Get Your Kicks...Trippin' to CO via Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas

 

So...Tornado weather. Yeah. I ended up staying an extra day in Illinois because of this predicted weather situation that may lead to tornados and the like. There were some storms and some funnel clouds spotted north of me but it was nowhere near what the weather guys were predicting. Mostly, I have been going when and where I want. I don't really have a schedule or have to be anywhere at any particular time. People I'm staying with, however, tend to be more...time oriented than I am. Point: I'm not exactly sure what day it is and occasionally unsure of the time zone. Either way, I was originally going to stop in Missouri for a night, then Kansas for a night but squashed that idea after the delay and decided to cruise on through Missouri and stay over in Topeka. So, as fast as I cruised through those states, I'll cruise through the road trip to Colorado from Illinois.

Illinois: I headed south on I-55 and, of course, meandered through some small towns to check out some old Route 66 sights. Coolest place I saw? Pontiac, Illinois. I didn't get to stay forever and check out any local diners, etc. but I did get to see the neat little town and their historical buildings. Definitely drive through and stop if you are in the area.

I also stopped in Mt. Olive, Illinois only to see the Mother Jones memorial in the Union Miner's Cemetery. If you don't know who Mother Jones is, then it's clear you are not from West Virginia or you didn't pay attention to anything throughout any of your history classes while growing up in West Virginia. Mother Jones was a figurehead in labor reform movements throughout the United States in the early 20th century. She was a prominent figure during miner labor reform and the cultivation of unions in mining. In West Virginia, we grow up hearing stories and learning about the mining industry and the stories that accompany coal mining. Most people in the state have family who have worked in the coal mines at one point or another (me included!) and understanding how our culture is/was impacted by mining over the years is incredibly important to us. Though the cemetery itself isn't the most interesting of historical sites, it was something I couldn't just drive by without a stop. My favorite part was on the back of the gate/arch that sits at the entrance, someone had written on the back of the emblem in white paint: Resting Place of Good Union People. I don't know if it was good graffiti or an afterthought, but it certainly left an impression as to how important these movements were for the life of many people in our history.

 

 

 

 

 

My next stop was the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. You can check out my thoughts about that in a previous post found here.

After the Arch, I flew through the rest of Missouri and into Kansas to reach Topeka. A big part of my trip changed here in this town: it was my first stop where I did not know anyone or friends of friends to crash a couch. I had to find a hotel. Enter extremely sad face here. The highlight of my Topeka stopover? Saying "Topeka" as much as possible! (Go ahead! Say it!) Also, the drunken fireworks display that was set off in the Denny's parking lot adjacent to the hotel and very visible from my window. A spectacular show it certainly was though I wouldn't say the fireworks were much to look at. The man attempting to set them off after one too many beers or whiskies was more entertaining.

Even with time against me on this leg of the trip, it still turned out to be very interesting and I got to see a lot of great stuff!

Happy Tripping! -D.