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 START FABLED ROUTE 66 AT ST LOUIS Satisfy your wanderlust along the world’s most fabled highway – Route 66. Enjoy the freedom of the road and explore retro roadside attractions on the St. Louis stretch of “The Mother Road”. Begin your “66” adventure at its St. Louis starting point: The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. The mile-long span was the original Route 66 crossing from Illinois into Missouri. Today, it’s the world’s longest pedestrian bridge, open daily so hikers and cyclists can thrill to the panoramic views high above the Mighty Mississippi. During late winter and early spring, it’s also the perfect place to spot American bald eagles. SAINT LOUIS HOTELS Route 66 wasn’t the first road west through St. Louis. The magnificent Gateway Arch, the monument to Thomas Jefferson’s dream of a continental United States, is the symbol of St. Louis and its role as the starting point for pioneers’ treks to the Left Coast. At the Museum of Westward Expansion beneath the Arch, learn how folks moved by Conestoga wagons instead of mini-vans. View the ribbon of modern roadways stretching out below from the 630-foot-high viewing platform at the top of the Arch. Trip the switch on your taste buds at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. This iconic Route 66 concession stand dishes out delectable chilled treats including signature “concretes” – milkshakes so thick they serve them to you upside down without spilling a delicious drop. Further on down the road, the Museum of Transportation’s collection of more than 300 trains, planes and vintage automobiles will put you into overdrive. At Route 66 State Park, fittingly located off I-44’s Exit 266, a former roadhouse is now a free museum with ephemera and exhibits about the Mother Road’s travel heydays. Within the park are seven miles of hiking, bicycling and horseback riding trails and a picnic area dotted with vintage highway signs. The oldest “66” tourist attraction remains the coolest. It’s always 60 degrees inside Meramec Caverns. Nicknamed “America’s Cave,” the amazing natural phenomenon served as a hideout for Missouri outlaws Jesse and Frank James. The cave’s awesome interior is five stories high. Interstate 44, the modern day replacement for Old Route 66, also offers free, off-ramp points-of-interest. Watch the road signs for exits to Laumeier Sculpture Park where monumental-sized contemporary sculptures blend into a natural environment. At Powder Valley Nature Reserve, family-friendly hiking trails and forest animal exhibits provide a leg-stretch stop. Animal attractions include Lone Elk Park’s drive-thru grazing range where elk and bison roam, the winged creature habitats at the World Bird Sanctuary, The Wild Canid Survival Center – a sanctuary for wolves – and Purina Farms, where city slickers can get up close to domestic farm animals. A ride out Route 66 lets you wander through tall grass prairie and fields brimming with wildflowers at Shaw Nature Reserve. And, you can get your kicks on the thrilling amusement rides at Six Flags St. Louis. Automobile enthusiasts can also take a spin off of “66” to visit other St. Louis area four-wheel attractions. The top names in professional racing zoom at Gateway International Raceway. Annual big racing events include NHRA Drag Racing and Sport Compact Series, NASCAR Busch and Craftsman Truck Series, motorcycle competitions and weekly drag racing. Get behind the wheel at the NASCAR Speedpark at St. Louis Mills outlet mall. Tot Rods, Junior Speedway and Family 500 vehicles allow all ages to cruise along an indoor and three outdoor tracks. The new Grand Prix Speedways offers European-style indoor carting for a real racing experience. From St. Louis, expand your All-American experience by following the “Best of 66” route east to Springfield, Illinois, and its starting point in Chicago. Minutes from downtown St. Louis, you can stop at Cahokia Mounds, a World Heritage Site. Preserved here are the remains of an ancient city built on earthen burial and ceremonial mounds that