Route 66 Part 2: Missouri to Oklahoma | Through Fields and Dreams

Route 66 Part 2: Missouri to Oklahoma | Through Fields and Dreams

📍 Part 2 — Missouri → Kansas → Oklahoma

  • Main Highlights: Chain of Rocks Bridge, Devil’s Elbow, Galena’s Cars on the Route, Blue Whale of Catoosa
  • States Passed: Missouri · Kansas · Oklahoma
  • Distance: Approx. 350 miles (560 km)
  • Travel Mood: Slow, nostalgic, reflective — discovering beauty in forgotten places
  • Theme of the Day: The quiet poetry of old bridges, small towns, and lingering memories
Chain of Rocks Bridge, old steel truss bridge along Route 66 over the Mississippi River

The bridge stood in silence, holding the weight of time and sunlight.

Missouri — Where Bridges Carry Stories

Morning light spilled across the old Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis — its steel trusses casting long, thoughtful shadows. As we walked, two worlds moved beside each other: the silent, abandoned bridge beneath our feet, and the modern highway buzzing with life just beyond.

Rust and sunlight intertwined here — a reminder that even what no longer serves its original purpose can still hold memory, dignity, and quiet beauty.

Abandoned rusted steel bridge at Route 66 State Park, Eureka Missouri

At Route 66 State Park, another lonely bridge rose from the riverbank — broken and unreachable, yet full of stories. Someone once crossed it with hope, urgency, or longing. Now it whispers:
“Walk slowly. What you seek will meet you on the way.”

Ted Drewes frozen custard stand in St. Louis Missouri along historic Route 66

At Ted Drewes, frozen custard melted slowly into a summertime memory — sweet, simple, grounding.

Devil’s Elbow Bridge Missouri, historic steel bridge surrounded by trees on Route 66

Further down the road in Devil’s Elbow, a red firetruck rested under maple trees — covered in dust, waiting in timeless stillness. There was tenderness in its silence, a quiet kind of loyalty to the past.

Kansas — Only 13 Miles, Yet Full of Life

Kansas holds only 13.2 miles of Route 66, but every step felt alive — rusty colors, hand-painted signs, and wind brushing past old storefronts. In Galena, we visited the place that inspired Pixar’s *Cars*: Cars on the Route and Gearhead Curios.

Cars on the Route station in Galena Kansas with old retro cars

Everything felt delightfully imperfect — the charm of a small town that refuses to be forgotten.

Oklahoma — Neon, Silence, and Stories

Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, red and blue neon retro displays

The Route 66 Museum in Oklahoma glowed like a time capsule — neon lights flickering across jukeboxes, gasoline pumps, and weathered signs. Everything felt suspended in a hopeful era.

Blue Whale of Catoosa Oklahoma, giant blue roadside whale on Route 66

In Catoosa, the giant Blue Whale rested quietly by the water — a quirky symbol reminding us that joy sometimes appears in the most unexpected shapes.

“On this road, even forgotten places hold a gentle kind of light.”
← Part 1: Chicago → Springfield | Back to Route 66 Series | Part 3: New Mexico & Balloon Fiesta →

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