Between Springfield and St. Louis, I-44 has been built right on top of the old Route 66 corridor, and dozens of old motels, motor courts, gas stations, and other highway-dependent businesses line the remains of the old road, which serves as a frontage road for most of the way. There are plenty of antique shops and cafés to make the journey interesting, but unless you have all the time in the world, you may want to stick to the interstate, which offers a scenic drive through the upland forests of the Ozark plateau.
The two towns on the way grew up along the railroad in the late 1850s, were busy hubs along Route 66, and now boast essential stops for old-roads fans. In Lebanon (pop. 12,500), the stretch of old Route 66 running along the north side of I-44 holds the marvelous Munger Moss Motel ($30; 417/532-3111), at 1336 Route 66, a landmark since 1949, where Ramona Lehman and family offer clean rooms, a wonderful neon sign, and a swimming pool. Across Route 66 from the Munger Moss is a bowling alley with a set of batting cages, making for a perfect Route 66 destination.
East of Lebanon, I-44 has generated a rash of Wal-Marts and shopping malls in the old Route 66 town of Waynesville (pop. 3,500), which stands at the entrance to Fort Leonard Wood U.S. Army base. East of Waynesville, old Route 66 followed the undulating Ozarks through the mountains’ most rugged stretch, known as the Devil’s Elbow. The name comes from a section of the Big Piney River that turns so acutely it caused repeated logjams. Until 1981, through here Route 66 followed what’s now the very hilly, four-lane Hwy-Z, the last sections of the old road to be bypassed by I-44.
