Day 3 – Springfield Illinois to Rolla Missouri - distance – 225 miles

Today we travelled through Illinois into Missouri.  It’s quite interesting to watch the group gel.  Each person who comes on this trip is usually doing it for a reason or a challenge.  This is very much the case within our group of 18, with some quite poignant stories to boot.  But equally what is becoming so evident is that we are honouring those people who originally travelled Route 66 in the belief that they were travelling to prosperity in the West.  They may not have made it right the way across and they may also have set up many small communities along the way, some we shall visit.  Many of which now sadly have been lost due to interstates being built completely by passing towns and leaving them to die.

Upon leaving Springfield we travel south west.  Unfortunately time did not allow us to travel along the strip of brick (red not yellow) road between Chatham and Auburn.  This brickwork is evident at many of the museums and places of interest that we visit.

We pass through Virden stopping briefly to look at the murals and bronze reliefs’ sculptures in honour of the miners.  We make a coffee break in Carlinville. A typical mid-west American town with central square and band stand and shops located around the square offers a brief respite and time to watch the town go by. The buildings are all circa 1900 – 1930’s giving evidence of the prosperity when Route 66 went through the town.  Some are very ornate, and our coffee shop had the most fabulous stucco ceiling.

Carlinville Town Square

Beautiful stucco ceiling

Back on the road we continue down the 1926 – 1930 concrete roads. A real bone crunching experience! This continues down to St Louis where we are privileged to be allowed to cross the Chain of Rocks Bridge which bridges the Mississippi river. (All 1 mile of muddy water) It is an unusual bridge with a 22 degree turn in the middle where the two sides being built didn’t quite meet. John is still coming to grips with “the beast” and managing the turns is proving to be a challenge on the wrists and balance we manage to droop the bike, and Wendy pays a visit into a puddle!

Chain of Rocks bridge - showing 22% bend where two middles didn't meet

Wendy on Chain of Rocks bridge looking up to St Louis and the muddy Mississippi

Group photo on the bridge

We climb into the Ozark Mountains and Mark Twain National Forest. A trip to the Meramec Caverns in the rain is not fun. Another long day and everyone is tired. We arrive too late to actually go into the caves but enjoy a very good ice cream. The caves were evidently the hide out of Jesse James, and have some fascinating finds from the Civil war.

Back onto the interstate and we finally arrive at Rolla and our stop for the night. Gary (Bear) the guide organises an impromptu bar in the parking lot, and the evening is spent getting to know others in the group.