Fall Kicks on Route 66

It all began bright and early on Tuesday morning, 10/15.  We had packed and prepped for days before and we were more than ready to hit the road.  Day one we traveled north through Eastern Colorado, along a quiet two-lane highway - CO71 - with our sights set on Ogallala State Park in Western Nebraska.

Ogallala has the big lake - Lake McConaughy, formed by a dam - where we stayed in summer of 2023.  We had been told by many that it was a fun park to visit.  It certainly did have some nice sandy beaches, but we were not impressed.  As we made our arrival at that time we spied another small park on the lower side of the dam.  It looked to be more our style, and we had filed the possibility for another visit in the archives.

The opportunity for it to be our first stop on this trip was the time to recall that info.  It was all we could have hoped for.  Given the time of year, it was a quiet park with few campers and pleasant weather.  We settled in quickly and enjoyed a bike ride on a trail.  It was the first time in over a year that we have actually pedaled our bikes, and it took a little extra attention to stay upright through a few sandy spots on the trail.  Don't ask me how I know this... ;)  All is well that ends well... It was a lovely evening!

Day two was a much shorter drive since we were making a stop in Omaha to visit with friends that we have not seen in over 20 years.  There was a small recreation area and pond that had campsites available on a first come-first serve basis, so we got an early start.  The campground host told us there was walking path that went around the lake.  After touching base with our friends and getting settled we went exploring.  

We discovered that the path did not actually go around the lake (at least we did not find that part of the path).  It was a very nice path that wound its way through several subdivisions.  We ended up walking our bikes along the side of a heavily traveled road (without sidewalks) in order to make it back to the campground.  Oooops! oh, well.  With the help of the GPS we made it... though we found out that it would not be the first time we argued with "Mo" in the trip.

Dinner and conversation were fabulous.

Day three was a long day of driving... all the way across Iowa to Elgin, IL where we called the Paul Wolff Nature Preserve "home" for 4 nights.  We arrived just before sunset and were able to enjoy a quick walk around the campground before it turned dark.

We were excited that we were settled in for several days and we looked forward to the opportunities for more bike rides.  Friday morning was such a chance.  This trail had a few hills, roots and ruts.  Let me state that this time, I was not the one that struggled to stay upright.  Again, all is well that ends well. ;)  The colors were swinging into high gear for showing off.  It was beautiful, and again the weather was pleasant and would be in a holding pattern throughout the weekend.

We joined two of Dave's HS classmates for dinner... again, fabulous dinners and conversation.  Though one of the classmates had admitted to not feeling 100% so we avoided handshakes and hugs.  (I believe this was the little bug that has had me under the weather.  Boo... :( )  

Dinner was briefly interrupted by a phone conversation with the realtor of Mom's house telling us we had received multiple offers and that a bidding war would be taking place.  Thanks to modern technology all paperwork was able to be managed electronically.  (In the matter of a few days, an offer was accepted and contracts signed... only to have the buyer then terminate the contract because they did not like the results of the inspection. Well, darn it!)

Time with family at the wedding was precious.  It was evident that the Bride and Groom were happy that their day had finally arrived.  <3  

There was an opportunity to catch up between the ceremony and the reception when some of us dropped into a small cantina for some quesadillas, chips and salsa and drinks.  The reception followed a short time later at an upscale country club, the likes of which many of us will likely never see again.  WoW!  Though we should not have been too surprised since the invitation did state "black tie optional". 

The bride is the oldest of five children and the only daughter.  Daddy-o did not spare a single expense.  The live band was excellent and had a wide variety of songs that they played very well.  The food was top notch, and they were able to meet my special dietary needs without complaint or questions.  Because the evening was a little cool, there were wraps for the ladies.  There was a cigar bar available to anyone that was interested, and a photo booth.  A few hours after dinner there was a "snack bar" with sliders, hotdogs, French fries and more... as well as a donut board with small to-go boxes for the donuts.  They also had small coffee cup carriers with small packages of coffee.

It was a fun evening that carried over to the next morning for Dave as he enjoyed his coffee and chocolate donuts!

