What’s In Between

I did in fact leave very close to 8 am this morning.

I pulled out of the drive at 8:06. For those of you thinking, “Oh dear, is she going to give us minute by minute for two weeks?”, no. I just want to be accurate starting out. Who knows what I will be writing at the end of this.

I drove 5 hours to St Louis, MO. There I picked up Route 66. My plan is to stop at what I want to see on Route 66 until I get to Albuquerque, New Mexico. For those unfamiliar, Rt. 66 is a decommissioned highway that runs 2278 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA. It was finished in 1928, but as high speed interstate highways appeared near it, it became less and less used. It disappeared from official records in 1984 and was decommissioned in 1985. Official signage was removed, but each state has made efforts to preserve its legacy by erecting new signs and painting new road shields. Approximately 85% of the original highway can be driven, however, in some areas the interstate highway must be used.

The first stop was the Gateway Arch. This 630 foot arch built between Feb. 1963-Oct. 1965 is the world’s tallest arch. Some sources consider it the world’s tallest human-made monument in the Western Hemisphere. It honors the early 19th century explorations of Lewis and Clark and America’s westward expansion. Having been to the Arch several times before, I did not go to the top. I did illegally park to get a picture.

The next stop was the Donut Drive In. Opened in 1953, this is reported to have the best donuts on Rt. 66. How could I not stop there? I ordered 4 donuts and ate one. It was fabulous. Am saving the rest for later.

Next up was an 1.25 hour drive to Cuba, MO. This is a tiny town that is known as Mural City. It contains 14 murals depicting various historical figures and events of the region. Below shows the Civil War Battle of Pilot Knob.

About 5 miles away from the center of Cuba on Rt. 66 wasThe Red Rocker. A giant steel rocking chair, it was built in 2008 to prompt travelers to stop at the Fanning Outpost and General Store next to it. It is big, it is red, and it is covered with stickers as high up as one could reach. Megan, I should have gotten a sticker from you to add to it.

When I was little, my parents used a particular phrase when something was gross or disgusting. It was always said in kind of a low voice and with derision. “Eww, Munger Moss”. I didn’t know where this came from, although I thought it was the name of a diner or bar or something like that. I never really thought about it, it was just part of the family lexicon. I don’t know if my brothers even remember it. As I was reading Route 66 Travel Guide 202 Amazing Places, by Mark Watson, I came upon this sentence: “If you are going to stay one night at a motel this trip, this next location should be it. The Munger Moss motel opened in Lebanon, MO in 1946 during the glory days of Route 66”. A little scream escaped my lips! Munger Moss!! We lived in Ballwin, a suburb of St Louis, when I was between 6-8 years of age so my parents must have seen a sign or even passed the motel at some point. The words Munger Moss sounded so unappealing to my parents, but in reality Nelle Munger and her second husband Emmett Moss were the original owners of the motel. When I told my mom that I had found the origin of Munger Moss and that I was planning on staying there she just cracked up laughing. She said, “Oh, I wish your dad was still alive to hear about this. He was the one who really used that phrase.” I was touched by this. My parents divorced a long time ago and it was lovely for her to remember him fondly. I was so disappointed to find that the current owners of the motel recently died and it has just been purchased by a company in Atlanta. They have promised to keep it going but at the present time it is closed indefinitely.

Needless to say, I did not stay at the Munger Moss Motel. I travelled a further 45 minutes to Springfield where I am staying at the Double Tree. I have made it safely through Day 1. Tomorrow Kansas and Oklahoma.