Day 4: Lebanon, Missouri

We crossed over the Wabash river, Gateway to the West, and set the compass for St Louis. The flat farmlands continued but were occasionally dotted with oil wells. Passed through Salem - not very attractive but home to Miracle Whip (yuck), the GI Bill of Rights (yey) and the infamous prosecution of a schoolteacher for teaching evolution (!!). Decided to stop at Lebanon, Indiana, as Charles Dickens recommended it.

Had a delicious lunch of ice-creams and shakes, perfect fuel for the remainder of the journey on US 50. When we reached St Louis, we picked up Route 66. Well, sort off. At this point Route 66 is barely driveable, most of it taken over by the newer I44. However, we did our best and between St Louis and Lebanon, Missouri we switched between the two as and when we could. Some parts of the historic Route 66 are little more than a farm track with grass growing between the tracks.

We pulled over in Rolla at the Totem Pole Trading Post to stock up on 66 souvenirs and were given a rare half-dollar JFK coin by the delightful storekeeper who asked us to sign his visitors book. Also bumped into a very nice couple from Weymouth who were on Day 2 of their Route 66 travels. Compared notes and then drove the final stretch of the day to the iconic Munger Moss Motel for a well-deserved swim and a good night's sleep. Tomorrow is our longest drive so far, over 400m to Sayre, Oklahoma.

Today's Tune: Get Your Kicks on Route 66 by The Rolling Stones/Nat King Cole
Wildlife Watch: Bison (on a ranch - not wild!)