An Epic Road Trip from St. Louis to Springfield, Missouri: Exploring Water Towers, Road Circles, and More!

Starting the Journey: St. Louis to Cuba

Another hot day as we set out from St Louis heading toward the second Springfield of our trip.

We have become water tower spotters and love the big contraptions which loom over Route 66 with the name of the local town name painted on them. The first one we saw today was a favourite as was in Bourbon but sadly only contains water.

Todays journey seemed to have less Route 66 attractions and more connections to American history, some tragic, such as the Trail of Tears monument commemorating the forced displacement of Native Americans and some violent. In Cuba, a town of murals, there are several depicting battles in the American Civil war. Cuba was a good place for us to visit as in 1996 we had our honeymoon on the island of Cuba. We would have liked to have gone back as part of this trip but it didn’t fit in but at least we’ve included one Cuba.

Passing Through Lebanon: Watch Out for State Troopers!

For navigation on the trip we have an app, as using google or the car sat nav will take us between places on the quickest route and not stick to route 66. Unfortunately our app has been temperamental and led to a couple of amusing instances, firstly when we had to resort back to the car satnav we were tickled by the description of a roundabout as a road circle. Then when we were stopped to sort the route, a state trooper pulled along side us we wound the window expecting to be told off but he was just checking we hadn’t broken down!

Discovering the Ozarks: Nature's Playground

It was nice driving through then Ozarks seeing the change in scenery, more rockier than the first days and also nice to see the area the TV show had been filmed in. We didn’t witness any money laundering or stop at the floating casinos.

Finding Uranus: The Quirkiest Stop

One of the quirkiest stops on the trip today was the unmissable Uranus, Missouri. Yes, you read that right! Home to the Uranus Fudge Factory and General Store, this place is famous for its offbeat sense of humor and delicious treats. Your inner child will love the playful atmosphere and cheeky signs scattered throughout the area. Although the Ho’made fudge sign perhaps not to child friendly.

Entering Springfield: The Final Stretch

Entering Springfield we were surprised by the size of the town but I think we’re still getting to grips with the size of America as a whole. I find the change from isolated farm houses, trailer parks and then massive cities incredible.