Planning My Route
When I decided to take a trip out to Hershey, Pennsylvania for the America’s Largest RV Show, I thought I would make it a true road trip adventure. I had a few ways to make this happen, but I thought what better RV trip is there than Historic Route 66? So, with my RV packed and my dog Belle, I left Colorado and headed to New Mexico to start the adventure. Route 66, often called the Mother Road, would take me as far as Illinois before I would turn towards Pennsylvania for the show.
I used Google Maps and searched for Route 66 attractions to see what would be along my path. Of course, I already knew of some famous attractions, but I wanted to make sure to stop at some lesser-known spots, diners, and restaurants along the way. Even with some planning, I still managed to miss some things due to short hours of operation and the limited time I could spend in each state, but here is what I did see and learn.
New Mexico
I thought a bit of a history lesson would be a good way to start this trip, so I planned my first stop at the New Mexico Route 66 Museum. There I met Jim and Ken who were very helpful in sharing some of the Route 66 history with me. I was also able to browse the collection of classic cars, road signs, and the world’s largest Route 66 photo exhibit. I’m a big fan of classic cars, and the museum had some beauties, some even for sale! I learned that barbed wire, also called the devil’s rope, has a deep history with Route 66 and there is even a Devil’s Rope Museum in Texas. I learned that barbed wire was invented in 1867 and was used to control cattle breeding and to protect crops.
Texas
When I decided to do a Route 66 trip, I went on social media and asked for recommendations of where to stop and eat. I received more votes for Midpoint Café than any other spot along the Route, so I made it a must-see and it did not disappoint. First, the staff was incredibly friendly, and second, the food was great; I would describe it as a great comfort food spot. They were all out of their famous Elvis pie, so I had some homemade chocolate peanut butter pie. I also had a Hatch Chile grilled cheese sandwich and some potato salad that Belle helped me with.
I don’t like leaving Belle in parking lots alone for long, so I usually always get my food to go. She likes the company and loves when I share my bounty with her. Midpoint Café also had a very cute gift shop where I bought a Route 66 patch.
With our bellies full we headed to Cadillac Ranch, located only 40 miles away from Midpoint Café. I had purposely brought a can of yellow spray paint with me as you are allowed to paint on the cars at the ranch. I was planning on painting a happy face with the words “safe travels” around it. Unfortunately, there was a pretty good size mud pit around the cars preventing Belle and me from getting close, but I was able to get some good photos of Belle in front of the cars, so that is a win in my book.
We then made a quick stop at the Leaning Tower of Texas, a water tower that was purposely planted on a slant to lure people to the area to sit down and eat at Britten’s truck stop and get some service done. This tactic apparently worked very well until the truck stop burned down in the mid-1980s.
Oklahoma
After a great overnight stay at the Oklahoma Welcome Center, Belle and I got back onto Route 66 and traveled to Elk City for the National Route 66 and Transportation Museum. This is an eighteen-building museum and only costs $5. The self-guided tour started with a fifteen-minute movie and covered more than just the Route 66 history in Oklahoma, this museum was about the history of the entire stretch of the historic road. I am pretty much a big kid so the highlight of this museum for me was being able to slide down the retired Elk City firehouse pole. The museum tells the tale of early pioneers, Native Americans, and what farm life looked like along the early days of the Mother Road. One of the things I liked about this museum was that it was partially outdoors, so I could go back to my RV to check on Belle as I was at the museum for about three hours.
After leaving the museum we went to the Blue Whale of Catoosa, which sits partially in a pond where we saw several turtles. There was a small shop on the property that sold turtle food, but it was closed while we were there. This was another fun photo opportunity for me to take photos of Belle with the whale structure. We weren’t at this location too long, maybe thirty minutes then we hit the road again.
Then we stopped at Ed Galloway Totem Pole Park, home to the world’s largest concrete totem pole. This park was a great spot for us to stop and relax. We had lunch in the park that overlooked the totem pole, it has a beautiful design that is full of colorful images of Native Americans, animals, and maybe aliens. Hopefully, someone in the comment section can confirm or deny my claim here by looking at these photos.
Missouri
The next day we started in Missouri after sleeping at the Missouri Welcome Center. This was a unique rest area and probably my favorite of all time. We had dedicated RV spaces to stay overnight and the covered picnic areas were designed to look like shops along Route 66.
