YES, VIRGINIA, THERE IS A TOWN CALLED COLO IN IOWA

After Belle Plaine, we went thru Chelsea, Tama, Montour, Le Grand, Marshalltown, State Center and took a break in Colo for pie and coffee.

The sky started to get dark when we got to King Tower Cafe in Tama. The neon Indian head sign was still there but the notice on the door informed us that "due to the changes and road closing" the cafe has gone out of business. Perhaps someone would re-open the cafe in the future so we could sit in the comfy booth and have a piece of the famous rhubarb pie. I hope the waitress who knew everyone by name and called the guests "honey" will also come back.

This concrete bridge, built in 1915, on the east end of Tama has "Lincoln Highway" in both of its side rails.

Here at Rube's Steakhouse & Lounge on Elm Street in Montour, Iowa, customers get to grill their own steaks. Glen Rubenbauer (where the name "Rube" came from) opened the tavern in 1973. To make sure the tavern never ran out of steaks, a meat store was opened across the street in 1992. Visit www.rubesmeat.com if you wish to have the steaks shipped to your home.

Inside Niland's Cafe were decoration on the history of Lincoln Highway and other highways. The cafe and gas station were from 1920 and the motel was added in 1940. The lady who worked at the cafe told us that her son works for the street department in the City of St. Louis. It sure is a small world.

It started raining again when we were leaving Colo. We continued to follow US30 thru Nevada, Ames, Boone, Ogden, Beaver, Grand Junction (we stopped to take photos of the trio of concrete bridges), Jefferson, Scranton (we only found one of the pair of Lincoln busts), Ralston, Glidden, Carroll, Westside, Denison (Donna Reed's hometown), Logan, Missouri Valley and crossed the Missouri River into Nebraska around 5:25 p.m.

We were getting tired and decided to spend the night in Columbus, Nebraska. I called my sister CH to touch base. CH and QQ were somewhere in North Carolina. They were on their way to Atlanta, Georgia. My Dad used to say, "Cai nha co chung no cung di", if the house has legs, it would probably be on a trip too :)

LINCOLN CAFE - BELLE PLAINE, IOWA

Saturday, September 3rd - It was cloudy in the morning and after we got on the road the rain came down so hard that we could not get out to take photos of the Youngville Station and Cafe in Watkins, Iowa.

Youngville Station and Cafe was an excellent example of restoration. It was listed on the National Register in 2007. The town of Youngville does not exist, only a nice name, fitting for this 1931 rural station on Lincoln Highway. It was drizzling when we got to Belle Plaine.

It was already 10:30 am and perfect time to stop at Lincoln Cafe for breakfast. Everyone looked up and smiled at us when we walked in. They probably watched us taking photos outside. Or the way my husband kept moving his Mustang to get in the exact good parking spot, away from the puddle.

The small dining room at Lincoln Cafe was cozy and so welcome. The server was so kind to explain to us about all the murals around town. We joined in when a table next to us talked about the Iowa v. Illinois football game that night.

There were a lot of street improvement as Belle Plaine was getting ready for its Centennial celebration in 2012.

I did not take photos of all the murals around town. I thought the above 3-D was special and interesting.

After watching the train went by at a nearby depot, we were back on the road.

(Saturday, October 1st - This is the first weekend that we have no scheduled activities. We were out of town the first three weekends in September. It is nice just to relax and do nothing, well almost nothing. It is sunny and in the upper 50's so we decided to steamed clean the carpet in the kitchen and the family room. The other rooms will be cleaned in the Spring.)

COINCIDENCE OR GUARDIAN ANGELS AT WORK?

This is a true story and you decide whether it is coincidence or guardian angels were at work.

This event happened on Friday, June 26th, the 2nd day of our recent Route 66 adventure. We got up around 6:30 a.m., took showers and were ready to get on the road. I put my contact lenses in but the right lense gave me trouble. So I took it out and tried to rinse off whatever was on the lense that caused the irritation. After the third time of taking the lense out and putting it back on, I decided to open a new package for a fresh lense (good thing the lenses were disposable). We finally left Tucumcari, New Mexico at around 8:00 a.m., half an hour later than we had planned. At 9:10 a.m. we decided to stop in Santa Rosa and thought the Silver Moon Café would be a good place to enjoy a nice breakfast. One table with a family of 4 was eating, and a couple at another table just got their food served as we walked in. After we were seated, another couple came thru the door. We informed a 30-something waitress that we were ready to place our order when she brought us coffee. Another waitress in her 60s took care of the other customers. Half an hour later, we still did not get the scrambled eggs, ham and toast for me and an egg with American cheese omelet with toast for my husband. We inquired and were told it would be ready in a few minutes. We exchanged disappointing looks with the other customers and we all questioned the reasons for the delay when the place was almost empty. We finally got our food and got on the road at 10:45 a.m.

