Digital Route 66 – Travel Blog

After ignoring this blog for eons – mostly due to lack of stuff to squawk about – Emily and I headed to to the St. Louis Route 66 Festival at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge today.  In its first year, the event seemed to be a success, as the perfect weather (75 degrees, not a cloud in the sky – literally) brought out good attendance that formed lines at the vendor booths and crowded the spaces between the classic cars and the precipitous drop down to the depths of the Mighty Miss.

Cars were lined up parallel to the river along the west side of the bridge, running past the turn down towards the Illinois line.  On the Missouri side of the bridge was the main stage where bands could perform, and surrounding that was the artisans tent and numerous delicious vendors earning an extra buck or two this fall. The llinois side was less busy, with the Illinois Association tent, several other vendors and not much else save free parking – which caused a majority of the people to make their way down to the Land of Lincoln in order to shun the $5 fee for parking on the Missouri side.  Madison County Transit ran frequent (literally non-stop) shuttles, making it easy to get from the parking lot to the footing of the bridge.

We didn’t have time to stay for the sock-hop and screening of American Graffiti; Emily’s ankles were acting up, and we had a family member to visit in Barnes Hospital.  But the hour we spent at the Bridge was the liveliest we’d ever seen the landmark, and implied good things are in store for the future of the Mother Road.

Photos on my Flickr Feed.