Route 66 Day 4 October 25, 2019
Jenny and I thought Dale had said that we had to meet at the rotunda for a morning brief at 7.45am. She had set her clock for 6am and when it went off we all jumped out of bed to get showered, dressed, packed and ready to go for breakfast. The only thing was, her clock was an hour fast, so we were all ready at 6.45am! What were we going to do for an hour? Easy! We went and got some fuel and some fresh hot coffee from the local service station.
The petrol pump was different to any others we had used. Not only did you need to go into the service station and pay for the fuel before lifting the nozzle, but you also had to pull down a lever attached to the hose part of the pump. That took about (10 minutes to figure out!!) Pumping the fuel was easy, and then Jenny went back to the cashier who gave her back her change for the part of the deposit we didn't use. I wonder how long it will be before Australian petrol stations start using this system.
While I was pumping the fuel, I remembered that I had left my phone on the bedhead. So as soon as we were organised, we went straight back to the motel so that I could immediately go to the room we had used last night to find my phone. Imagine my dismay when it wasn't where I remembered leaving it.The flapping around started. I checked my little handbag that I use, then I unpacked by back pack that I have been using instead of lugging in my case to the room every night. There was no sign of it. Then I went to my suitcase and searched through it, I checked my coat pocket, looked all around the area next to the bed, looked in the bed clothes.... still nothing. We were now late for the briefing so I had to let the whole group know that I had misplaced my phone. Someone suggested looking under the mattress. That wasn't something I had thought of doing. So, back to the room I went. I looked under the mattress, and there it was!! I was so relieved
Breakfast at the motel was not an option because the Mungermoss Motel did not have the facilities. So everyone drove off in convoy to the Elm Street Eatery in downtown Lebanon Missouri. As we entered the restaurant I was impressed with a multimedia depiction of a motorcycle:
It was pretty cold outside, but as we walked into the shop a lovely big fire was burning and Jenny had to give herself a little toasting to start getting warmed up.
The Bass Pro Shops are amazing - they are to outdoor enthusiasts what Bunnings Warehouses are to hardware lovers in Australia. Conservationist Johnny Morris is the brains behind this leading national retailer of outdoor sporting goods. A Bass Pro Shop is huge with all kinds of departments - fishing, clothing, shooting, hunting, boating, gifts, food, cafes, displays of art from local artists and craftsmen on the walls and ceilings, and impressive collections of all kinds of memorabilia carefully set out in museum like fashion. You could spend a whole day walking around the store and still not see everything
The giant fish aquariums are immaculate with crystal clear water and teeming with fish. These fish were not really moving and we wondered whether they were asleep !
There were Christmas decorations for sale along with babies t-shirts complete with a hunting slogan on them. Again, this was something I found crass. Are babies born to hunt? Or is this something their parents condition them to believe is ok? I would just love to see all people have far greater respect for other mammalian life forms.
This bow ws personally made by the famous Mescalero Chiricahua Apache War Chief Geronimo. Apparently he used to make quite a lot of them . This bow dates back to the late 19th Century and was made while Geronimo was captive in Florida.
In Australia, people of my generation are familiar with the stories of some of the great explorers such as Burke and Wills, Sturt and Eyre. In the US there are some equally impressive stories of exploration such as this one about Lewis and Clark:
My favourite department in the whole of the Bass Pro Shop was the one in which I found all these great signs:
. 
in Spencer Missouri. Route 66 is many things to many people. Each person tends to experience the road differently. There is a certain spirit of courage and resilience that resides along "the Mother Road". The story behind Spencer is of one man's dream, Sidney Casey, who heard that the major east to west highway would be constructed through the centre of the United States. He found a tiny settlement that had disintegrated into a ghost town, on a part of the road that had become impassable. He wanted this dream so badly that he walked 100 miles to buy the property in July 1925 for $400.00. It was there that Sidney set up a business that would eventually service the travellers making the journey on Route 66. It was a garage, service station, cafe, grocery store, barber shop, post office and feed store. In its heyday, Spencer was an important stop along Route 66 with tourist cabins.
The petrol pump was different to any others we had used. Not only did you need to go into the service station and pay for the fuel before lifting the nozzle, but you also had to pull down a lever attached to the hose part of the pump. That took about (10 minutes to figure out!!) Pumping the fuel was easy, and then Jenny went back to the cashier who gave her back her change for the part of the deposit we didn't use. I wonder how long it will be before Australian petrol stations start using this system.
