It’s Day Three of our Route 66 road-trip, driving from St Louis, Missouri to Springfield, Missouri. Hope it’s more exciting than Springfield number one in Illinois! Who are we? Jeff and Jane, expat Brits living in Santa Monica, California. We have just finished our number one bucket-list item – driving Route 66 from Chicago back to our home town. Our mission? To Eat Vegan on Route 66 and share our experiences with you.
Route 66: Rain Stops Play
A grey and drizzly day. Driving through the green fields and rolling hills, somehow we felt transported back to my homeland of England. Conversely, the traditional red barns and white picket fences reminded us that this is actually Missouri. Today, we had a lot of miles to cover, so stops were few and far between. We sped through Cuba, spotting their famous murals from inside the vehicle (lazy I know) and stopped briefly at the giant Red Rocker for a comfort break and a pet of their ginger cat.
Eat Vegan on Route 66: Springfield Number 2 is a Winner!
Arriving late in Springfield, our hotel for the night, University Plaza Hotel, is a throwback to the 1980s with an internal courtyard complete with sparkling fountain. The rooms are large and comfortable, if a little dark.
After the dull Springfield, Illinois, we hoped that Springfield, Missouri would be a bit livelier. Cheers! It’s a university town and has a great vibe in its historic district of red brick bars and restaurants. After a hard day’s driving, we were certainly ready for a night on the town. What could be better than a drink or two in the Mudlounge Bar followed by a plant-based curry at Zayka Indian restaurant. The menu showed plenty of vegan options and we feasted upon Yellow Dal, Chana Masala and Vegetable Vindaloo. Almost heaven for a couple of Brits 🙂
Next morning, another hotel failure to provide any vegan breakfast offerings, so off to the local sandwich shop Pickleman’s for a veggie sub. Then, a quick stroll around town to find the so-called birthplace of Route 66 in a nondescript parking lot – and to marvel at the ornate but tiny Gillioz Theatre.
Tip of The Day – keep your vehicle stocked with water and vegan snacks such as nuts and fruit. There are long stretches without any vegan food in sight! Keep hydrated with reusable water bottles filled overnight in your hotel.
Finally, use my public shared Google Map Route 66 Vegan to locate all the places mentioned on this trip.
Miles Traveled Today: 229
Total Miles Traveled: 543
Next stop – Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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