Some pics (and kicks) from Route 66

On our way back from Ken's mom's place in Springfield, Missouri, we stopped in Lebanon for a few pictures. Lebanon is the home of the Munger Moss Motel, and I've heard that it is well-maintained; our friend Laurel knows the owner, and assures me that it is a fine establishment and a great place to stay! It has an interesting history, and you can read about it on their website. I think the story of the creation of their pool is a neat one! There's also a gorgeous picture of the famous sign all lit up at night. It's a beauty!

Just from our quick look-see, the Munger Moss really is beautifully maintained. The red brick looks brand new, and the grounds look clean and well-cared for! Old motels, not just along Route 66, often get rundown and end up quite seedy and creepy. There were several in Illinois that Shane and I would have loved to stay at back in 2001, but after a drive-by, we realized it was not a very good idea at all! Even the beautiful Coral Court in St. Louis, which had an amazing architectural design, ended up a "no-tell motel." (I still want to write about the Coral Court, and how sad I am that it was demolished. Stay tuned.) Anyhoo, it's a pleasure to see one of Route 66's iconic motels so lovingly maintained, and alive and well!

Doesn't the sign look similar to the Holiday Inn signs? I don't know who designed the Munger Moss sign, but it came well before the Holiday Inn signs. Copycats! I'm including a larger picture here, because the slideshow is fairly tiny. Note that at the bottom of the classic googie sign is one of those yellow rental signs that says, "The Mother Road lives forever here." My caption for the picture is that it lives forever in our hearts, not just at the Munger Moss! (Also note that they offer free TV! Sweeeet!)

I was also pleased to see a few other old motels right around the Munger Moss, including the Forest Manor and the Holiday Motel. Those didn't look quite as well maintained, but I'm always happy when I get to see an old courtyard motel and some great signage, no matter how rundown! I had also totally forgotten that Wrink's Market is in Lebanon, so I had a moment of excitement when Ken said, "Look at the old market," and when I looked up, I said, "It's Wrink's! I've read about it!"

Ohhh man, I love the history of it all, and the way it fires my imagination! Does anyone have a clue as to why this fascinates me (and others) so? What is the lure of Route 66? What brings people from all over the world to travel what is left of the Road? All good questions, and I'll soon ponder my obsession passion while our brief foray is still fresh in my mind.

A (mostly) good trip

Ahhh, it's great to be home! It was sad to leave Ken's mom--she always hates to see us go, and it makes me feel bad--but Dorothy was right: there really is no place like home. Cousin Shane took good care of Sheeba, who was quite happy to see us. I suspect I'll have a kitty curled up right next to me tonight!

We left Springfield at 8 AM, and there was a little bit of snow overnight, so there was some black ice in the area. We were happy to get out of that, and most of the trip was uneventful after that...until we got to Carmel, which is a northern suburb of Indianapolis (it's where all the doctors live). From there until around Peru, Indiana (about 75 miles), it was slow going and nerve-wracking. That stretch of road is surrounded mostly by farmland that's as flat as a board, so when the winds are blowing from the west, the snow blows across the roadway. There wasn't a lot of snow, but there was enough to get the highway wet, and when the sun started going down, the temperature dropped. It was a skating rink!

Wow, there were slide-offs everywhere, police cars, ambulances...it was very tense for a while. Ken put the truck in 4-wheel drive, but that doesn't help on ice. We finally ran out of it by the time we got into familiar turf, about an hour south of Nutwood. Ken is about wiped, and I'm doing my best to get tired, but still fairly wide awake. I'm just thankful that we got home safe and sound!

Before I forget, rabbit rabbit rabbit! And happy December!

We stopped in Lebanon to get pictures of the Munger Moss, and I was pleased to see a few other older motels in the immediate vicinity. I'll try to get pictures edited tomorrow and get a slideshow up. The Munger Moss is a beauty, and the sign is an absolute classic! When we were in southern Illinois, we were getting seriously low on gas, so we had to stop at a town in southern Illinois called Highland. We found a neat little diner called Buzzie's. It's on US 40, which is another legendary road, also known as the National Road. Buzzie's was metal and glass brick, with a cool tile floor and walls, and the classic metal and plastic chairs and tables. I had a salad and BLT and Ken had a club sandwich, and it really hit the spot! I was inspired by the design on the table, and I'm thinking that I'll check into updating my blog with a funky retro motif. Only a thought at this point...easier said than done!

So it's a relief to be home, and I missed you all. I'll work on getting caught up tomorrow, but I've got groceries to get and there is laundry to be done. Please bear with me as I get back to our regularly scheduled program!