We are leaving Lebanon behind as we head for a few days in Springfield, MO. Our first Route 66 icon sighting is the Rest Haven Court. There used to be a AAA sign on top but it has been removed in the past couple of years.
This typifies what motel courts looked like in the 40's and 50's. Back then the rooms would be individual buildings. They have since been joined together to create a continuous building.
Rarely used roadway in front of a closed K-Mart stored that is the original Route 66 road.
Giant SOLO cup at a closed down SOLO Cup Factory (closed in 2011).
This very cool neon sign points to downtown.
It is located right outside the entrance to Best Western Rail Haven, previously known as the Rail Haven Motor Court when it was built back in 1938. They've updated it and added rooms so it doesn't look much like the old days.
Heading toward downtown we stopped at the flagship restaurant of Steak 'N' Shake for some lunch. The oddity of this particular Steak 'N' Shake McDonald's-type restaurant is that the waitress seated you, took your order, and served you the fast food. The variety of burgers they served was changed by adding different sauces inside AND brushing the top of the bun with butter and sprinkling it with a flavoring. They WERE good burgers.
Ever heard of the Knights of Pythias? Well, I hadn't. It was a fraternal organization and they built these "homes" to look like castles in some cities. The one here in Springfield, Pythian Castle, was originally constructed as an orphanage and retirement home for children and widows of members of the order.
This is the backside and as you can see it is huge. We took a tour, led by the owner of the house. She bought it 4 years ago and has been renovating it ever since. It is amazing what she has done with it. She rents it out for weddings, receptions, proms, etc. She conducts ghost tours and historic tours of the house. We spent a couple of hours there.
Back near downtown we went into one of the best themed Visitor Centers we've seen.
Who remember these beauties on every street corner in America?
Seems like every town we go into has their own Tow Mater truck from the CARS movies.
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