Following Sunday worship, we loaded our bikes into the back of the truck and headed to the Prairie Trail bike/walking path.  The day was absolutely gorgeous as we traveled the path from Carpentersville to Algonquin where we enjoyed lunch along the Fox River.  When we finished our portable charcutier board we rode from Algonquin to Dundee (and then back to the truck in Carpentersville).  Round trip, it was 10.6 miles... and we didn't even break a sweat!  

It's easy when it is relatively flat and a much lower altitude than at home.  (Have I mentioned that we are considering riding in a Dirt Road race that has become an annual event here in Trinidad?  They have 3 courses... 40 miles, 70 miles and 110.  Being the novices we are, the 40-mile course will be our goal. But we have a loooooooooooooong way to go and train.)

We rewarded ourselves with a happy hour drink and a serving of ice cream.  And then joined two of Dave's sibs and their spouses for dinner.  Again, a great meal and fun conversation.  Alas, it was time to say our farewells.  

Day 7 was the kick-off of our Route 66 adventures.  We picked up Rt66 in Dwight, IL, where IL-47 and 66 intersected.  There was a cute little service station where we stopped to drop a pin in their map and snap a few pics.  We were the first to mark Trinidad, CO :)  Go figure!  

We definitely had fun along the way!  Though we ended up arguing with our GPS a time or two again as we made our way to a campground at the IL State Fair Grounds in springfield, IL.

Dave is such a social butterfly, he quickly made friends with a couple that was nearby - Paul and Vicki.  We enjoyed the evening as we all shared stories of camping adventures. (This is the second possible contamination point for the nasty cough, as they were both sick.  They did not reveal this matter until well into our visit... and they both extended handshakes.)  We got some tips from them about some sights to see in Springfield.

Day 8 was spent visiting Lincoln's Tomb, his home, the State Capitol and the Dana-Thomas home that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  There was also a "Route 66 experience" located in the State Fair Grounds that featured an assortment of neon signs.

I was disappointed in the FLW house... aside from the fact that the tour guide had a nasty sinus infection that disgusted both of us nearly to the point of gagging (exposure #3?), photos and videos were not allowed - the ones I have here were downloaded from the internet - and there was no gift shop... of any sort!  No pamphlets or brochures with information.  Nothing!

On day 9 we had a destination of St. Louis.  It was just a short jaunt, but via the original highway, it was slow.  We argued again with our GPS and ended up on a little detour taking us to a brick section of the original route, but we missed the covered bridge that we had desired to see.  (For those wondering, we were using the roadtripper Route 66 app. There were features that we disliked... like there were no voice commands and the map would not rotate when you turned the phone horizontal.)  We did discover the Cahokia Mounds that were quite interesting.

St Louis was within our sights from the top of the mound and the Great Archway was to be our next stop.  We ended up doing a drive-by because it was nearly impossible for us to navigate the area while towing our trailer and find parking.  We should have done a little more investigation before trying that.  Lesson learned. 

We quickly made our way to our spot for the night... a hipcamp spot that our friends have.  They own a beautiful home on the side of a rock bluff.  The driveway was quite steep, but we Dave navigated it well.  We got settled in and made our way to their home at the top of the road.  

We met Ivan and Meghan at church 14 years ago.  They were pregnant with their first child.  I was blessed to be able to offer daycare for Caia from age 6 weeks until they left in 2013.  In the short few years that they lived in Trinidad, their family grew to four.  Their family has continued to grow over the years, and they now have seven children.  All such a delight to be with.

After saying a quick good-bye to our friends on Day 10, we made a stop at the Meramac Caverns, it was an interesting tour and we picked up some small gifts for the grands and Dave purchased some chocolate/peanut butter fudge.

As we left the caverns we were arguing, once again, with the GPS.  We were needing to get some distance behind us, so we decided it was best to follow the interstate to Springfield, MO.  

Neither of us have ever traveled through Missouri and I have to say it was beautiful with the rock bluffs and the fall colors.  Stunning! And it is an area we would like to explore further.

