Next Stop
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Next Stop |
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As I’ve mentioned throughout Holiday Road, some parts of the trip were well thought out and planned meticulously. Other parts, well, not so much. This detour fits the latter. After spending weeks on the road, a jaunt that may be several hours out of the way, one way, didn’t seem like a big deal anymore when you’re just blowin’ like the wind across the country. So, we looked at a Triple-A book for one more unexpected hurrah. Little did we know, we’d find perhaps the biggest surprise of the trip. We decided we’d take passage on the Titanic! It was a half-scale replica of the infamous vessel and said to be the world’s largest Titanic museum attraction. We felt, this we gotta see. But I scratched my head in disbelief and said something like, “yah, right, the world’s largest and it’s in some small town in the middle of rural America.” Go ahead, if you know of Branson, Missouri, you can laugh at us now. But we had never heard of Branson in any way, shape or form. So you can imagine our shock when we rolled in around dinner time looking for a place to stay. There were throngs of people everywhere. The sidewalks were packed with pedestrians and the streets were bumper-to-bumper cars – lights, signs, attractions, restaurants, shows, you name it, it was there. Branson, Missouri, who’d a thunk? Well, apparently, anyone living within two states in any direction. Somehow, we managed to get a room at a modest motel. It even had an indoor pool that happened to be very nice. We couldn’t stop laughing at our ignorance. We were smack in the middle of a place you could spend a week, easily. But our mission was to get on the Titanic, call it a night and bolt first thing in the morning. Titanic was impressive. The building was the ship. It even had an iceberg and for added effect, water was pumped in a pool in front against the lower bow making it seem as if the vessel were in motion, crossing the Atlantic on its first and final, ill-fated, voyage. We got our boarding passes and identity of a real passenger, including whether they were a 1st, 2nd or 3rd class passenger. At the end, you get to see if you (the identity they gave you) died! How fun is that? The place was definitely a major draw. The crowd was thick. But the journey inside was fascinating. A lot of detail, authenticity and incredible tidbits of information combined education and entertainment in a special way. There was even a replica of the ship’s grand staircase. Two things stood out most in my mind as far as family fun. One was trying to stand on various stages of the deck as it tilted in varying degrees to demonstrate the tilt of the deck as it rose from the water before it broke in two, plunging so many to their death. The other interactive station was to see how long you could withstand the frigid water temperature. Stick your hand in and wait. It was, literally, painfully cold. That brought a real appreciation for the real life horror. It did not sit well when our young son learned that he was the only one out of the four of us that died. What was worse, for him, was that we couldn’t stop calling out, “Iceberg right ahead!” with a British accent the rest of the night, even after the lights went out.
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OKLAHOMA, MISSOURI
Although we were hitting our home stretch back to Ohio, we had one more stop for me and one for the wife so we did all three! My stop was the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum. I just couldn’t find what I was searching for along the actual road in these modern times. It wasn’t for a lack of trying. The best I came up with was the diner we enjoyed so much. But then again, that may have been the same sensation of any food tasting like a meal fit for a king just because you’re starving. Anyway, I figured this was my last shot to experience the legendary road or to at least see what it was like. The museum was not busy when we arrived. In fact, it was close to closing but the one person there was nice enough to admit us. We had the whole place to ourselves! We could be loud and laugh hysterically at some of the things that marked American history. After weeks of traveling, we were slap-happy so we rolled with the times, acted like rebels in a way and had a blast taking spontaneous and deliberate photos.
The layout of
the museum did a nice job telling the history of “The Mother Road.” Vintage
gas pumps at the filling station, a diner with jukebox and red and white
leather seats, wooden phone booth, and signage from Yesteryear
Music from each passing decade accompanies the culture highlighted by exhibits portraying the road’s construction, gas-food-lodging, and many other artifacts, graphic displays and videos. There’s even a drive-in theater. And if you want to bring a memento home, be sure to stop in the “Curio” gift shop to browse the many signs, books, videos, souvenir clothing, and other mementos. That night we took a big detour. The next day, we'd make our final pit stop.
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Mark Twain Boyhood National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theatre
Winston
Churchill
We made our way through St. Louis snapping pictures of the Gateway Arch as we drove. Across the river, into Illinois, we made the final pit stop of the trip – Lewis & Clark Boat House and Nature Center. The museum was very well done and should impress any Lewis & Clark fan. It was spacious and flooded by natural light. The displays inside were educational and fun. Turn this, flip that, roll something over and discover interesting facts about the historic expedition. In the middle of the main room stood a huge boat. It's a replica of the one Lewis & Clark and company used at the beginning of their journey. It does a wonderful job explaining the provisions, showing how the boat was packed and much more. Outside was a re-creation of Camp River Dubois. We took a tour of the log buildings and learned about the incredible efforts that went into planning this expedition. It showed the living quarters, staging areas, food/grain and details that you would have never imagined. Camp River Dubois Standing Orders:
By orders of W.C.
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