SEE THE USA IN YOUR CHEVROLET

Coast to Coast and Border to Border

April 30 to June 9, 2000

Missouri May 8 - 10, 2004 

Hwy. 50 is "Capital Highway" here in Missouri, and it runs right through the Capital, Jefferson City, our third state capitol of the trip.  Box turtles on the highway and Canadian geese above.  We spot a '57 Chevy pickup truck on a sales lot, red of course.  I spot two instances of flat tires, and each has a helper stopped to change the tire for them.

--Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Our third state capitol.  The Governor's Mansion stands east on a knoll.  Home of the Kansas city Royals.  Scott Joplin wrote "The Entertainer" music used in the movie The Sting.  The Amtrak Station is preserved in a park-like setting along the river in three brick buildings from the mid-1800s.

We didn't take the Detour to --Independence, Missouri, USA

Hometown of U.S. President, Harry Truman.  His home is 219 N. Delaware St. and the Harry S Truman Library is 4 blocks north.  Also beginning of Santa Fe, Oregeon, and California Trails...hey, that's us!

--Sedalia, Missouri, USA

Sedalia survived because it straddled the main line between St. Louis and Kansas City.  Home of classic ragtime African American music. and Scott Joplin.  Both the Missouri-Pacific and Missouri-Texas railroads have their maintenance shops here.  Twenty miles west of Sedalia, south of US 50 is the base of the bleet of B-2 "Stealth" bombers...wonder why we didn't see any of them?

--Jefferson City, Missouri, USA

--Linn, Missouri, USA

--Hermann, Missouri, USA

--Washington, Missouri, USA

Home of our gracious hosts, Dot and Wimpy Witthaus.

They took us to a bonafide Route 66 original, the Red Cedar Inn Restaurant...great steaks.

--St. Louis, Missouri, USA

This is the only place in the USA where US 50 and Route 66 follow the same route.  East of town, in East St. Louis they diverge and 50 follows St. Clair Avenue, south of I-64.  The Gateway Arch, 630-feet tall, wasn't finished when we came west through here in 1968.  You can look down into St. Louis Cardinal's Busch Stadium from the tram to the top.

We pick up a hitch hiker, Bob Williams, at STL airport to ride with us through Illinois, his home state, and Indiana.  He will return home to Huntley, IL, from Cincinnati airport later.  As it turned out, Bob, became chief map folder and press secretary...read on!

Next, Illinois, just across the river.