While I was pumping the fuel, I remembered that I had left my phone on the bedhead. So as soon as we were organised, we went straight back to the motel so that I could immediately go to the room we had used last night to find my phone. Imagine my dismay when it wasn't where I remembered leaving it.The flapping around started. I checked my little handbag that I use, then I unpacked by back pack that I have been using instead of lugging in my case to the room every night. There was no sign of it. Then I went to my suitcase and searched through it, I checked my coat pocket, looked all around the area next to the bed, looked in the bed clothes.... still nothing. We were now late for the briefing so I had to let the whole group know that I had misplaced my phone. Someone suggested looking under the mattress. That wasn't something I had thought of doing. So, back to the room I went. I looked under the mattress, and there it was!! I was so relieved
Breakfast at the motel was not an option because the Mungermoss Motel did not have the facilities. So everyone drove off in convoy to the Elm Street Eatery in downtown Lebanon Missouri. As we entered the restaurant I was impressed with a multimedia depiction of a motorcycle:
They were a very well organised establishment with one lady handling all our group efficiently and pleasantly. As we were setting into our seating and ordering our drinks, a rather large man with a family group was seating himself. He had a gun attached to a belt on his hip. Jenny and I looked at each other, and later asked the $64,000 question ... "Was it really necessary to wear a gun into a cafe for breakfast?"
Fortunately, the menu was so large, we were distracted by it in an attempt to choose something to eat. Such a selection of enormous breakfasts! I had eggs and hash browns. The American hash browns are not what Australians expect - they are grated potato which has ben fried and then scooped together as a pile before being placed on the plate. It's yummy, but I prefer the Australian interpretation of hash browns.
Fortunately, the menu was so large, we were distracted by it in an attempt to choose something to eat. Such a selection of enormous breakfasts! I had eggs and hash browns. The American hash browns are not what Australians expect - they are grated potato which has ben fried and then scooped together as a pile before being placed on the plate. It's yummy, but I prefer the Australian interpretation of hash browns.
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| This was just one page of 6!! |
There has been no shortage of food on this trip!!
Now it was time to burn off the calories, but first we had to drive past fields dotted with bales of hay ready to be picked up and stored. These ones weren't covered with plastic as so many we have seen are.
Now it was time to burn off the calories, but first we had to drive past fields dotted with bales of hay ready to be picked up and stored. These ones weren't covered with plastic as so many we have seen are.
As we drove to our next destination, we caught up with a very long freight train ... almost as long as an iron ore mining train, and a sight that we don't see in Australia is shipping containers two stories high. There was all manner of cargo. I don't know what was wrapped up in the black plastic, but there were lots of them!
As we drove we sang along with the playlist we have been creating since the start of the trip. We now have 78 songs that either mention driving, some of the cities and towns through which we are travelling, the American way of life, or are by some of the artists with whom we've had some kind of contact.
We traversed from country by-ways to busy city streets and finally we arrived at our destination....
. 
..... the Bass Pro Outdoor World in Springfield, Missouri - the site of the original shop which started with 8 square feet back in 1972 and today is almost 500,000 square feet in size!! Like the shop we experienced inside the pyramid in Memphis, it is dedicated to life in the outdoors. There are 200 shops like this all over North America.
As you approach the front doors to the shop, you see hundreds of deer antlers over the exposed beams under the front porch entry. I felt that was just crass - but I held my tongue because even though I am opposed to hunting and the display of animal trophies, I was amongst gun carrying hunters who don't see anything wrong with their "sport". I could see the joke in the sign over the front door Welcome, fishermen, hunters and other liars ... but again I thought that was a little crass. I guess it has something to do with the disconnect I often feel with the American sense of humour.
We traversed from country by-ways to busy city streets and finally we arrived at our destination....
. 
..... the Bass Pro Outdoor World in Springfield, Missouri - the site of the original shop which started with 8 square feet back in 1972 and today is almost 500,000 square feet in size!! Like the shop we experienced inside the pyramid in Memphis, it is dedicated to life in the outdoors. There are 200 shops like this all over North America.
As you approach the front doors to the shop, you see hundreds of deer antlers over the exposed beams under the front porch entry. I felt that was just crass - but I held my tongue because even though I am opposed to hunting and the display of animal trophies, I was amongst gun carrying hunters who don't see anything wrong with their "sport". I could see the joke in the sign over the front door Welcome, fishermen, hunters and other liars ... but again I thought that was a little crass. I guess it has something to do with the disconnect I often feel with the American sense of humour.
As we got closer to the front door, we noticed a very friendly bear. He was made of concrete, and I love him more than any real bear that has been treated by a taxidermist.
Jenny shoved me off the bench so she could pucker up and give him a kiss!
It was pretty cold outside, but as we walked into the shop a lovely big fire was burning and Jenny had to give herself a little toasting to start getting warmed up.
The Bass Pro Shops are amazing - they are to outdoor enthusiasts what Bunnings Warehouses are to hardware lovers in Australia. Conservationist Johnny Morris is the brains behind this leading national retailer of outdoor sporting goods. A Bass Pro Shop is huge with all kinds of departments - fishing, clothing, shooting, hunting, boating, gifts, food, cafes, displays of art from local artists and craftsmen on the walls and ceilings, and impressive collections of all kinds of memorabilia carefully set out in museum like fashion. You could spend a whole day walking around the store and still not see everything
The giant fish aquariums are immaculate with crystal clear water and teeming with fish. These fish were not really moving and we wondered whether they were asleep !
There are also extensive wildlife mounts and dioramas.
It has to be said that the customer service in the Bass Pro shops is very friendly and courteous.
We couldn't believe some of the merchandise we found including sex attractant for deer and fluorescent nibbles for trout!!!
