Find pieces of American culture along this Midwestern slice of Route 66.
By Pam Grout

American travel writer William Least Heat-Moon said, “Life doesn’t happen along the interstate. It’s against the law.” Certainly on Route 66, the storied two-lane highway that slices across the country, life is still happening. Many of the same art deco motels, mom-and-pop drive-ins and coffee-pouring diners are still here, welcoming travelers–many from foreign countries–who drive, walk, skate and cycle the famous byway.

Above: Snag a Milk Dud® and a hearty breakfast at Lou Mitchell’s in Chicago. Lou Mitchell Restaurant photo Below: It’s tough to ignore Meramec Caverns in Stockton, Mo., because of the numerous billboards the dot Interstate 44. However, the attraction is worth a stop as tourists will enjoy the cave tour and other activities at the site. Missouri Division of Tourism photo

In the spirit of Route 66 adventurers, we’ve come up with this scavenger hunt using Midwest sections of the Mother Road. Find these 10 vintage treasures on this list and you’ll soon have a smile on your face, a kick in your step and a taste of life before it got so complicated.

1Collect a Milk Dud® from Lou Mitchell’s. This Chicago diner that marks the beginning of the 2,448-mile highway that stretches from Chi-town to Los Angeles has been around since 1923 when Lou Mitchell’s father began serving just-squeezed orange and grapefruit juices, homemade orange marmalade and omelets. Although lines often snake out the front door, you’ll be pacified by employees passing out free donut holes and candy Milk Duds®, a tradition Mitchell started in 1958. This institution, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, serves breakfast and lunch. It’s located at 565 W. Jackson near Union Station (312-939-3111, www.loumitchellsrestaurant.com).

2 Photograph a bluebell from Funk’s Grove. Seven generations of the Funk family have been making maple syrup in this little town approximately 15 miles south of Bloomington, Ill. Bluebells and other wildflowers grow under the giant sugar and black maple groves that the family has been using to collect and process syrup since 1824, commercially since 1891 when Arthur Funk first sold syrup for $1 a gallon. Today, Debby and Mike Funk sell many size containers of syrup, but the price for a gallon has gone up; it’s $46 now. Maple candy, T-shirts and Route 66 memorabilia also are available to purchase. In the 1970s, plans were made to reroute Interstate 55 through the ancient maple grove, but petition, protests and a family trust saved the grove, which is located at 5257 Old Route 66 in Shirley, Ill. (309-874-3360, www.funkspuremaplesirup.com). Yes, syrup is spelled sirup in this part of the world.

3 Chow down at Springfield’s Cozy Dog Drive-In. It may look, taste and smell like a corn dog, but don’t call a Cozy Dog that unless you want an order-stopping stare from behind the counter. Ed Waldmire Jr. began experimenting with batter-dipped dogs, skewering them on cocktail forks, at an Amarillo Army base mess hall. He introduced the Cozy Dog at the 1946 Illinois State fair and the restaurant followed soon after. The place is full of Route 66 memorabilia including detailed pen-and-ink maps and postcards. The Cozy Dog Drive-In is at 2935 S. Sixth St. (217-525-1992).

And if you travel to Springfield this fall, check out the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival, Sept. 25–27. The three-day car show and street festival has free music, activities and events. Meet Route 66 celebs and browse the vendors’ wares. For details, click on www.visit-springfieldillinois.com or call (800) 545-7300.

4 Dig the change out of your car seats for a jelly-filled donut at the Donut Drive-In. This vintage St. Louis donut stand nearly bit the dust a few years ago when a developer wanted to buy the land for an office building. Fortunately, history buffs convinced the landlord to save this Route 66 icon. Last November, the neon sign that hadn’t worked in 10 years was restored to its former glory and Donut Drive-In still cheerfully dispenses doughnuts, coffee and nothing else. Bring cash, as credit cards are not accepted. The store is on Old Route 66, 6525 Chippewa St. (314-645-7714).

5 Eat concrete just down the street from Donut Drive-In at another Route 66 classic. With a light bulb-studded arrow above its neon sign, Ted Drewes has been selling frozen custard at this location since 1941. It may be the only confectionary in the world to double as a Christmas tree stand during the holidays. Try such frozen concoctions as concretes–super-thick custard blended with chocolate, fruit or candy–that are handed to customers upside down or the Hawaiian Delight. Ted Drewes is at 6726 Chippewa (314-481-2652, www.ted drewes.com).

6 See what the Meramec Caverns barn signs are all about. In 1933, long-time cave promoter Lester Dill opened Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Mo. He guided visitors through the cave’s elaborate chambers and used his natural born knack for showmanship by advertising “the greatest show under the earth” on barns and buildings along the storied byway. Meramec Caverns is three miles south of Interstate 44 and exit 230 on state Highway W (573-468-3166, www.americascave.com).

7See the collection of antique toy trucks in Lebanon, Mo., at Munger Moss Motel. Owner Ramona Lehman said the old trucks are good conversation starters for guests. Lehman has decorated many of the 44 rooms in a Route 66 theme. She and husband, Bob, who have run the motel for 38 years, can spin Route 66 tales and gossip with the best of them. The motel is at 1336 E. Route 66 (417-532-3111, www.mungermoss.com).

8 Pose with Mater in Galena, Kan. Thirteen miles of Route 66 swing through the southeast corner of Kansas. Outside a 1930s Kan-O-Tex gas station, an old boom truck was spotted by film director John Lasseter, and the old truck was the inspiration for the lovable tow truck Mater from Disney Pixar’s 2006 hit movie, “Cars.” The old gas station has been converted into a diner and gift shop known as 4 Women on the Route that’s stuffed to the rafters with Route 66 souvenirs. It’s run by four Kansas friends who serve hearty road food. The diner is at 119 N. Main St., (620-783-1366, www.4womenontheroute.com).

9 Snap a picture with the world’s largest totem pole in Foyil, Okla. Ed Galloway, a wood- carving instructor at the nearby Sand Springs orphanage, built this folk art installation on Route 66 between 1937 and 1948. The nine-acre Totem Pole Park includes the 90-foot concrete totem pole that rests on the back of a painted turtle. Check out an 11-sided building that Galloway built for his hand-carved fiddle collection. The park is on the National Register of Historic Places. You can’t miss the big billboard off Route 66, and the park is four miles east of Foyil on state Highway 28A (918-342-9149, www.rogerscountyhistory.org).

10 Stage a picnic inside the belly of Catoosa’s Blue Whale. In its heyday, this giant, grinning humpback was a one-whale swimming hole; its left ear was a slide and its tail was a diving board. Hugh Davis, former director of the Tulsa Zoo, built it in 1972 as an anniversary gift for his wife, Zelta. The duo, along with their kids, ran a reptile farm and petting zoo, a popular attraction for Route 66 travelers in Oklahoma. Today, the blue leviathan is all that’s left, but their son, Blaine, when he’s not vacationing in south Texas, still sells souvenirs. Travelers can stop and spread a picnic on the rock tables inside the belly of the land-locked whale for free, a generous gift when you figure that in 1970 dollars, Hugh’s lavish anniversary gift cost $1,910.24 and used 126 sacks of concrete. The whale is on Route 66 just north of town on the north side of the road (www.cityofcatoosa.org).

Pam Grout is a contributor from Lawrence, Kan.