We began the day touring the Gateway Arch!

We got up early, had a quick breakfast, and then made our way to the Gateway Arch. Our hotel was within walking distance, so that made for an easy trip to the arch and then back to the hotel to load up Shakey and continue our journey on Route 66. We purchased our tickets online ahead of time, and reserved our spot for 9:30 AM. It was the perfect time for avoiding the crowds, the mass of kids on tours, and getting the perfect pictures with the shadow of the arch lined up perfectly on the ground below! The last time any of us had toured the arch was when we were little kids. We didn’t remember a lot about then, other than it was hot and the pods that take you up to the top were small. A lot has changed since then. There is a museum and gift shop at the base, and the entire arch is air conditioned, including the pods. We had a very comfortable ride up and back down, and time at the top taking pictures.

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard!

Our first stop after leaving the Gateway Arch, and checking out of and leaving the hotel, was Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. Gayle and Cheryl each got a concrete and I got a milkshake. All were yummy and we thoroughly enjoyed them! We then walked next door to Gooey Louie – Gooey Butter Cakes, and Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company (yep, that’s the name). We each got a mini cake and some chocolates to enjoy later. Those ended up being very yummy too! We also visited the Ted Drewes Gift Shop to see if there were any souvenirs we couldn’t live without. We were off to a great start on Day 2!!

Campbell’s Phillips 66 Service Station!

After a yummy treat and some shopping, we made our way to Campbell’s Phillips 66 Service Station in Pacific, MO. This ended up being a wonderful and fun surprise! Not only had the service station been beautifully restored to its glory days, but the inside had also been filled with fun Route 66 memorabilia and classic service station memorabilia! We spent a lot of time looking at all of the fun things inside! One bonus tidbit of info – the host of the station/museum had filled the station with his own personal collection of antique memorabilia!! He shared all kinds of fun info about old service stations and memorabilia. Absolutely worth the stop!!

I had to publish this picture of a license plate presented in the Campbell’s Phillips 66 Service Station by itself, because it is just too doggone funny! I’m not sure if the school bus that had that license plate was worse for the students, or for the bus driver. But I’m certain that all of the students believed that the bus was taking them to hell each morning.

Next stop, the historical Red Cedar Inn.

The Red Cedar Inn was a tavern and restaurant that served Route 66 in Pacific, MO from shortly after Route 66 was established. The brothers, James and Bill Smith had made their living bootlegging liquor until Prohibition ended, at which point they built taverns and restaurants in Missouri. The Red Cedar Inn was sold to James Smith, who then passed it down to his son James Smith II and his wife Katherine. They managed it until its closure in 1972. In 1987, their son, James Smith III reopened the restaurant and operated it until 2005, when it was permanently closed. The town of Pacific purchased it and remodeled the interior to be a visitor center.

We passed a few photo ops on our way to visit Meramec Caverns!!

We left the Red Cedar Inn and made our way to Meamec Caverns. We passed a few photo ops along the way, and took pictures while driving past. We were running a tad behind schedule and didn’t want to get to Meramec Caverns too late for a tour. We managed to make it 30 minutes before the last tour started. We ended up getting lucky, not only because we got there in time to go on a tour, but also because there were only 7 people in the group, including the three of us! It was a great tour and it was a leisurely tour. A few tidbits of info about Meramec Caverns: It’s the largest cave west of the Mississippi River. Phillip Renault, a French explorer, is credited for having discovered the cave, but he had been told about it by members of the Osage tribe. It’s rumored that Jesse and Frank James used it as an hideout. The main room, the first large room you enter after walking into the cave, has been used for dances, dinners, and even high school proms. However, proms are no longer held in the cave after two teenagers went into an off limits area of the cave and broke a stone feature. While we were on our tour, we passed another tour group that was ahead of us and on their way out. It was a group of young kids. The tour guide for that group asked if we wanted to hear a joke one of the kids had told him. Of course I replied, “Yes.” Here’s the joke – “Do you know how cold it is in the cave? Stone cold.” BAH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

A quick stop in Cuba, MO to visit the Wagon Wheel Motel, and then grab a bite to eat at the Missouri Hick Barbeque.

The Wagon Wheel Motel is the oldest, continuously operated motel on Route 66. It opened in 1936, and has been welcoming guests ever since. It has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It’s a very cute place and looks like a great place to stay! For us, our place where we will spend the night is in Springfield, MO.

Then, a quick stop at the World’s Second Largest Rocking Chair and the Fanning Outpost General Store.

The World’s Second Largest Rocking Chair was erected on April Fool’s Day, 2008, and officially held the title of, The World’s Largest Rocking Chair until August 25, 2015, when an even bigger rocking chair was erected in Illinois. It’s still a fun sight to see and we enjoyed seeing it. The current Fanning 66 Outpost General Store is located near where the original store resided. The original store opened in 1930 and permanently closed in 1972. It was torn down in 1980.

The Ole Mule Trading Post, Rolla, MO.

Our next stop was a quick photo op at the Ole Mule Trading Post, in Rolla, MO. The original Ole Mule Trading Post was built and opened in 1946. It was originally located in Pacific, MO but was moved to its current location when I-44 was built. It appears as though it had been closed for some time before our stop to see it, but maybe it was being reopened.

Next stop, Fudge!!!! Yummy, delicious Fudge!!

If you’re ever in Missouri, traveling down I-44 or Route 66, and you are going to be traveling between St. Robert and Doolittle Missouri, you have to stop at Uranus Fudge Factory! Especially if you need some laughs and some incredibly delicious fudge!! We’re not kidding! They have the best fudge! Gayle and I happened to come across Uranus Fudge Factory when we travelled the Chicago to Santa Fe, NM portion of Route 66 in 2021. We first saw their billboards, which cracked us up, and then decided that we had to stop there. We bought some fudge then, and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and enjoyed the fudge even more!! You have to visit Uranus Fudge Factory and buy some fudge if you’re ever nearby it!! Here are some pictures of the billboards and of the Uranus Fudge Factory. The next door miniature golf place has a Giant too!

The Final Stop for Day 2, in Springfield, MO, at the Rockwood Motor Court!

While traveling to our final destination of Day 2, the Rockwood Motor Court, we made two quick photo op stops, one at the World’s Largest Gift shop in Phillipsburg, MO, and the other at the Red Haven Court in Springfield, MO. Our stay for the night in Springfield was at the Rockwood Motor Court. We got to stay in the converted Shell Service Station that is on site at the motor court!! It was very cute, very comfortable, and a lot of fun! Phyllis, the owner and manager of the motel, was very helpful, informative, friendly, and courteous to us. She helped me when I booked our stay last year (2025) and continued to help me whenever I had any questions about our stay and what was happening in Springfield on the 30th. For those that may not know, the National Route 66 Centennial celebration kickoff happened in Springfield on April 30! That was the morning we woke up and started our day in Springfield! But that story will have to wait for the Day 3 entry! That night (29th), we checked in and settled into our very cute, very adorable, and very comfy converted gas station room! Did I mention that our motel room was in a converted gas station?! My inner five-year-old was totally geeking out for the night!! I could hardly get to sleep because of my excitement, but fall asleep I did! This was the best night so far! Oh, one quick note – The reason that some of the neon lights on the motel sign are out is that a hail storm hit Springfield the night before our arrival, the 28th. Phyllis said their repairman did the best he could to get the neon lights repaired on the day of our arrival, the 29th, but he needed more parts to fix the remaining lights and he wouldn’t be able to get the parts until later on the 30th.

Good night, and we hope you are having as good of a night as we are!! Signing off, Psychotic Nerds.