It has to be said that the customer service in the Bass Pro shops is very friendly and courteous.
We couldn't believe some of the merchandise we found including sex attractant for deer and fluorescent nibbles for trout!!!
There were Christmas decorations for sale along with babies t-shirts complete with a hunting slogan on them. Again, this was something I found crass. Are babies born to hunt? Or is this something their parents condition them to believe is ok? I would just love to see all people have far greater respect for other mammalian life forms.
Jenny and I had heard about a display featuring Geronimo's bow and arrow. We wanted to acknowledge this great leader, so after admiring a huge iconic statue created by James Earle Fraser in 1915 entitled "End of the Trail":
we made our way to the top of the stairs. As we entered a free museum featuring the Archery Hall of Fame, and a display of all kinds of archery equipment, we spoke to an impressive security guard who told us a bit of the history behind the displays in front of us.
We learnt about Ben Pearson, a "master hunter and tireless crusader for the sport of archery" during the Great Depression. He teamed up with an oil producer who gave him the financial backing he needed to expand his business- that of making hand crafted bows. Ben developed the machinery that was required to mass produced not only bows, but also arrows and other archery tackle; and he promoted the sport through tournaments, instructive archery films and personal demonstrations.
. 
We also learnt about Fred Bear who is frequently referred to as "The Father of Modern Bow Hunting" ... and Holless Walter Allen who invented the Allen Prototype Compound Bow, the bow that "forever changed archery".
We learnt about Ben Pearson, a "master hunter and tireless crusader for the sport of archery" during the Great Depression. He teamed up with an oil producer who gave him the financial backing he needed to expand his business- that of making hand crafted bows. Ben developed the machinery that was required to mass produced not only bows, but also arrows and other archery tackle; and he promoted the sport through tournaments, instructive archery films and personal demonstrations.
. 
We also learnt about Fred Bear who is frequently referred to as "The Father of Modern Bow Hunting" ... and Holless Walter Allen who invented the Allen Prototype Compound Bow, the bow that "forever changed archery".
This bow ws personally made by the famous Mescalero Chiricahua Apache War Chief Geronimo. Apparently he used to make quite a lot of them . This bow dates back to the late 19th Century and was made while Geronimo was captive in Florida.
In Australia, people of my generation are familiar with the stories of some of the great explorers such as Burke and Wills, Sturt and Eyre. In the US there are some equally impressive stories of exploration such as this one about Lewis and Clark:
Lewis and Clark set off from St Louis in 1803, travelled across the plains and the Rockies, reached the Pacific Ocean and travelled back to St. Louis. Their expedition took three years with only the loss of one lifeout of just 40 men and one woman who accompanied them. They doubled the landmass of the United States and made trading partners of numerous tribes. They collected and studied numerous examples of flora and fauna that provided material for scientific research for decades following their expedition. The incredible journey of the Corps of Discovery srt the stage for the USA to stretch from ocean to ocean.
My favourite department in the whole of the Bass Pro Shop was the one in which I found all these great signs:
. 
For those people who love a bit of chillie sauce, there was an extensive range from which to choose!!
And, here's a peek at some of the snacks available - either to nibble while you wander around the shop, or for when you're on your way to your next hunting or fishing expedition!
They also had a machine that I have seen in a fe other places we have visited. For the price of one dollar, you can insert a 1 cent coin and have it flattened! Do people do this?? (Sorry the image is is a little blurred)
After what felt like a brief wander, we met up with the rest of our group in the coffee shop and had a chat about some of the things we'd seen. Then it was back in the car and off to the next location...
... the Gay Parita Sinclair Gas Station which has been lovingly restored.
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| You can't miss our Aussie convoy! |
Jenny and I had to have a photo taken at this iconic location. The group of men .. who are all lovely .. have known each other since their school days, and they joined together for this trip to celebrate their 60th birthdays.
A few miles further down the road, past beautiful little typical American homes, another stop ...
in Spencer Missouri. Route 66 is many things to many people. Each person tends to experience the road differently. There is a certain spirit of courage and resilience that resides along "the Mother Road". The story behind Spencer is of one man's dream, Sidney Casey, who heard that the major east to west highway would be constructed through the centre of the United States. He found a tiny settlement that had disintegrated into a ghost town, on a part of the road that had become impassable. He wanted this dream so badly that he walked 100 miles to buy the property in July 1925 for $400.00. It was there that Sidney set up a business that would eventually service the travellers making the journey on Route 66. It was a garage, service station, cafe, grocery store, barber shop, post office and feed store. In its heyday, Spencer was an important stop along Route 66 with tourist cabins.
Back in the cars, and off we went again to our final stop of the day Red Oak II, a village of relocated and restored building from the surrounding area that has been created by an artist called Lowell Davis. He owned the land and hated to see all the disused buildings going being left to rot and the antique pieces of farm equipment going to waste. He decided to make them works of art. It was a fun place to visit.
Does the last picture give you some indication of the political persuasion of the artist?
We stayed the night in the Precious Moments Hotel in Carthage Missouri. After getting some washing done, we collapsed into bed and got a great night's sleep.
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