2023 EB Day 16 - Corn, Dog-Gone-It
- Jun 2, 2023
- 2 min read
Getting from one side of St Louis to the other took us through the old part of town, and a different side of life.
The Chain of Rocks Bridge links Missouri and Illinois and straddles a lifeblood of the country.
Entering our final state reveals more motels and cafes that disappeared when the interstate arrived.
We've moved into crop country, corn as far as you can see.
More than one alignment of Route 66 exists
and often leads to bridges that are nothing more than props to capture memories.
How does a town of 5,000 (that's today's population!) build a court house back in 1870 costing $1 million? (Let's say 40 mil in today's money!)
Well the question did get asked of the local judge but nothing ever got resolved. It still stands and operates today.
No far away - another unanswered riddle. What happened to the turkey that crossed the road?
Imprints in the concrete dating back to the 1920s also reveal little.
Deck's Pharmacy has been rebirthed since the loss of the bothers who kept the three generation business alive.
It now doubles as a cafe serving the best Soda 'Pops'...
and the stomping ground of Police Chief Brian Boston...
who took issue with the lip being dished out by one of our Kiwis.
Red bricks from pre Mother Road times remind us of how well things got built over one hundred years ago (and without orange cones no doubt)
Our destination is Springfield, but there's still plenty to unpack before bags.
Ed Wildmire invented the Corn Dog, essentially the hot dog as we know it down under, but with corn meal batter, giving it a unique taste.
We tasted some truly American history at the Lincoln Presidential Museum, leaving no doubt about what patriotism means.
In Australsia there is nothing that comes close to arousing allegiance like this, and a sense of pride bristles through some of this group like never before.
Slipping out to the edge of town for dinner we find things rocking at Route 66 Motorheads!
The theme continues back at our hotel and the Elvis Karaoke hit the spot...
...if not all the notes. We've certainly packed a heck of a lot into a short day on the road and still two more to go.
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