As I researched sites to visit in Springfield, MO, we decided that a visit to the Pythian Castle was in order. 

Unfortunately, the only tour we would be able to make was an evening "ghost tour".  I was interested in the history of the building and its use as a POW prison during WWII.

At this point, we were beginning to be weary of the routine of driving and searching for a place to land for the night.  Our campsite on this night was in an RV park that was in the back parking lot of a "cafe" located quite close to a major intersection of interstates.  We kept reminding ourselves that we just needed a place to park for the night. ;)  The need for heat was gone so the use of the AC fan to mask some of the road noise helped us get through it.

Day 11 was started with a quick stop at a Walgreens to pick up some supplements to stave off the tickle/congestion that was beginning, though we both tried to ignore it. :(  

On our drive to Tulsa, OK we passed over all 17 miles of Route 66 that crosses Kansas.  We had to make a few stops for photos, of course!  Dave needed a picture of the truck/trailer on the Rainbow Bridge.

I had insisted that we stop in Catoosa, OK to see the blue whale.

After the night in the previous night's parking lot, I had thought that would be the worst night... Ummm... nope.  We felt lucky to find a spot that was open on a Friday evening, even if that meant that the spot was located next to a convergence of interstates again... this time next to a storage unit facility and surrounded with some long-term rental spots that looked... well, I will simply state that I just hoped no bugs or rodents would decide to jump over to our rig!  Ugh...  Again, thanks to the fan on our AC unit, we were able to get a little sleep.

It was now Saturday morning and Day 12, and we were bound for the OKC Bombing memorial site.  Thankfully, we were able to locate a place on a street in a safer looking area within walking distance to the Memorial.  It was a somber and deeply emotional morning, but we are so both glad that we were able to make the visit.  

Dave had stated that he didn't really remember hearing much of the event.  As we reflected on why, realizing that we had just made the move to CO (having a new job and trying to stay a step ahead of the students) and had received the news that his Mom had been placed on Hospice care... We were simply waiting to receive the phone call stating she had passed away (which came just three days later).  It is pretty interesting to look back and see the difference in the media coverage that took place in 1995 vs 2001, just 6 years later when the Twin Towers had been attacked.

After a lunch in the camper, we hit the road again and found a small campground a little farther off the highway near Foss, OK.  There wasn't a lot to see in the way of scenery... no rolling hills or rock bluffs, not much color, and a much drier climate.  But the sunset was beautiful!

Based on the Route 66 app, Amarillo would be our next major stop.  Via the old highway it would have taken 5+ hours to get there.  Based on the maps app, we could be there (via interstate) in 1-1/2 hours... and home in about 7 hours of driving.

If we continued with Route 66 we would be 3-4 more days on the road.  We were watching the weather reports and high winds were to be arriving in 2 days, which meant we would be driving our last leg of the trip in the high winds. :/  It was at that point that we opted for the jaunt home.

We will someday pick it up again...

We were both a bit disappointed that we didn't "finish" what we started, but we were in agreement that it was time to return home.  We learned that we definitely like to stay put in one place for at least 2 nights and want to have the chance to explore more small towns. The more we travel, the more places we discover that we want to investigate more closely... Like Missouri and I'd love to explore some of the Laura Ingalls Wilder homesteads and sites.

Is there a particular area that you would like to visit and explore?

(Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you!)

Throughout most of the trip I refrained from doing much quilting so that I was able to fully enjoy the road trip and views (and help navigate/argue with the GPS).  We listened to several books via our Libby App, including... (finishing) Where the Crawdads Sing, Dances with Wolves, Come Rain or Come Shine (a part of the Mitford Series by Jan Karon), and The Shack.

Once we decided to head home, I pulled out my hand-quilting project since we were in familiar territory.  

For now, the camper has been unloaded and winterized... though that doesn't mean that we can't still go camping in November.  That is if this snowy weather we have had this week will allow for the return of an "Indian Summer."  We have enjoyed several trips in our area mid to late November!

I will soon be prepping the camping journal blocks that will represent this trip.  Thanks for tagging along with me on our journey!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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