2019 WB Day 4 - Crossing the Mississippi

Nearby our hotel was once the iconic Mustang wrecking yard and workshop known as the Mustang Corral. Previous groups on 'Down Under' had even brought apples to feed the ponies... but alas, no more.

Shawn and his brother have closed up shop and graveyard of hundreds of old classic mustangs is just that. A couple of old shells remain outside and a transporter is parked outside likely ready to haul away what remains of their 30 year legacy of building Mustangs.

Getting into Missouri was a task in itself. Chain of Rocks was a 'no-go' zone from the Illinois side, under Army watch as the river was flooding over the road leading to the huge old bridge and flooding the pastures between the canal and the main river flow.

That meant using a different alignment to access the old part of St Louis that stands in stark contrast to so much of this city positioned on the riverbank of one of the most famous US rivers.

It's a part of the city that seems to have been forgotten, but provides an insight to what exists in many cities around the world but is often swept under the carpet.

Perched right beside this mighty water source is The Arch, that stunning piece of engineering and architecture that almost belies belief and certainly resonated with Barry K-B and his engineering / construction background.

From up high it's clear just how much water is flowing out to the Gulf of Mexico, mother nature has certainly brought tourism to a halt in this town.

On the other side of town is Blueberry Hills Cafe.

We dined and met with the owner Joe Edwards as he explained his obsession with collecting began at just 3 yrs of age and as certainly in full swing by 11.

His private collection of entertainment memorabilia is spread throughout the Cafe / Nightclub, where Chuck Berry would make regular performances. We were even granted access to the Elvis Room downstairs in the 'dungeon'.

A couple of hours running parallel to the i44 eventually led to Meramec Caverns and our group toured through the colourful caves, surprised at the 'theatre' big screen projected against such an unusual backdrop in such an unusual place.

Wandering around at the heights of the Arch and then the depths of the caverns had used up most of the day so the final run to Cuba was short.

The Circle Malt shop is permanently closed in Bourbon but the Missouri Hick BBQ isn't.

So that was definitely the spot for the night's dinner , perfectly positioned right next door to our accommodation at the classic period motel - The Wagon Wheel... the oldest running motel on the Mother Road.