SvobodaKC: Jefferson Highway, Route 66 and the National Old Trails Road

Jefferson Highway, Route 66 and the National Old Trails Road

We set out to begin an epic journey through the state of Missouri using the old pre-interstate routes as true to the original roadways as possible. This journey took place over 4 days in April and originated and ended in Kansas City, Missouri. The reason for the travel was to attend the Gasconade Bridge Rally on Route 66 outside of Lebanon, Missouri. We followed the Jefferson Highway south of Kansas City to Carthage. I had to do that portion of the trip over two days. My traveling partner, my wife and I were not completely able to sync our work schedules, so she had to work on Thursday while I had it off. I took advantage of the time to travel as far south as I could from Kansas City over that Thursday. I nearly made it to Nevada, Missouri with one portion of the Jefferson Highway being so primitive, that the rain turned it into a mud soaked track that my front wheel drive van could barely handle. The second day saw us finishing the Jefferson Highway all the way to the Kansas/Oklahoma border, and turning east to start our trek on Route 66. Saturday we made it to the rally at the Gasconade River. Afterward, we made it to Eureka Springs Missouri and our stay at the KOA camp ground there. Sunday we finished our Route 66 portion across the Mississippi River in Madison Illinois and the Chain of Rocks Bridge. Unfortunately, we really ran out of time for the National Old Trails Road, and we had to follow the successor Interstate I-70. I was relegated to tracing along the NOTR on my phone as we passed Land Marks.

MAP OF OUR JOURNEY
Planned

Actual

Day 1: