Angie and Mike's Blog

We took a few days off around the Memorial Day weekend and set out for Cincinnati. We made it all the way to the El Dorado rest area before we had to stop and change a diaper.


That made Maddie very happy. That and we were only 30 miles into a 2,000-mile journey.


At the next rest area, we stopped for a feeding.


Then, in Kansas City, it was time to feed ourselves. We also took time to feed Maddie.


Still a pretty happy camper!


But getting tuckered out as we pulled into Columbia, where we’d stay for the night.


The next morning I had breakfast with Gerik, a former newspaper colleague. We didn’t actually work at the same paper but had the (mis)fortune of working for the same company. He suggested the Broadway Diner.


Aren’t those some killer pancakes?


The place is pretty popular.


Driving through St. Louis we caught up with this car from Johnson County. I’ll seldom claim Johnson County as being a part of Kansas but when I’m in another state I usually get pretty excited to see another car from Kansas. I especially get excited if it has a dog sticking its head out the window!


We used a backroom at a small gas station to feed Maddie in rural Illinois.


This is eastbound I-64 entering Kentucky. The westbound lanes are on the top deck.


Downtown Louisville.


We detoured to Elizabethtown because Angie likes the movie so much. I like it, too. Afterall, it’s about a roadtrip. We got there too late to tour the Coca-Cola museum and were disappointed that we couldn’t find any quaint, local places to eat in the downtown. So we ate at Shoney’s near the interstate. It may be a chain but at least there isn’t one at home.


Aaron holds the tickets to our Reds game as we prepare to enter the stadium on Saturday.


The view of the plaza and downtown Cincinnati from the upper deck concourse.


Another view of downtown Cincinnati.


Aaron, my Little Brother from Topeka who now lives in Cincinnati, went with us. It was the first time he’d been to a Reds game. It was also the first time I had to look up to him as he’s grown to more than six feet tall.


Great American Ball Park from the upper deck. Our seats were just off to the first base side of home plate and while it looks far away in this shot, they were really good seats.


This was Maddie’s first Major League baseball game so we took a self-portrait after the game. I saw my first Major League baseball game in Cincinnati when I was nine years old.


I’m not sure how Aaron can see anything through his hair.


I had hoped that “Great American Ball Park” was an original name but it’s not. Turns out it’s an insurance company. Still sounds cool, though.


On Sunday, we went to the zoo, which we’d heard ranks up there in the top three or four in the country. It was a neat experience but we can see more animals at our zoo and not have near the walk or number of visitors to deal with.


Trying not to get too hot while waiting for the train.


The train ride was nice. It reminded me of the train rides we’d take at Joyland.


Maddie started to get a little cranky, as did we, so we made it a short visit to the zoo.


But we made sure to see the polar bears first.


And Angie wouldn’t leave the zoo without seeing the chimpanzees. She insists they are my cousins.


Of course, the real reason for the trip was to see Uncle Chuck. He’s my dad’s older, and only, brother. He’s got three kids, two of whom I don’t think I’ve ever met. I’m sure Angie’s got cousins she’s never met but her family is so stinkin’ big. On the Shepherd side, though, there aren’t very many of us (not counting the chimps) so I wanted them to meet Maddie.


This is Libby. She’s 13 and my second cousin. Her father, Scott, and I are first cousins and 17 years apart in age. I guess its only appropriate that Libby and I are also 17 years apart. She did a great job holding Maddie.


The last time I saw Libby she was a playful six years old. At this rate, the next time I see her she’ll be in college.


Maddie was is good spirits all weekend, despite all the driving we did. Here she’s pretty happy to be out of her car seat. Because she’s a Christmas Eve baby, and because Christmas is Angie’s favorite holiday, we decided to stop in Santa Claus, Ind., on the way home.


In Santa Claus, it’s Christmas all year long.


We also stopped at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, a family-owned ice cream shop along the original Route 66 alignment in southwest St. Louis.


Now, I don’t know of a dog that wouldn’t like ice cream but that’s not an insult to Ted. It was really pretty good stuff and I’m not even a big ice cream fan.


