St. Louis, Missouri to Champaign, Illinois
It is our last day traveling the "mother road" and we will detour from it before it finishes in Chicago. Our last stop will be Springfield, Illinois before we head east towards Champaign to visit my relatives. It has been a fun ride!
This last day started with a visit to the Chain of Rocks Bridge which spans the Mississippi River
from Missouri to Illinois. We tried to enter from the Illinois side but it is now closed to any visitors so we drove across the interstate and entered from the Illinois side. Before we reached the bridge I saw this abandoned gas station and a classic picture taking moment.
Right past the gas station was the first bridge across to Chouteau Island before the Mississippi. We were able to drive on it, though it is one way only and you have to wait for the red light to turn green before you go across. The picture at the top of day 6 is that bridge.
After you cross it you are on the island driving on the old highway through low swampy areas and beautiful forests like below,
We pulled into the parking area by the bridge and started our walk. As you look off the sides of the bridge in the beginning it looks like you are in some jungle in the Amazon with all the swamps and trees (there were also alot of noisy birds : ) It was kind of eerie and especially more so because no else was there visiting. We were totally alone.
When we got far out above the Mississippi I got some tremendous shots of the River in her splendor! (and I even took one which shows the bend in the bridge) The bridge you see in the first picture is the interstate bridge taken from the old road.
The picture above shows the bend in the bridge to the right. That was the best shot I could get of it. The Mississippi River was an awesome sight.
On our way back to our car Chris discovered the old highway sign on the road !
Back in our car and on our way north on the last stretch of route 66. Cornfields lined the road
on both sides.
Our final destination on route 66 (before we had to detour to visit relatives) was Springfield,
Illinois the hometown of Abraham Lincoln. Chris was excited to see the Lincoln museum,
Lincoln's tomb, and the home that he lived in until he became president. At first I was just coming along for the ride and not sure if I wanted to see it. My opinion changed as soon as I stepped into the museum. They had a movie about Lincoln called "Lincoln's Eyes" that was extraordinary! It was done just as well as a Disneyland attraction. I was touched by his life and even more touched by the exhibits throughout the museum about him and the Civil War.
There was a video showing the progression of the war and the battles (as casuality numbers
ticked by on the side of the screen) It brought tears to my eyes and I appreciated the sacrifices of my two direct ancestors who fought during that time. One did not make it, while the other did, but was disabled the rest of his life.
The museum did not allow any pictures other than the one below but I did take some others.
The pictures below of our downtown Springfield, the capitol building, and the front of the Lincoln museum (with Chris )
After the museum we ate lunch at a route 66 Illinois landmark called "Cozy Dog" This place was the inventor of the corn dog that everyone eats at the fair. The man who invented the process of deep frying the hot dogs with corn meal did not market it outside of Springfield. (so I am guessing that Hot Dog on a Stick probably patented the product first) but Cozy Dog is supposedly the first. We had a cozy dog (of course) and frys and enjoyed the route 66 atmosphere in the drive in.
After lunch we visited the Lincoln home and neighborhood (so cute!) and Lincoln's tomb.
After we were done in Springfield we changed our course and headed east to Champaign, Illinois to visit my aunt and cousins. So this is goodbye to our Route 66 road trip !
Thanks for taking the journey with us and being "roadies.!"
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