If you had wings and could fly south at Rock Eddy Bluff Farm, you would reach the old Mother Road (Rt. 66) in roughly 12 miles. For those of us who can’t fly across the river, a bridge is required. That puts the mileage at about 25 miles.
Today it is shown on maps only as an historic road, bits and scraps of it. You can’t go all the way to California on it any more. But, of the pieces of it that are left , many are located near to us. Segments, that’s all you get. Yet many of those pieces of highway traverse the remains of motor courts that were here when the road was nothing but adventure. Derelict gas stations, pull offs, road houses, many are still here. Fading.
If you intend to explore remains of the old road, ask us to direct you to a still operating road house. It is the Elbow Inn in Devil’s Elbow, MO. Now let’s explain: it can be loosely termed a “biker bar” now as the bikers show up en masse on Wednesdays. Beyond that, it is just a fun place — good beer, pool table, and, some top notch BBQ. It was a more modest road house in the old days on Rt. 66. Now, it may offend the squeamish as the ceiling hangs with brassieres from perhaps more immodest young ladies.
We love it however, and love traveling old pieces of the road that snaked thru small burgs and thrust boldly down main street in many larger towns of a slightly more urban atmosphere. Think California dreaming’, mountains, deserts, open road with little traffic and finally blue water.
Our Best from the Bluff, Tom & Kathy Rock Eddy Bluff Farm