Well, we’ve returned and recovered from this adventure.\u00a0 People keep asking what we like best on the trip.\u00a0 Well, there were so many things it is hard to decide, but after some thought,\u00a0below you will find those things we thought highly of or discovered on our trip to be really interesting.<\/p>\n
Top Ten Favorites<\/strong><\/p>\n 10. Lou Mitchell\u2019s Restaurant (Chicago, IL) \u2013 walked here from Grant Park and had milkshakes to start off the Route 66 experience.<\/p>\n 9. People we met \u2013 Geoff Ladd gave us a tour of an old restaurant (Lincoln, IL); Louise of Munger Moss Motel (Lebanon, MO); Gary and Leana of Gay Parita Restored Gas Station (Paris Junction, MO), a lifeguard who gave us a tour of a period building, now the bathhouse with a turret (Sayer, OK)<\/p>\n 8. Standing on the Corner in Winslow, AZ<\/p>\n 7. Painted Desert (Petrified Forest Nat\u2019l Park, AZ) and Mojave Desert (Amboy, CA) (we mentioned the hike to find 20 geocaches in about 113 degrees)<\/p>\n 6. Chain of Rocks Bridge crossing the Mississippi River (north of St Louis, MO) \u2013 we walked across since the bridge is closed to vehicular traffic<\/p>\n 5. Iconic wayside attractions: Totem Pole Park (Foyil, OK), sleeping in a tee-pee at the Wigwam Village (Holbrook, AZ); walldog billboard\/signs (Pontiac, IL); Cadillac Ranch (Amarillo, TX); Burma Shave signs (Towanda, IL & Seligman AZ); world\u2019s largest rocking chair (Fanning, MO); Midway Caf\u00e9 (Adrian, TX)<\/p>\n 4. Restored gas stations: Dwight, IL; Odell, IL; Spencer, MO; Baxter Springs, KS; Chandler, OK; Afton, OK; McLean, TX; Vega, TX and more<\/p>\n 3. Driving on the Sidewalk Highway (Miami, OK) (one lane wide to make the construction funds go farther; cars had to drive with two tires on the pavement and two on the unpaved shoulder)<\/p>\n 2. Seeing the real locations which inspired the movie \u2018Cars.\u2019 The town the interstate passed aka Radiator Springs (Seligman, AZ). Inspiration for Sally, the owner of the Rock Caf\u00e9 (Stroud, OK). Inspiration for Ramone\u2019s was a restored gas station (Shamrock, TX).<\/p>\n 1. Arriving at the Santa Monica Pier for the end of the historic Route 66<\/p>\n Worst or Un-favorites<\/strong><\/p>\n Mules walking the streets in Oatman, AZ leaving calling cards on the boardwalk<\/p>\n 113 degrees in the Mojave Dessert and we still hiked for 2-3 miles<\/p>\n Traffic in California<\/p>\n Other “bests” on the trip!<\/strong><\/p>\n Best Day: In Oklahoma \u2013 Saw totem poles, a whale, bridges, gas stations, old hotels, round barns, ate at Sally\u2019s Rock Caf\u00e9, drove on a section of brick road, drank Route 66 pop and ended with a Priceline hotel that was actually short term apartments for FAA trainees in Tulsa complete with our own washer and drier.<\/p>\n Highest Elevation: Hiked to Cecret Lake (Alta, UT) at 9,800 feet<\/p>\n Hottest Day: 113 degrees in the Mojave Desert<\/p>\n Biggest Relief: Finding the strange sound the Murano was making was an easily repaired wheel bearing (Rollo, MO)<\/p>\n Worst Event: Stolen credit card number with 5 charges that Discover will deal with<\/p>\n Best Photo Ops: Tie between The Grand Canyon and Zions National Parks \u2013 both awesome, but quite different<\/p>\n Best BBQ: Tie \u2013 Elbow Inn Bar & BBQ (Devil\u2019s Elbow, MO) and The Rib Company (Twentynine Palms, CA)<\/p>\n Most Unexpected Cool Event: Viewing Comic Con attendee costumes on the way to hear Utah Symphony \u201cVideo Games Live\u201d (Salt Lake City, UT)<\/p>\n Best Science\/Geology: Joshua Tree Nat\u2019l Park including huge boulder fields, meeting of the Mojave and Colorado deserts, Joshua Trees, chance to see the moon in a 14\u201d telescope<\/p>\n Best Milkshake (of 3): Bear Lake, ID \u2013 Raspberry and Banana with fresh fruit<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Well, we’ve returned and recovered from this adventure.\u00a0 People keep asking what we like best on the trip.\u00a0 Well, there were so many things it is hard to decide, but after some thought,\u00a0below you will find those things we thought highly of or discovered on our trip to be really interesting. Top Ten Favorites 10. … Continue reading Summary of Route 66 Adventure<\/span>