Our Journey To See History and Drive Historic RT 66

Up before sunrise headed out at 4:50 am for our Journey to See History. Look at the beautiful sunrise that we watched as the sun came up while we drove east.

Yesterday we finished driving the Historic RT 66 through Missouri. We went from St Clair MO to St James MO all the way on historic RT 66. We found some interesting sites along the way. We have now driven all of MO and KS on RT 66 so next we will start in OK.

Pictures in ST Clair MO on RT 66.

                                           Old bus stop at St Clair MO on rt 66 now a shop

                     Driving west on RT 66 you see the sign for Meramec Cavern as well as a little                                                  further along the barn with the cave advertisement on it.

                                                             

                                                            RT 66 Stanton MO

                                      Jesse James Was Museum along RT 66 in Stanton MO

                                   
                             

                                     Old Motel now abandoned along RT 66 in Stanton MO

                                                        Stanton MO along RT 66

                                                     Old resteraunt on RT 66 in Stanton MO

                  Old Wagon Wheel Motel along RT 66 in Cuba MO still in operation today

                                     Old Wagon Wheel Motel along RT 66 in Cuba MO

                                       Old Wagon Wheel Motel along RT 66 in Cuba MO

                                        Old Wagon Wheel Motel along RT 66 in Cuba MO

                                      Old Wagon Wheel Motel along RT 66 in Cuba MO

                                                     Shelly's RT 66 cafe Cuba MO 

                                   Old filling station now The Fourway restaurant Cuba MO RT66

                                    World's largest rocking chair Fanning MO along historic RT66

                      We decided to go see the old courthouses and the new one in Rolla MO 

                               1857 Dillon House and 1st Phelps County Courthouse Rolla MO.

                          Old Courthouse now Phelps County Historical Museum Rolla MO

On our way to St Clair we came across the town of Washington MO. It is a very interesting place with all the old brick buildings and river front park. We will be going back sometime soon to explore the shops and walk the main street. Here are some of the pictures we took as we drove through the town.

           Headed down to the river at Washington MO building straight ahead is and antique shop

                                                Part of downtown Washington MO

          River front park at Washington MO it was beautiful and peaceful. Lewis and Clark stopped                                                                                 here

                                  Looking back at city from the river park at Washington MO

                                                   Old train depot at Washington MO

                                                         Old homes of Washington MO

So many unique  shops to explore and to walk down the main street will be fun when we go back. Think a picnic at the river front park will be a good idea too.

We always like to make a big circle instead of going back the way we went so when we got to St James MO we jumped on I 44 and headed west to get to exit 1 and take it to KS where we could get on US 69 and head north. We saw a lot of pretty country by going the back roads, which is what we like to do is where you can see the beautiful and unusual sights so that is why we get off the interstate when we can. We went a total of 644 miles left home at 4:50 am and back home at 6:30 pm

We have always wanted to drive historic RT 66 but since at this time we can not drive it all at once we are breaking it up and driving what we can. Oklahoma Historic RT 66 here we come next time we feel nostalgic we shall drive and see what you have to offer us on our Journey To See History.

Our Journey To See History Over The Last Few Months

It has been awhile since I have posted anything but that is going to change. I had debated on shutting this blog down since I hadn't kept up with it lately and just didn't think it was of interest to anyone but me. Then I listened to rootstech livestream and they talked about the importance of  a journal and leaving the written word for our family to have, so I decided if for no other reason I will try to keep this blog going. It will be a journal of our trips, my thoughts and what is going on. I will still write a few devotions also along the way and maybe even share some of my poems from my booklet I have copyrighted and sent to the Library of Congress. We will see, but I sure would like to know if anyone is following along with me here on this blog. Just leave a comment or something so I know you are there.

My husband Mike and I have been doing what I like to call Journey's To See History and Find Ancestors. We have been traveling on Historic RT 66 in Missouri, Kansas and a small part of Oklahoma. Traveling the back roads and finding ghost towns along are journey has been interesting. We have found places we never new existed and yet wish we had found them sooner. It has been so much fun to go along to see things in the surrounding area going for a day or two. We have visited places our ancestors lived as well as did cemetery sleuthing of their final resting places. We have taken pictures of old buildings, some in places that our ancestors lived and would have seen when they were live, as well as courthouses, parks and the road we are traveling on. It has been a wonderful journey but it isn't done yet. We try to at least once a month if not once a week go on our journey to see history or find ancestors and their stomping grounds. I hope you enjoy traveling with us through pictures and comments and if you have any suggestions of places to see leave a comment.

I am sharing some of our earlier trips in pictures here today and will try to once a week share what we have been seeing.

Today is some of our first journeys when we went on. In July 2016 we went to Baxter Springs KS and drove the RT 66 through there. We went to the museum also which if you ever get a chance to do it is a wonderful museum, probably one of the best little museums I have been too.


We drove RT 66 from Baxter Springs KS to Miami OK.



This is an old RT 66 filling station that is now a RT 66 Museum

 Fort Blair Baxter Spring KS Where the Baxter Springs Massacre happened Oct 6, 1863

 National Cemetery Plot # 2 in Baxter Springs KS

 A few of the many displays at the Baxter Springs KS Museum

Downtown Baxter Springs KS
Downtown Miami OK and RT 66 Sign over road

I will continue to catch you up on our Journey's To See History in the next few days.