26 Dec DR PATRICK’S POSTCARD ROADSIDE: Caves and Cars on Missouri’s Route 66
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CAVES & CARS ON MISSOURI'S ROUTE 66
The limestones of the Missouri Ozarks are pock marked with show caves that prospered on the traffic of Route 66.
Although known since the 18th century, Meramec Caverns’ fame was directly linked to nearby US 66, motorists from which arrived as soon as Lester Dill opened it as the world’s only drive-in cave in 1935.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" css=".vc_custom_1608993132513{margin-top: 50px !important;}" z_index=""][vc_column][vc_column_text]
The well-advertised novelty of parking inside a cave was part of the appeal of Meramec Caverns that also suggested its great size.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" css=".vc_custom_1608992778422{margin-top: 40px !important;}" z_index=""][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Marked out between Chicago and Los Angeles in 1926, US 66, the Mother Road, angled across the Ozarks carrying a ceaseless torrent of cars past the entrance roads to Meramec and nearby Onondaga caverns. Both caves were an easy day trip from St. Louis.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" css=".vc_custom_1608992778422{margin-top: 40px !important;}" z_index=""][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Lester Dill made sure Meramec Caverns was well-advertised up and down US 66 as in the case of this barn painting east of Springfield that advertises across old Route 66 to traffic on paralleling I-44.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" css=".vc_custom_1608992778422{margin-top: 40px !important;}" z_index=""][vc_column][vc_column_text]
The Meramec Caverns entrance road turned off US 66 and crossed the paralleling St. Louis & San Francisco -the Frisco- which carried the first out-of-town tourists to Ozark show caves long before the automobile.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]
