2024 EB Day 14 - Straddling the i44

After retracing our track up the i65, we found the 66 straddling the i44 as we continue our journey north west toward Illinois.

The country is lush and green, far from the dry desert of western states.

Marshfield is home to a Hubble telescope mini me, in honour of Edwin Hubble, the inventor.

This is his home and today’s even more special as it’s Memorial Day.

The Largest Gift store in the World is in Phillipsburg and Lindsay finds the perfect gift for his Girl Friday back home.

Across the other side of the freeway, remains of an early gift store, being swallowed up by the past and long grass.

These famous signs adorning small barns and billboards are becoming a feature on our travels now, and are a hint of what’s ahead.

Ramona is a legend of the road and as host at Lebanon’s Munger Moss was well known in Route 66 circles.

Sadly the road lost a character last year when she died, but her daughter Shelley gave us a peak at some the rooms that attract travelers to stay.

This place is caught in a time warp!

Spotting the frog on the hill at Waynesville was harder than expected… but most finally got it on a second pass.

Then it was on to Uranus, where the jokes are… well less sophisticated than other stops!

Devil’s Elbow still isn’t back in business since the big floods…

…took out the favourite watering hole by the Gasgonade River.

Ex fireman, Mark has been making a habit of spotting the odd old red truck and this one didn’t escape his attention either.

Through Hooker Cut, the first and deepest cutting for any road in Missouri.

On to Rolla where students have produced a scaled down version of Stone Henge using water jet technology from the local university.

No movement from the the World’s Largest Rocking Chair in Fanning…

or the general store sadly. Another victim of Memorial Day holiday!

In Cuba, huge murals paint the town with a reputation for telling their own history, this one on the local People’s Bank, commissioned by the first cashier and President AJ Barnett.

Fortunately our Mustangs don’t need the Model T’s crank handle, just a quick tub before check in.

Accommodation, appropriately given all this talk of transport, is at the longest continuous operating motel on the route - The Wagon Wheel.

And dinner… well that was next door at the Missouri Hick BBQ.

Not far to Chicago when you look at it like this.

Time to reflect on the fast disappearing days of this tour, around the fire pit.