip back in time, or down memory lane, there is no better way to experience the open road than the way it was meant to be; a road trip.  The length of the road combined with the fact that the name doesn’t appear on any modern maps and some portions are such disrepair that a four wheel drive is recommended make the idea of a day trip very appealing.  The following aren’t all the daytrips that are possible along “The Mother Road”, but are examples of what fun that can be had with a little planning.

Day Tripping Around St. Louis, MO

Begin your trip at the Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis, Missouri that used to be part of historic Route 66.  Built in 1929, the narrow bridge was open to traffic but now it serves pedestrians.  The unique 22 degree bend allowed riverboats to work with the current of the Mississippi River so that they make it under the bridge.  For more information go to http://www.theroadwanderer.net/66Illinois/chain.htm . 

If you enjoy wine, make a quick stop at the Blumenhof Vinyards and Winery located in Dutzow, Missouri’s oldest German settlement.  Their website is at http://www.blumenhof.com/ .  The nearby Museum of Transportation in St. Louis features 300 rare models of transportation like the only surviving Milwaukee Road Class EP-2 Bi-Polar Electric locomotive as well as a portion of St. Louis’ classic Route 66 Coral Court Motel. To learn more go to their website at http://transportmuseumassociation.org/. 

Next, stretch your legs out at the 419-acre Route 66 State park in Eureka where you can wander through historical buildings such as the 1935 Bridgeport Inn, Route 66 memorabilia, and participate in bird watching.  http://mostateparks.com/route66.htm .  On your way to the Meramec Caverns, take a look into the Jesse James Museum roadside attraction where supposed friend of the old outlaw, Rudy Turilli, collected evidence that he actually died in 1951 of old age.  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2141. 

Spend an hour or two at the Meramec Caverns near Stanton that was a huge Route 66 attraction

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