Route 66 - Central Missouri Road Trip Road Trip

1

St. Robert to Rolla

28.3 miles: 45 minutes

An engineering triumph in its day, a 94-foot-deep cut in Hooker Hill resulted in a new four-lane section of Route 66 in 1942. Sadly, the realignment bypassed the Devil’s Elbow area, named after a perilous curve in the Big Piney River. Take a detour for breathtaking scenic views and timeworn landmarks, then continue eastward through a portion of Mark Twain National Forest.

Recommended Stops

Sweetwater Bar-B-Que

14076, State Highway Z Cullen Township, Missouri 14076

Ed Clark Museum of Missouri Geology

111, Fairgrounds Road Rolla Township, Missouri 65401

Courtesy of Missouri Division of Tourism

2

Rolla to Sullivan

56.1 miles: 1 hours, 32 minutes

Departing Rolla, you’ll skirt the eastern edge of Missouri University of Science and Technology, attended by nearly 9,000 students. The next community down the line, St. James, shelters several wineries. Cuba, about midway between Rolla and Sullivan, boasts 12 murals; viewable from the road, they depict larger-than-life subjects like Amelia Earhart and Bette Davis.

Recommended Stops

Onondaga Cave State Park

7556, State Road H Big River Township, Missouri 63020

aetb/iStockphoto.com

3

Sullivan to St. Clair

22.9 miles: 40 minutes

Stop and enjoy such recreational activities as canoeing and fishing or “get your kicks” at campy attractions highlighting Missouri’s most famous gunslinger, Jesse James. Formerly motels, aging buildings from Route 66’s heyday dot the tract as you approach St. Clair. Once there, snap a pic of the city’s twin water towers stamped with the gag labels “Hot” and “Cold.”

Recommended Stops

Jesse James Wax Museum

Interstate 44, Stanton Meramec Township, Missouri

Meramec Caverns

State Highway W State Highway W, Missouri 63080