Many regard St. Louis as gateway to the west.
To me, this is where the historic Route 66 motorway begins to look and feel as I had imagined. Not initially, but as we continued driving westward.
Once our group of Canadian journalists crossed the mighty Mississippi, I began noticing a change in landscape as we entered the great plains – and a greater shift in my psyche.
That was near the end of day one on our week-long quest, which began in Chicago and traversed roughly 600 kilometres southwest to our first destination: the rustic Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri. Built in 1935, it is the longest serving motel on the route.
Not to mention being strategically located beside the Missouri Hick Bar-B-Q, where a late evening feast of pulled pork, brisket and ribs ensured that breakfast would be light, if at all.
As we began Day Two in our fully-loaded 2015 Nissan Rogue, which was nicknamed the ‘Neilmobile,’ my co-pilot, Neil Vorano from the Globe and Mail, and I reflected on how this oddball pairing of Neils just seemed to work, as did our vehicle, which rolled along the eighty-year-old Route 66 pavement without drama.
Fuel economy has also been a pleasant surprise, despite abundant speed changes. Our average of 9.0 litres/100 km was pretty good for a roomy, five-passenger crossover loaded with luggage. Top score in our group was a thrifty 8.7.
Our first stop that day was Fanning, Missouri, where you’ll find the world’s largest rocking chair.
It was built in 2008 and stands 42 feet, 1 inch tall and 20 feet, 3 inches wide. I won’t convert to metric (it’s ‘Missourah’ after all), but suffice to say that it dwarfed the Nissan parked at its feet.
This is a prime example of the kitsch you’ll find along the way, and like many attractions, comes with its own gift shop. In this case the Fanning 66 Outpost where politically incorrect signs and local taxidermy join an eclectic display of Route 66 memorabilia.
Just west of this waypoint, the route through Missouri is fragmented and hard to find. Best to stay with the group, advised our guide with a wink, as you wouldn’t want to get lost in the Ozarks.
Hired by Nissan Canada who sponsored this event, Gary Fleshman delivered a steady flow of Route 66 data that was borderline savant. Ask him about anything from pavement porosity to local meteorology to the state’s official bird, and you’d have the answer in nanoseconds.
And his pronounced western drawl had us all talking with a twang on our vehicles’ two-way radios. That’s a big ten-four good buddy.
Early in the day we passed Hooker’s Cut and then crossed the Devil’s Elbow Bridge, which spans the Big Piney River. From here, views of the 200-foot-tall bluffs have been called one of the seven scenic wonders of Missouri.
Just down the road, between St. James and Rolla, there’s a stretch where you’ll spot a Baptist church, liquor store, cheap motel and adult novelty shop side by each. Hmmm…
Further along, check out the Sinclair gas station at Paris Springs. It isn’t authentic vintage Route 66, but it’s photogenic and you’ll see some fine old cars.
We passed through Joplin, Missouri where an EF5 tornado devastated the town in 2011. Trees, stripped by the high winds, remain and are visible from the road.
Crossing into Kansas, you’ll see the abandoned Eagle-Picher plant where locally-mined ore was once smelted to produce silver, zinc and lead. This large industrial site is also an entry point for Galena, and for the next few blocks, the town appears desolate, if not a bit spooky.
Things pick up down the road, starting at the old Kan-O-Tex service station which is home to the 1951 International boom truck that inspired “Tow Mater” in the movie Cars. And the film’s fictional community of Radiator Springs was, in part, modeled after the buildings here and in nearby Baxter Springs.
Which is where we headed next to meet Dean “Crazy Legs” Walker. Here, he demonstrates the peculiar talent of twisting his feet backwards, and is apparently the inspiration for ‘Mater’s claim to be “the world’s best backwards driver.”
Walker, who put me in mind of Randy Quaid (from National Lampoon’s “Vacation”) is also the national ambassador for Route 66 and for the Kansas portion that runs only 13.6 miles across the state.
Once out of Baxter Springs, we entered Oklahoma, and were soon driving through one of the most active stretches in the “tornado belt.”
Route 66 enters the state through its northeast corner and cuts across to the southwest. The distance is 383 miles through the plains, grasslands and red hills, making Oklahoma the state with the longest driveable stretch.
We later breezed through Will Roger’s home town of Claremore, where his statue sits in the centre median. I was a bit underwhelmed as the great dane-sized horse and diminutive rider didn’t bring forth the awe befitting one of Oklahoma’s favourite sons.
By then it was dark, and visiting the famous Blue Whale at Catoosa was not in the cards. Too bad, as this waterfront structure, built in the early 1970s, is one of the most recognizable attractions on the route.
Day Two had covered a lot of miles, and Nissan’s “Zero Gravity” seats really came into play. Clad in leather in our fully-dressed Rogue and Altima SV models, they also benefit from biomechanical research and design that minimizes contact pressure on your backside.
Working with seat shape and foam densities, Nissan engineers were able to reduce the fatigue and achiness synonymous with long distance driving. I didn’t notice much at first, but finally clued in after two days free of squirming and the urge to stretch after several hours.
We soon arrived at the historic Campbell Hotel in Tulsa for a heavy dinner (chicken-fried steak anyone?) followed by heavy rain and an early start where we’d see the near formation of a tornado, visit the Round Barn and cross over into Texas.
Where we’d feast on still more red meat.
Stay tuned for part three of our Route 66 saga.
This article originally appeared on Wheels.ca: https://www.wheels.ca/
Neil Moore is a seasoned automotive journalist who is hesitant to reveal precisely how many ‘seasons.’ His passion for all things automotive has been published in many newspapers, magazines and websites – a mix of articles that inform, entertain and occasionally stir the pot. Neil is also a member of AJAC (Automobile Journalists Association of Canada).
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