Lot’s of Smiles Along the Miles on the Mother Road

A story about how travel is more than what you see and do, it is how you react, and the relationships you forge along the way. 

My story begins with a cookbook, to be precise, The Route 66 Cookbook. I received this treasure to review for my holiday gift guide for my blog. Writer, author, television host and podcaster and blogger of The Traveling Cheesehead, Dannelle Gay also received a book for her TV holiday show. “We should take a Route 66 roadtrip,” Dannelle said. “Yes,” I replied never thinking she meant it. Next thing I know she has an itinerary, and we have plans for the Traveling Cheesehead, and Traveling Adventure of a Farm Girl to hit the road.

Hitting the road!

I took a delayed Amtrak out of Springfield, Illinois to Chicago. I spent the night with my friend Linda Spanberger. My longtime friend waited up for me and fed me even with my late arrival. The next day, Linda took me to Chicago O’Hare airport where I met up with Dannelle. We were to pick up our rental car. We said goodbye to Linda, then waited our turn in line. After handing information to the clerk, she said, “This car renal starts next week.” 

Pause….

The people planning the trip had booked it a week late. To add insult to injury there were no cars to be found at O’Hare. When Dannelle called the agent that booked the trip, their response was that they could get us a car on Monday in Oklahoma City. What?

We decided to go with the glass half full aspect and pivot. An important lesson for this trip. Dannelle did her magic, and we booked a ride with a surly Uber driver who did not enjoy our humor. However once at Midway Airport car rentals, we did charm the Budget rental car staff, one of which is planning a Route 66 trip with his son. Soon we were hitting the road in a Chevy Trax. Yippee! Once we figured out how to get the seat to go down, we were off. Probably a bit of a comedy-show to the staff if anyone was watching, but hey. 

Route 66 in Illinois offered up Dell Rhea’s Chicken basket in Wilmington, the Rialto theater in Joliet along with Stateline prison! We hit the central Illinois spots I know, plus a revised American Giants Museum, and a newly opened Route 66 museum in Lincoln. 

Doc’s Just off 66

We met my husband Keith at my house. We were staying there the first night, it was right along our journey. We took Danelle to all the local stops – the original brick road outside of Auburn, the drag racing mural in Virden, the Turkey tracks, and dinner at Doc’s Just off 66 in Girard Illinois. Owner of Docs, Casey Claypool, is also the director of the Illinois Scenic ByWay who along with our friend’s’ the Dozier’s helped sponsor our Illinois leg of the journey. Thank you! 

The next morning, we were up bright and early and took off in our Chevy. We hit Jubelts in Litchfield. We stopped at the Mother Jones monument in Mt. Olive, and the fun Pink Elephant in Livingston. Then we headed into Missouri. We loved the Big Chief diner and a serenade from the artist in the gift shop at the Moss Munger hotel. Next was a stay at Dan Agee’s amazing Farmall museum housed in a historic firehouse. Dan and his friend Paula put on the ritz for us and made us feel like royalty. We left Missouri to pick up the car we were supposed to have at the Oklahoma City Airport. 

The snags!

Picking up the car was not difficult although there was a LONG line. However, we we so happy to have a car for our epic journey that we were pretty content recalling our trip so far and discussing what was still to come.

The challenges came with the simple things. Figuring out how to open the gas cap, then finding our keys. Learning how to open the glove compartment and more in the luxury Nissan we got in Oklahoma City. A car alarm fiasco and loss of a paper I had when we first met were the catches along the first leg of our journey. We have decided we are two ditzy blondes hitting the road with a good attitude. Follow along on our stories as we publish them, we have seen history, Native American stories, cowboys and Indians, faith filled stops, pure kitsch and heart-rending stories like the Oklahoma Bombing memorial.

Through it all, the wondrous moments, the thread of the journey is how we reacted making it better, rather than trying to ament over what we couldn’t control. Here is the poem I wrote about us and the friendship we have forged on the historic Route 66. May the rest of our journey be as smooth with merely a bump in the road and may this encourage you to roll with the flow while traveling the iconic, historic, magical Mother Road.

Two blond chicks

Hit the road for some writing kicks, 

Cars offered challenges galore

Horns blaring, keys hiding and more!

Will they find their way and see their turn

Route 66 has many lessons for them to learn.

With smiles on our faces,

We are telling stories of the places

From a farm to a firehouse our hearts are melting fast.

From guitar strums to native arrows their words unwrap the past.

Two blond chicks bumping along the Mother Road

Sharing experiences and laughter as the miles unfold.