Throughout the summer, we’ll be sharing weekly installments of a Route 66 travel journal written by association member Joe Razumich. It’s his entertaining account of a recent road trip from his home down Route 66 to Rolla, Missouri for the 75th anniversary of the iconic Munger Moss Motel. On his adventure, Joe passes through Illinois so you’re sure to recognize many of the places he mentions. So, without further ado, here’s Joe!
Sit back and enjoy a Journey Joe travel adventure. Is Journey Joe a real person? Well, not really. But he’s as real as any nickname, any stage personality, any thought or collection of travel experiences that any roadie might have. The real “Joe” is Joe Razumich, a lover of cars and the open road ever since his childhood, growing up around the corner from a hot rod shop, a busy Broadway, and a railroad track. But really all Real Joe does is drive. And put gas in the tank. And put Mr. Suitcase, Mr. Duffle Bag, Ms. Cooler, Mr. Road Atlas, etc., collectively known as the “Inanimate Objects,” in the trunk or behind the passenger seat. Or, to put it another way, Joe loves to drive. Journey Joe loves to write about it – and take you, Dear Reader, along for the ride.
Oh, and the car has a name too. The one we’ll be riding along with on this particular trip, is Angel the Corvette. She’s blue like the sky and she believes she can fly.
Monday, June 21. Day 7
Ms. Parasite and her jellybean sedan were gone in the morning. I slept well. I didn’t remember my dreams, but now I understood what that dream meant that I had on Sunday morning. It was a premonition: “Remember what you came here for.” Premonitions don’t happen very often, and I thanked the Lord in my morning prayers for the guidance. This time, it worked.
Lulu and I agreed, it was time to shift gears out of wander mode and into homeward mode. Angel put us on interstates 55, 72, and 57, and then into Indiana on the US highways. We made it to Lulu’s place just after high noon. She bade farewell to me, Angel, and the spirit of this road trip. I got back in my Angel, wound our way around the puddled potholes on Front Street, and in 30 minutes had us home in the driveway. Unpack, unwind, and understand.
Follow along with Journey Joe’s travels! Click to read the following entries in this series as they’re published.
