Cross Country from New York to Arizona –Missouri to Kansas

Nothing is more important than family and today showcased that!

After leaving Devil’s Elbow, we spent the night in Saint Robert at the Magnuson Motel and RV Park. I did not get to share some information about Devil’s Elbow in the last blog. Devil's Elbow, is one of the more unique places on Route 66. The community was named for a particularly bad bend in the Big Piney River. Lumberjacks would float logs down the river and they would seem to always jam at this one place. There was a large boulder in the river at this point that some lumberjacks swore was put there by the devil himself just to cause them grief. The community of Devil's Elbow is a like a page out of history. Here the decades slip away to another, simpler time, far from the noise and bustle of the Interstate. During the 1930s and 1940s Devil's Elbow was a resort community with cabins, canoes, and the famous Munger Moss Sandwich Shop.

As we headed west on Route 66 we went past the Route 66 Diner, we already had breakfast, so we did not stop … plus the parking lot did not look big enough for us to make the swing with our rig and jeep! 

We also saw the St Roberts has tons of pride! There is a water tower proclaiming their support of our troops and another water tower supporting their future … the school kids … showing their Tiger Pride! It was evident in the paintings of their water tower.

 Those that know me, know I am not fond of frogs … but we had to search out this oddity along Route 66! W.H. (Waynesville Hill) Croaker sets along this historic route 66 overlooking the town of Waynesville. This is a huge rock painted like a frog! If you are in the area in area on the first Saturday in October, mark your calendar and join them in celebrating WH and all things froggie! We found other painted rocks in NJ and blogged about it in an earlier edition of our blog.

Waynesville offers a quaint downtown district that epitomizes Main Street USA. Waynesville got its start in 1831 when a man named G.W. Gibson "squatted” on the land where the town sits today. Just one year later Pulaski County was formed and Waynesville was soon designated as the county seat. In 1835, James A. Bates opened one of the first stores in the settlement, which also served as a temporary courthouse. In 1839, the town was platted and a post office opened, named after famous General "Mad Anthony" Wayne, the daring Revolutionary War hero and Indian fighter.

We discovered that Interstate 44, which basically runs parallel with Route 66 is the Auto Route of Tears. The Route of Tears is the trail that the Native Americans that were displaced took during their relocation. The Auto Route of Tears is the automobile version of this route. We followed part of the original route in another two lane adventure.

Along Route 66, is the I-44 Speedway before you reach Lebanon, they should have named it the Route 66 Speedway. It is a 3/8 of a mile high bank clay oval track. 

You also see many signs of the days gone by on Route 66, like this old cafe sign. It would have been awesome to travel this route when it was really full of restaurants, motels and attractions.

Sandwiched between Route 66 and I-44 is the famous Munger Moss Motel. All the rooms have been remodeled and decorated in the Route 66 themes … including a “pretty in pink” room fashioned after the bygone Coral Court Motel. 

Almost opposite the Munger Moss Motel is the old Wrinks Market. After Mr. Wrink passed, the store has had many lives … sadly it is closed and for sale again.

Along Route 66 near the Lebanon exit are a pair of Meramec Painted Barns. There are many of these painted barns broadcasting to travelers about the destination adventure at the Meramec Caverns.

We got onto I-44 for a while and made a pit stop at the Route 66 Rest Area. 

It offered some unique picnic shelters and a great information counter with some memorabilia, including this gas pump.

We had a relatively short drive from St Robert to Springfield, where we got to spend about 3 hours with our Granddaughter Ashley and her missionary partner, Sister Welling. Ashley is currently on her Mormon mission. Her contact with family is very limited during her 18 month mission but her mission President gave her permission to see us! We were so very grateful for the time with them, we have not seen her since 2013. 

We enjoyed walking around Missouri State University and downtown Springfield. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Pickleman’s Deli. Everyone got something different and it all was delicious! We go a glimpse of their apartment and walked back to their church, where we parked the camper. It was a short, but very enjoyable.

After we left Springfield, we got onto I-44 and passed the Risen Ranch Cowboy Church. This church had a unique sign and it reminded me of our friend, Mary Mud, who loves her Cowboy Church.

We crossed over into Kansas from Missouri and into Baxter Springs and north onto 69, heading into Columbus Kansas. Where we will be spending a couple of nights, visiting our friends, Jack & Diana, at her mothers in Columbus MO.