NO ROOM AT THE INN

 

More Route 66 neon. It would not occur to me to travel anywhere with an overnight stay without booking a hotel online in advance. It didn't used to be so. I remember a family road trip in my early teens up through New Hampshire to Quebec City. My father, who was, um, a bit of a character, drove up to the door of the Chateau Frontenac, expecting to put us up in style. Je suis désolé, monsieur, mais nous n'avons pas de chambres disponibles. Then we drove around for what seemed like a long time before ending up at Helen's Motel (sic., in English), which I recall being a bit of a dump but the kids loved it because they had a big trampoline. Vacancy.                  

ROUTE 66 NEON

 

Possibly signs that appeared along old US Route 66, or maybe just neon from a bye-gone era. Now the displays are all LEDs and Route 66 has been replaced by sections on the Interstate Highway system. More from the Missouri History Museum.                    

'57 Chevy

 

Another entry at the Missouri History Museum's classic car show. The cafe au lait brown color is unusual.  Note the top center, with the 50s-early 60s fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror. Since I am a Frank Zappa fan, the meme reminds me of one of my favorite Mothers of Invention tracks.                    

ULTRAMATIC

 

This is the rear of the automobile seen in yesterday's post, identified as a Packard by a friend. The antique car license plate indicates 1949. Just what Ultramatic means was left to the imagination of the buyer. Marketing hooey has old roots.                   

BACK IN THE USA

 

There are lots more images from our Central European expedition to edit, and I'll probably put more on Facebook, but it's time to be home. This weekend is the 100th anniversary of the official designation of Route 66, sometimes referred to as America's Mother Road. It starts in Chicago, passes through St. Louis (quite close to our home), and then gradually southwest to Los Angeles. Readers may know the song, with popular covers by St. Louisan Chuck Berry or the Rolling Stones. 

There was a weekend festival to mark the occasion at the Missouri History Museum. One feature was a line-up of classic cars that may have plied the road. This is a 1939 Cadillac La Salle ambulance. Make way.                   

GET YOUR KICKS

My granddaughter. Ellie, was invited to a birthday party yesterday at a venue meant for kid craziness called Incredible Pizza Company. There is an all-you-can-eat buffet of pizza, tacos, hot dogs, salad and sweets, all cheap but edible.The main attraction is an enormous arcade of every kind of electronic game, plus a mini roller coaster, bumper cars, laser tag and I don't know what else. The kid had a ball.

The entryway celebrates old US Route 66, which went from Chicago to Los Angeles, with STL being a major node on the route. Think of the song Route 66, with best known versions by Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones. https://youtu.be/tg2EbJy-9dc               

IT WINDS FROM CHICAGO TO LA, OVER 2,000 MILES ALL THE WAY

I wanted to post a picture of an unusual design feature of the Chain of Rocks Bridge but I'm going to have  to go back and find a better viewpoint. For now, we have this marker on the eastern side in Illinois. Route 66, made most famous by St. Louisan Chuck Berry, is no longer an official U.S. highway designation. But as the song had it

Well it goes from St Louis, Joplin, Missouri
Oklahoma City looks ooh, so pretty
You'll see Amarillo and Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona don't forget Winona
Kingsman, Barstow, San Bernadino    

The original route ran within a moderate walk of my home.. Now it's something to remember and perhaps make a buck off.       

Vacancy

There is an exhibit at the Missouri History Museum about old Route 66. You know the tune, sung here by our own Chuck Berry. It has been superseded by Interstates 44 and 55 in this part of the country but technically still exists. 

It is well known locally for the string of small independent motels along what is now Watson Road in the inner suburbs. A few are still there but the most famous - or infamous - the Coral Courts, is long gone. It was known for its unique art deco architecture, enclosed garages and short term rates, making it St. Louis' quintessential no-tell motel. Even the New York Times took notice.