I guess “mapping” isn’t the right word, but I’m not sure what is. Anyway, I’ve started “mapping” out my trip again. I just finished up Day Five: St. Louis, MO to Lebanon, MO. It’s 170 miles and a ton of fun stuff to see.

I’ve passed this way before, in a car, and you can read about it here.

You can also see pictures of it here and here.

So what I wanted to show you was what I’m doing. The directions for following Route 66 are not easy to follow. The actual “Route 66″ does not exist anymore. It’s been decommissioned. What used to be 66 is now scattered over literally hundreds (maybe even a thousand) different roads. To follow it, you need very specific directions.

I am using three different sources and combining them into one long turn-by-turn set of directions.

Would you like to see Day Five? Sure you would.

Day Five (From KOA)

-West on Chain of Rocks RD, cross 3
-Visit Bridge, turn around.
-Return 3.5 miles
-LEFT on Old Alton RD SHORT
-LEFT to enter I-270 EAST
-cross bridge, exit
-EXIT RIGHT 203 SOUTH
-203 S for 3.5 miles
-RIGHT onto Madison 3.5 miles
-RIGHT onto Broadway 1 mile
-RIGHT onto Great River RD .25mi
-LEFT to McKinley Bridge, cross

St. Louis
-McKinley Bridge to Salisbury (6 blocks)
-LEFT on Florissant
-Curve LEFT (13th for 2 blocks)
-Curve RIGHT – Tucker
-Under I-64,
-RIGHT Chouteau Ave/100
-Follow 100 onto Manchester (10mi)
-Under I-270 3mi to Panera
-Stay on 100 through Gray Summit (13mi)

To 66 S.P. (skip if short on time)
-Under I44
-LEFT on 66/Osage ST, I-44 on left
-RIGHT on OSullivan (cross tracks)
-LEFT onto Main/Eureka Allenton RD
-RIGHT on Central (Main ends)
-Cross W to Augustine RD
-LEFT on Augustine, curve right
-LEFT on Williams
-RIGHT on Frontage, avoid I-44
-Curve LEFT to S.P.

From Gray Summit
-STRAIGHT on 100
-Under I44
-STRAIGHT on AT (5mi)
-Cross US50 CAREFUL!
-STRAIGHT on Frontage (5mi)
-UNDER I44
-RIGHT on Frontage/Commercial AVE thru St. Clair
-RIGHT on 30, CROSS I-44
-LEFT on Frontage (WW) (8mi to Stanton)
-LEFT to cross I-44
-RIGHT on Frontage (5mi to Sullivan)(Caverns?)

-Springfield RD Thru Sullivan
-Right on Elmont (1block)
-LEFT on Frontage (6mi to Bourbon)
-After Bourbon, Frontage (13mi to Cuba)

-Exit on Washington/ZZ (tracks on left)
-STRAIGHT on ZZ in Fanning
-STRAIGHT as KK joins
-KK to St. James (10mi)
-RIGHT on Jefferson (4bl)
-Under I-44
-LEFT on Frontage (9mi to Rolla)

ROLLA
-Left on US63/Bishop
-Under I44 (Panera)
-RIGHT on King’s Hwy
-LEFT before I44 on Frontage/Martin Sp.
(4mi to Dolittle)

Two Side Trips
-South Frontage RD (3mi to Arlington)
-North Frontage RD (cross under I40) (2mi to Johns)

ENTER I-44!!!
EXIT 172 – JEROME

-LEFT on Frontage (3mi)
-UNDER I-44
-RIGHT on Z (3mi)
-LEFT for Devil’s Elbow (3mi)
-LEFT to rejoin Z (2mi to St. Robert)
-STRAIGHT on BL 44 (after St. Robert)
Waynesburg
-MO17 out of town (7mi)
-RIGHT on P (1mi)
-LEFT on AA (1.5mi)
-RIGHT on AB (7mi)
-STRAIGHT on Heartwood/Frontage (5mi to Hazelgreen)
-STRAIGHT on Frontage/Glacierpoint (6mi)
-RIGHT on F – Cross I44
-LEFT on Frontage (5mi to Lebanon)

LEBANON (To State Park)
-RIGHT on BL44/Rt 66 (2bl)
-RIGHT on Jefferson/64 (8mi to SP)

I have to print this out and then cut it up, making 4″ x 2.5″ cards to tape to my scooter’s headset (handlebars). I can have three up at once and change them out when I stop, which will be pretty often.

I’m not sure if this is mapping, but it sure is time consuming. It took me five hours to figure out Day Five. Granted, Day Five is one of the longest days on 66. I’m not totally sure I’ll have time for everything. I’ll be hopefully stopping on the western side of Lebanon, MO, at a small state park, but if I can’t make that, I’ll stop in Rolla.

I was actually printing out maps for each day. I’ve used nearly 300 sheets of paper for the first 10 days. At this rate, the whole trip will be about 1000 sheets. I seriously don’t want to carry two whole reams of paper with me. I’m not really sure what to do.

Yes, a GPS is out of the question.

Anyway, maybe someone out there finds this stuff interesting.

What happened to the guy from Blue’s Clues? No? Me neither.

But sometimes even the desires we don’t have are fulfilled.

[this one makes me really happy for some reason]

[video/audio synch problem, but sort of fun]

[tmbg cover... yay!]