Ten minutes later, we encountered heavy traffic going westbound on I-40. Motorists were directed to use the right shoulder while the eastbound was completely shutdown. I was able to take these photos while emergency vehicles were still on the scene.

It looks like the driver of the 18-wheeler lost control, coming from the eastbound direction, crashed thru the median and jack-knifed with the trailer and the heavy load blocking 2/3 of the westbound lanes.

I was not happy when the right contact lense gave me trouble earlier. We were upset when the service at Silver Moon Café was unreasonable slow. Then we realized if it was not for the delay, we could have been on the road where the 18-wheeler came crashing thru. Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time!

Is it coincidence or guardian angels were at work, you decide. Do you have a similar story you wish to share?

POWER HOUSE AND ROADKILL CAFE

The Power House Visitors’ Center is headquarters for Arizona’s Route 66 Association and has a nice museum and gift shop. For this road trip, we have planned to give Arizona not only our moral support but also financial support by spending extra nights in the State, shopping at local stores and making purchases at visitors' gift shops.

Monday, June 28th, at 12:47 p.m., we finally reached two of Route 66 most famous towns, Seligman and Kingman. Once you see this tower, there would be no mistake that you are in Kingman, Arizona.

Above is the Hotel Beale sign, opened in 1899, still standing after more than 100 years.
Below is the Hill Top Motel (1954) still has its 1950s charm and the best view of the Hualapai Mountains.

Below is Route 66 Motel still has the great flashing arrow neon sign. It was known as the Pony Soldier Motel of Kingman.

Seligman was previously known as Prescott Junction, where the Prescott and Arizona Central Railroad met the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (now the BNSF). The town was renamed Seligman after a prominent New York banker, Jesse Seligman, came to town, financed the railroad construction and decided that Prescott Junction should be re-named since Mr. Seligman brought such prosperity to the town.

Roadkill 66 Café where roadkill is always fresh! Step inside and you would be transported back to an old west saloon with pictures, antiques and a large display of hunting trophies! The menu includes items such as Tire Tread Buff (Buffalo Burger),The chicken that Almost crossed the road (Fried Chicken), Road Side Remnants (Popcorn Shrimp) and Long Gone Fawn (6 oz. Steak).

Historic Route 66 Motel, above, formerly named the Navajo Motel, went thru a complete renovation in recent years.

Below is Westside Lilo’s Café features American and German cuisine. Who would have thought finding German cuisine in Seligman, Arizona?

Thanks to local barber Angel Delgadillo and other founders of the Arizona Historic Route 66 Association, who recognized that the heritage of Route 66 was vital to America’s history. Their hard work in keeping the Mother Road alive and “kicking”, so that Americans and people from around the world were able to experience the real charm of Main Streets of America.

Copper Cart is one of the vintage restaurants along the stretch of Route 66 running through downtown Seligman.

This building was an old gas station that was closed in 1985 and was turned into a museum and a gift shop, named "Return to the 50's Museum and Gift Shop", how appropriate!

ALL ABOARD IN WILLIAMS, ARIZONA

Monday, June 28th, at 10:15 a.m. we continued our westward trip thru Williams, Arizona. The town was named for Bill Williams, a well-known fur trapper, one of the first white settlers in the area.

Williams known as the Gateway to the Grand Canyon, due to the Grand Canyon Railway which offers train rides in restored 1880s coaches, pulled by a vintage steam engine, for daily visits to the Grand Canyon National Park. Until 1927, more than half of the visitors to the canyon boarded the railway from Williams to the south rim.

Williams also is known as the last town to be bypassed by the interstates. Once the construction of the I-40 is completed, on October 13, 1984, people were able to drive from Chicago to California, non-stop on interstates, without encountering a single traffic light.

Mr. Bill Williams standing tall, looking as if he was pleased with his latest trade!

Twisters, is a Route 66 souvenirs shop, serving chocolate sundae, and features retro-50 soda fountains.
Rod’s Steak House, has been serving steaks since 1945.

Above is the Red Garter Bed and Bakery, an 1897 bordello structure. Look closely and you will see the “lady” leaning out a window, waiting for any “gentleman” might be looking for entertainment for the evening.