Up next was probably one of the strangest places I have ever visited, and that was Uranus, Missouri. Yes, I am a bit childish, and yes, this shopping center really played up their name. They also had a sideshow museum where you could see living two-headed turtles and not-so-living two-headed animals. I spent more time at this roadside attraction than I would like to admit and when leaving it was already time for me to stop for the night, so I pulled into a Cracker Barrel, one of Belle’s favorite overnight stops as she knows I always share my breakfast with her.
Illinois
Once I reached Illinois, I took a little detour to the city of Metropolis to visit the Super Museum: the world’s largest collection of Superman memorabilia, including movie, TV props, costumes, and Superman toys from past and present. They also had cells from the Adventures of Superman cartoon. I grew up with the Christoper Reeve Superman movies and I absolutely loved this museum. I walked through this building with the biggest smile on my face and did not want to leave. I spent three hours here and when I was leaving the person behind the desk said, “Boy you were in there for a while, I hope you have a super day!”
Also, while in this area I took my Jeep out for a day of off-roading at Turkey Bay OHV, this area is called “The Land between the Lakes.” I should have researched the area more before going because when I arrived, I realized I could have brought my RV with me and stayed the night for only $12! This off-road course is on the list for Jeep’s Badge of Honor program so I will earn another badge for my Jeep for completing the trail. Belle and I enjoyed the beach area where we stopped for lunch, and I was able to use my Truma Cooler to pack drinks and ingredients for sandwiches.
One of the things I like about my Truma Cooler is that it doesn’t require ice. I have plenty of space to bring what I need to make sandwiches on the trail, like a bottle of mustard, mayo, and pickles rather than making the sandwiches before I leave and letting them get soggy.
After lunch, I made my way back on track to Route 66 and stayed at another Cracker Barrel for the night. In the morning, we left to head to Girard, Illinois. We made it there in time for lunch at Docs Just Off 66, this is a drug store turned restaurant. They make old-fashioned fountain sodas, which I had to try. I recommend the root beer, it was fantastic! I took my lunch order to go because, well, by now you know Belle would want me to share with her back in the RV.
We then headed to Ambler, Illinois to check out the oldest operating Texaco station on Route 66, built back in 1933 this Texaco station still looks as good today as it did 90 years ago. It has been well preserved and was a fun little stop for photos of Belle. The fuel station is no longer in operation, but they do have a small museum inside. Unfortunately, it was closed when we arrived, even though Google said it was open. I still enjoyed the stop and thought it was a good end to my Route 66 trip. Before I headed to the Hershey RV show I had one more stop in mind and that was in Indiana.
Indiana
We stayed at Eagles Nest Camping in Linton, Indiana, which was a small but beautiful campground. I enjoyed the view of their pond from our windshield and Belle enjoyed our walks around it. I also enjoyed having water and sewer hookups so I could take advantage of the full potential of our Truma AquaGo. After several days of dry camping, it was amazing to take a long, hot shower with endless hot water! I remember standing in the shower for a while just to relax and decompress from the long drive from New Mexico.
I then took my Jeep to Redbird Off-road State Recreation Area, which is also located in Dugger. They have two qualifying Jeep Badge of Honor trails at this park earning me a third badge for this trip. There are even challenge areas where you can really test your skills and nerve. This park had the steepest hill climb that I have ever done on my own and as someone who has a fear of heights, I was proud of myself for completing it.
Arriving in Hershey & Closing Thoughts
Before I leave you, I want to thank you for coming along with me on this trip. It was fun to recount my days on Route 66 and share this story with you. I would also like to let you know I was able to do all of this in a 28-foot Class A RV towing my Jeep. I found enough room to park everywhere I went. The only two tricky spots were Midpoint Café and The Leaning Tower of Texas, if either one of them had been more crowded, I may not have found a spot.
When I arrived in Hershey, my wife Sabrina flew in, and we were able to attend the show. We had a ton of fun walking new RV floorplans and wondering what our next RV could look like. We also had a great time hanging out in the Truma booth and chatting with them about our past and upcoming travels.
Take care all and I wish you safe travels!
You can follow Kenny, Sabrina, and Belle’s adventures on Instagram and YouTube.
