Ed's Adventure on Route 66

We tried to travel nearly all of the marked Route 66, apart from the Interstates, from south of Chicago all the way to Springfield, Missouri.  Some stretches of 66 were 30 miles or more with lots of quaint gift shops, restored motels, cafes, one drive-in-theatre, etc.

A few photos from the "Elvis Suite" at the Best Western Rail Haven Motel where my grandfather's drive-in-theatre is now featured as a wall mural over the king sized bed.  You will note yours truly relaxing in the Jacuzzi in that room after a long drive.  This is documented as the room that Elvis Presley stayed in sometime in 1956 and years later it was documented that country great Loretta Lynn stayed there as well.  Ah, the joys of being "mostly retired."

Here is a photo we took near the town of Cuba, Missouri, where a gift shop on Route 66 has built the "World's Largest Rocking Chair."  (We were underwhelmed).

But in front of the rocking chair are two Corvettes, owned by couples who live in the same neighborhood in Alabama.  They were headed on 66 all the way to Santa Monica, CA.  We chatted with them a few minutes and shortly thereafter came a German couple, then a Russian couple..........all traveling in rented cars on Historic 66.  The owner of the gift shop here told us that there is not a week that goes by in the summer when they have visitors traveling Route 66 coming from the UK, Germany, Belgium, Spain, or Italy.