Part of the fun when travelling Route 66 is to find vintage items such as this neon Cocktails and Package Goods sign.

4,437 MILES

We did it! We drove 4,437 miles from St. Louis, crossed the state lines into Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and on Tuesday, June 29th reached the End of the Trail in Santa Monica, California and then back to St. Louis on Saturday, July 3rd. Our 2010 Route 66 week-long Adventure began on Thursday, June 24th. Since we already covered all of Route 66 in Missouri, Kansas and part of Oklahoma last October, we took I-44 all the way to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

I finally sorted thru 2,000+ photos in 5 memory cards from 3 cameras, two Sony Cybershots and a Canon Powershot. Whenever the battery ran out on one camera, I just took out the next camera and continued shooting - the wonder of digital cameras!

June 24th, we left work early and were on the road at 4:15 p.m., stopped at a diner in St. Robert, Missouri and then spent the night in Joplin, Missouri.

The next day, Friday, June 25th was the beginning of a jam-packed week-long schedule. After a full complimentary breakfast at the hotel, we were on the road around 7:05 a.m. It did not take us long to cross into Oklahoma. After paying $4.00 toll at Will Rogers Turnpike and another $4.00 at Turner Turnpike, we stopped for a lunch break at Banh Mi Ba Le in Oklahoma City. This little triangular building with the giant milk bottle on top (above photo) was originally a small grocery, now home to Saigon Baguette, a French-Vietnamese bakery serving Banh Mi, hearty sandwiches that taste just the way I used to eat in Viet Nam. We got Banh Mi Ga (chicken) for my husband and Banh Mi Gio Cha (pork) satisfied my hunger and brought back wonderful childhood memory.

We took turn driving and also regular breaks at rest areas or truck stops, filled up the gas tank and re-stocked the cooler with cold water bottles and snacks. We spent about an hour at the National Route 66 Museum (above photo) in Elk City, Oklahoma. We crossed into Texas, the Lone Star State, at 3:45 p.m. and decided to stay on I-44 until we got to Groom. It was one of my must-stop because I wanted to visit the 190 feet giant cross (below photo) and the outdoor sculptures of Stations of the Cross. From Groom, we drove on Route 66 into Amarillo.

It was about 6:15 p.m. when we got to Amarillo, just in time for a nice steak dinner at the Big Texan Steak Ranch (below photo). We did not attempt to take on the challenge of finishing up the 72-ounce steak in one hour!

We felt a kind of accomplishment when we reached Midpoint Café in Adrian (above photo) and saw the slogan, “When You’re Here, You’re Halfway There”. The café was closed since it already passed 8:00 p.m., therefore we did not get a chance to enjoy its famous “ugly crust” pies!

Twenty minutes later, we crossed into New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. A sign advising travelers that we have entered Mountain Time. We gained extra daytime by turning our watch back one hour but we started to get tired being on the road the last 13+ hours. We spent the second night of the trip in Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Saturday, June 26th, we were on the road at 8:00 a.m. and then breakfast at the Silver Moon Café in Santa Rosa. At this point, it was a bit confusing with so many options of pre-1937 route and various loops, we spent more time than planned around Los Lunas, then encountered traffic jam and road construction around Albuquerque. It was time for lunch when we finally arrived in Grants. Later, we made time for pie and coffee at the historic El Rancho Hotel in Gallup (below photo).

At 6:20 p.m. we crossed the state line and received a warm welcome from Arizona, the Grand Canyon State.

TUESDAY TWO - FLAGS AND THE BLUES BROTHERS

Above photo was taken when we stopped at a rest area near Joliet, Illinois. Looking at the sunny blue sky we would not expect that a storm was waiting just down the road. Good thing my husband was driving because the rain was pouring down like a curtain of water. I felt as if we were driving thru a car wash! A lot of vehicles pulled over the side of the road or sought shelter under the bridge while those continued driving with 4-way flashers on at very slow page, about 30 mph, on the interstate!
Below photo of the legendary Chicago Blues Brothers was taken when we stopped by Polk-A-Dot Drive In in Braidwood. Benjamin joined in the act as he was feeling a bit blue!
We decided to seek overnight accomodation for Saturday night in Romeoville. The Blues Brothers and Betty Boop greeted us as we walked into a dinner called "That 50's Place". Sunday morning we got up real early to drive into downtown Chicago, spend about an hour and started driving back to St. Louis. It was a nice weekend trip on Route 66.