Home

Whenever we get to the end of our trip, we are always anxious to "get the show on the road" and get home.  This morning we were up early to eat breakfast and "get the show on the road."   Our final motel breakfast was good.  I was able to get honey for my biscuit.  None of the other breakfasts had honey.  Anyway, we were on the road by 8:00 a.m.    It would be a short day beause we figured it was less than 350 miles to home and we had no stops scheduled.  That should get us home by 2:00 p.m.

We drove I-44 to St. Louis.  A lot of I-44 follows the old, famous Route 66.  We stopped at a rest area Welcome Center as we crossed into Missouri and found this sign.  It pointed out the facilities by using a old motel sign like you would have seen on Route 66.

This picture is my iconic way to show that we are entering Illinois.  At this point we were on I-255 North.

Nothing says St. Louis like the Arch.  I don't know if I have ever posted the fact that in 1965-66 I lived in The Evangeline which was a place operated by the Salvation Army. It's purpose was to rent rooms for single young women.  I attended a business college in downtown St. Louis and the Evangeline was where they roomed the young ladies attending their college.  My room was on the 14th floor and the window in my room looked directly at the Arch.  In 1963-65, the Arch was being constructed.  I was able to watch the the final section of the Arch be put into place in Octobe, 1965.  It was a great experience.

We ate a late lunch at Pizza Ranch in Springfield.  We love to eat there.  It was the less expensive meal we had on this trip.  The Pizza Ranch has four food bars:  salad; hot food like fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, pasta etc.; pizza bar; and dessert bar.  The food is very good.  Carol says the chicken is the best.  They offer free meals to veterans on Veterans Day and dads on Father's Day so we always eat here on those days.

This trip was planned to celebrate our 59th annivesary which was September 4.  It was also an introduction to a new way for us to take trips.  We plan to take the motorhome to Turkey Run in October but put it on the market next Spring.  From now on, our trips will be by car and shorter in length.  We missed sitting outside and enjoying God's world but life is filled with changes and this is just another change for us.  We don't plan to stop traveling but change the way we travel.  In fact, I am already thinking about where we can go next fall.  In January, I will begin the planning that I usually do for our trips.  It will be closer to home and with the car.  We have been traveling on trips two to nine weeks long since 1973 when we bought our first tent and went to the Ozarks and Vicksberg National Battlefield.  The travel bug bit us on that trip and with the exception of a year or two, we have taken a trip every year.  There is so much to see in this country.  We have seen a lot of it but there is still more to see.