Day 2

After a lovely continental breakfast, we hit the road again.  This time we left a little before 9a.  We were blessed with another gorgeous day for travel.  Very few clouds in the sky!  After a quick 3 hr drive we stopped in St Louis, MO, which was new territory for these two Wallwork women.  

Our goal was to explore the Gateway Arch, which was completed in construction in the 1950s.  The idea behind the memorial was to commemorate the expansion westward (the arch is nicknamed, the Gateway to the West). We were lucky to not experience lines or crowds at all.  Our ride to the top was quick and provided an incredible view! The top of the arch is 630 feet, and from one point you can look out of  the window (which is actually quite small) and look straight down to observe both limbs of the arch. 

view from the top of the arch, which shows both limbs on R and L

PW looking out of the windows at the top of the arch

There was also a museum in the ground underneath the arch which went through the exploration of the West.  We went quickly through the exhibit and then set back on the highway.

Today was another great day for travel. Beautiful weather and views. Hardly any traffic, if any.  Illinois is very flat farm country.  Oddly enough, parts of Missouri resemble aspects of I-99 through Altoona and Bedford, PA.

We arrived in Oklahoma around 5pm and shortly after decided to venture off of  Interstate 44 and drive the historic Route 66.  This provided a quieter view of OK and it's farmlands.  And of course we saw plenty of the iconic old motels and diners.  Most of them seem pretty run down nowadays.

We stopped for dinner at a restaurant called 'Clantons' which my parents saw on the Food Network show, 'Diners, Dives, and Drive ins'.  This restaurant is famous for it's chicken fried steak and calf fries.  I'm excited and horrified to admit to trying both.  And let me tell you, both dishes..were...delicious.  That is all.

The owner of the restaurant was friendly and chatted with us a little.  He gave us pamphlets and reminded us to, "tell all your friends!" Very sweet :)

One of the best aspects of  the trip so far has been our tunes.  We've listened to everything from doo-wop to classic rock to country. It's been so neat travelling the old "historic" part of Route 66, however we were more than ready to rest and just relax in our hotel.

Well, tomorrow starts and early day through Oklahoma, Texas, and ending in New Mexico.  I'd like to share a quote I read in the museum under the arch in St Louis.  While our trip West is vastly different from theirs, I like the sentiment this person had in their experience leaving the familiar for the unknown.

"I.. turning about in my saddle took a farewell look in the direction from
which we came, conscious of having reached the dividing line between
the east and the west.." - William Johnston