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Published: June 25th 2017
Geo: 39.801, -89.6436
Our time machine trip along Route 66 continues. Just under 90% of the road survives so every now and again we have to try and stitch pieces together but it's a relatively easy drive through American history even if Billy Thunder isn't quite giving us the Caddie experience. We did add satellite radio before we left but DH won't let me tune into the more appropriate 50's and 60's- her music world started and finished with the dreadful 70's. I'm not sure how many more Captain & Tenille top 10 song countdowns I can take. I do manage the odd break because of a pre-trip agreement to channel-change any time she tries to sign along with the song. It's not just that she can't carry a tune (she really can't), it's largely because she really doesn't remember any of the words outside of some of the repeating chorus (which she shouts with particular gusto frightening away all dogs wandering anywhere near the roadway) but she sings what she thinks the lyrics should be and mumbles through the rest and the whole thing becomes a bit of a train wreck. She, of course, tried to renege on the agreement but
Pontiac
The VW hippie van of the late Bob Waldmire and for decades Bob drove the highway. According to one story, Bob's personal stash of pot was kept in two boxes slung under the VW van and he'd warn off curious police by telling them the boxes were nests for his snakes. I threatened to play the Kazoo we picked up at the factory so she acquiesces.
Part way through a sing-along of 'Muscrat Love', we run into the state capital of Illinois, Springfield. Springfields biggest claim to fame is Abraham Lincoln. He wasn't born here (and he was assassinated by Jon Wilkes Booth in Washington), but he did get his political start here and, after a country-wide funeral procession on a train, he was buried here. The Lincoln theme is played up throughout the town but there is a really good museum that walks you through Lincoln 's evolving ideas on abolishing slavery (he wasn't a committed abolitionist initially) and keeping the states together. The stresses of the Civil War come through and the whole thing makes for a very worthwhile stop.
We did jump back on Route 66 after our Springfield wanderings and history lesson but as we approached St Louis we kept going south as the highway curved westward. Part of this is because DH was driving and we're never quite sure where we're going to end up despite the best efforts of both myself and Mistress G (our very harsh GPS girl), but mostly it was because we
wanted to do a quick loop through Kentucky and Tennessee before the snow flies.
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Marlene Suddes
non-member comment
I'd LOVE that! Can you still play those games! I'd be there all day long :)