2023 WB Day 5 - Winding Road

It didn't take long to put the bustle of big city St. Louis behind us, through districts proudly remembering the connector road we were on.

66 is the i44 near Times Beach...

...the town that came, thanks to a St Louis newspaper competition offering resort style living along the Meramec River for just $67.50 if you signed up for a six month subscription to their daily rag.

It was the 1920s and the Great Depression suppressed its attractiveness but found favour with a 2000 strong permanent community in Eureka located on R66.

By the 1980s dioxin unintentionally found its way onto the roads to keep the dust down and with that, America's biggest environmental disaster unfolded.

Today, it's a state park you can walk through or drive around,

and there are plans to rebuild the original bridge in time for the Centenary in 2026.

A closer celebration deadline is July 4th and preparations are well underway.

The terrain was no longer flat, meandering alongside the interstate as we rolled on toward Meramec Caverns.

Dozens of billboards guided us to the hideout for Jesse James, located beside the Meramec River.

Sullivan is home to the Shamrock Hotel boasting the giraffe style stonework prevalent in the 30s.

The other side of the interstate brought us to Bourbon, named after a popular new drink found in barrels outside the store on the rail line.

Think Fanning and you think big rocking chair.

But our retired farmer from down under was attracted to the back of the general store.

Seems prices are pretty sharp compared to back home, even for this small supply shop.

Cuba is mural town and a walk through the streets revealed illustrations depicting their past.

There's also a musical bent (even a little humour) in this town with subtle modifications to one of Missouri's hard to understand road designation road signs.

Cuba's Wagon Wheel is also home to steads old and new for the night.

And owner Connie gave us the rundown on the oldest continuous motel on the route.

Jim Hinkley's book displayed a wonderful photo of the late Bob Mullen's Gasoline Alley.

Bob and wife Darlene hosted countless groups traveling the road but the collectibles from the famous spot have been auctioned off as we discover Darlene has died recently too.

It's a reminder of the ever changing face of Route 66 - more memories despatched to the Mother Road cache - a cache like the road itself full of ups and downs, twists and turns.