flourished from 700-1400 A.D. and then mysteriously disappeared. Back on the highway heading northeast, you’ll pass small towns that proudly display historic Route 66 road markers. Old-time sites include the vintage Sky View Drive-In Theatre in Litchfield, Illinois; in Springfield, Bill Shea’s Route 66 Gas Station Museum overflows with 80 years of the famous highway’s memorabilia; the landmark “Gemini Giant,” a hamburger stop’s looming mascot in Wilmington. Springfield also offers visitors a rare glimpse of America’s most famous president, Abraham Lincoln. Visit the amazing new Lincoln Presidential Museum, the Great Emancipator’s home, his law office and his final resting place. At the New Salem Historic Village interpreters reenact young Lincoln’s pioneer days. SPRINGFIELD HOTELS Taking the road westbound from St. Louis, discover the gorgeous Ozark Mountains. In Springfield, Missouri, a Civil War battlefield beckons, as does the original Bass Pro Outlet. The family entertainment mecca of Branson is off the Mother Road and Lebanon, Missouri, is home to the Route 66 Museum and Research Center, which is dedicated to preserving the history of “America’s Main Street.” MISSOURI HOTELS Photo: St. Louis' diverse and beautiful architectural styles are evident in the downtown skyline – Photo courtesy St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission |
ALL FEATURES Alabama Alabama Gulf Coast Alaska Cruising Southeast Alaska Arizona The Lure of The Grand Canyon Tombstone Arkansas Arkansas: The Natural State California Alcatraz "The Rock": Just Visiting A Sip of the California Delta Fisherman's Wharf Into the Blue of Lake Tahoe Movie Magic in California America's Food & Wine Capital California Offers Cool Shopping Sonoma Country Have a Whale of a Good Time Colorado As Colorado As It Gets! Connecticut Mystic Country DC Washington Washington DC's Monuments Delaware Delaware: The First State Florida Florida's Dynamic Downtowns Florida: Vacations for All Ages Greater Ft. Lauderdale Florida’s Gulf Island Coast Miami Luxury Hotels for Kids Too Orlando’ for Adults Too Georgia A Treasure on Georgia's Coast Columbus: A Genteel Rivertown Savannah: A Southern Belle Hawaii Hawaii's Big Island of Adventure Kauai: Adventures in Paradise The Many Faces of Maui Oahu's 112 Miles of Beaches Idaho Boise - Worth a Trip Illinois Chicago: Your Kind a' Town Get Your Kicks on Route 66 Indiana Indiana’s National Treasures Iowa Iowa’s Rich Landscape Kansas The Kansas Cowboy Experience Kentucky Folk Arts and Crafts Capital Louisiana New Orleans Carnival Baton Rouge Maine Outdoor Adventure in Maine Maine "Must-See" Maryland Historic Annapolis The Road Less Traveled Massachusetts A Massachusetts Getaway by the Sea Michigan Guide to Lansing's River Trail Minnesota Waterfalls Everywhere Mississippi Mississippi: Easy to Travel Missouri Route 66 Starts at St. Louis Montana Montana: Big Sky Country Nebraska Family and Frontier Fun Nevada Casino Getaways near Vegas Nevada's Intriguing State Parks Reno-Tahoe: Adventure Place New Hampshire Outdoor Adventure Summertime in New Hampshire New Jersey The Beach at Atlantic City New Jersey: Outdoor Adventures New Mexico Santa Fe: Chile Hot Art New York NYS Historical Amusement Parks New York's Cultural Treasures Nature’s Beauty at NYS Parks Niagara Falls and Beyond North Carolina Heart of Motorsports North Dakota Legendary Adventure Ohio Ohio: A World of Discovery Oklahoma A Walk on the Wild Side Oregon More Trails than Roads Pennsylvania Quirky Pennsylvania Scenic Pennsylvania Route 6 Rhode Island A Tiny Gem South Carolina Myrtle Beach South Dakota The Great Faces of South Dakota Tennessee Each Region so Different Tennessee For All Seasons Texas Texas: Arts and Culture Beaches of Texas On the Texas Forts Trail Texas Ranch Round-up Family Fun in Texas Utah Utah's Enduring Favorites Vermont Seasonal Vermont Virginia Virginia’s Historic Triangle Washington On the Water in Washington West Virginia Mountain State Heritage Wisconsin Explore Two Great Lakes Wyoming Better Than Your Dreams |
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