There weren’t as many photos taken on the way home as there were on the way out. We were just too pooped. I don’t think we were home an hour before Maddie and I fell asleep on the couch. And Harley was glad to see us, too. She’d been at Grandma and Grandpa Shepherd’s house while we were away. Right after Angie took this photo she sneaked out of the house to Target. We didn’t even hear her leave.

Labels: Aaron and Callie, Angie, Cincinnati, Family, family outings, Maddie, Mike, On Location, Route 66

The Mother of all birthday road trips to the Mother Road deserves the Mother of All Blog Posts. And with 25 photos, that's exactly what this is! I don't actually turn 30 for nine more days but we had last weekend open so Angie went all out planning a Route 66 road trip as a surprise for me. I love driving and highways and maps so for me it was a very fitting way to spend a milestone birthday.


We headed to Baxter Springs first, where Route 66 entered Kansas from Oklahoma. There's an abundance of Route 66 memorabilia along Baxter Spring's downtown strip which was the original alignment for the highway.


The route has two alignments on the southern end of town. Prior to 1940, it followed this curve in from Oklahoma. Today it sits behind a Wal-Mart. After WW2, the route moved slightly west to where the highway currently is located.


It rained on Saturday but it didn't rain on our parade. We took our first self-portrait while sitting in the Wal-Mart parking lot during a brief downpour. Yes, my shirt does say "chimpin' ain't easy." It was also part of my birthday gift. My photographer friends should get it.


What is said to be the only remaining rainbow bridge left in the country is located along Old Route 66 between Baxter Springs and Riverton. Heading north through Baxter, turn left at the defunct Conoco station (see previous post) and follow the old road. The bridge is open to southbound traffic only but a bypass bridge has been constructed.


On the bridge, we paid tribute to our friend, Gerry.


Again, the rain couldn't spoil our fun!


In Riverton, we stopped at the Eisler Brothers general store. Not only can you buy just about any piece of Route 66 merchandise there is, you could also quite easily buy all your groceries there, too. I asked the clerk if anyone did and he just kinda gave me an annoyed looked and said "not really."


Even as you enter the front door, the place is a visual overload.


I think I need some of these if I'm going to build a Route 66-themed bar.


We didn't spend much time in Riverton because we needed to get to Galena, a former mining town that in its heyday had a population somewhere around 30,000. This is the northern end of downtown, which was part of the pre-WW2 alignment. After the war, Route 66 followed what is now 7th Street into Missouri. In fact, the alignment of K-66 follows that of Route 66 when it was decommissioned.


But, back up on the north end of downtown is a shop called "Four women on the Route." It's also where you can meet "Tater," the inspiration for "Mater" in the movie 'Cars.'


We visited with one of the owners for nearly two hours. She insisted on taking a photo of us.


Then she insisted that I sit inside Tater. What, do I look like a big kid? I'm 30 for cryin' out loud!


Signature prints are available for $300. ;)


Angie made reservations for us to stay the night at the Leggett House Bed & Breakfast in Carthage, Mo. This 8,500 square foot mansion was built in 1901 and is built from native carthage stone.


It wasn't raining in Carthage. This is a water feature in the front yard.


And as if the entire day hadn't been surprise enough, Angie had one more trick up her sleeve. Carthage has one of the last remaining drive-in theaters! And it's right on the old highway!


Again, signature prints are available for $300. ;)


The birthday boy (on the 18th). But I had such a great weekend that I think I'm going to start observing my birthday on Sept. 6, the day of our roadtrip.


I liked the 66 Drive-In much better than Wichita's Starlite because it only has one screen, seemed more family-friendly and had cheaper concessions.


I spent too much time making photos of the clouds that I missed the first 20 minutes of the movie and had no idea what was going on.


Angie sends a text message to a friend in Chicago. On this night, I'm glad I was in Carthage.


We skipped out during intermission and Angie went quickly to sleep.


I stayed up a couple of more hours going through the photos from the day, reliving the fun all over again.

Labels: Birthdays and Holidays, On Location, Route 66