SITTIING ON THE BENCH...

@pete-rovero 

OMG Pete, your photo (below) just drives home the little piece of Heaven we've lost.  When I see stuff like this, I seriously almost have to look for a Kleenex, as I get emotional at what gets lost and tossed away while we travel the planet.  We all need to have a moment of silence for these losses.  

Wow...I'm impressed that you recognized this Pete.  Such a shame though; unfortunately nothing stays the same forever I suppose and gas stops/coffee bars and restaurants of that era seem particularly affected.  Ah well guys it was a fun exercise in the past!

@pete-rovero Pete, I remember you posting some pictures of the Lincoln on your route 66 adventure. I did the trip in my 61 Corvette back in the seventies. I can assure you  the Lincoln had to be a far more comfortable vehicle for the trip. I still have the Vette but only drive it for local or short trips now.

@bob-jackman 

You are correct Bob, the Lincoln at over 5,000lbs never skipped a beat and was smooth riding even on some of the roughest parts of old 66.  Having AC was a big plus too.  The downside was getting 10 miles to the gallon, but in 1999 gas was averaging about $1.25/gallon so it didn't break the budget.   However, there IS something nostalgic about doing the trip in a '61 Corvette.  Were you Buzz or Todd?!  

@georgeschire 

I did a Google Earth search on Spencer, Missouri and the boarded-up businesses that I encountered on Route 66 have been revived, if only for photo ops as shown in your Hudson pics.  This is pretty common on Route 66.  Personally, I like to see these buildings/businesses in their decaying state and imagine what they might have looked like when the highway was thriving or visit actual operating businesses in these historic locations.  Google Earth pic below. 

@pete-rovero I was in my thirties when I made the trip and it was no big deal. Today, that's a different story. Back then we lived in Crestwood, Missouri and our home was about a  mile away from Route 66 as it wound through St. Louis and St. Louis County. Many of the historic places were torn down to make room for shopping malls and subdivisions. Times change.

@pete-rovero 

Thanks for the Google Earth pics.  I've always been sad when I see a business or building that is just left to rot and decay at a slow pace over a period of years with no attempt to occupy or restore it. 

Up until about a year ago in in White Bear Lake (a suburb here in St. Paul, MN), there was an old Phillips 66 gas station on a corner of an intersection that was in this decaying condition for close to 15 years!!!  Honest, 15 years, and no one within the city itself or anyone did anything to make that corner look better than it did. 

That's mind-boggling to me!  It was an eye-sore on that corner and no once seemed to be able to anything about or they didn't even try.  I've always felt that there has to be a time limit that a former owner of the building or the land should be allowed to leave it without cleaning it up.  Whenever I drove past it, which is usually a half dozen times a year, I'd get the same frustration that it hasn't been removed and cleaned up. 

Finally about a year ago, something finally happened and now a small office complex is being built there.  

@georgeschire I agree George; it makes me a bit sad to see deserted building languish for an extended period; I don't think it's good for the community.  Sometimes by-laws can be a pain but other times they serve a very positive purpose; like not allowing such a building to remain in decay.

@jack-dodds 

Apparently it does not languish currently:

Well.....if this is what has occurred then a better outcome cannot be found!  Awesome!  So....are the pumps operational and do they have a soda machine?  Also...have any Hudsons been spotted roaming the area lately? 😉 

@jack-dodds 

The dates are May - Aug & Sept of this year.

@perrone1 Great news!  I hope it is very successful as a tourist drop-in spot; maybe it will kick off a trend on Old '66.

@jack-dodds 

Judging from the pics, it looks like a known stop on old Rt 66 but as a tourist photo-taking attraction, it doesn't appear as a money-making hang-out or long-term stop.

@perrone1 Ah well....still a positive thing.  The Dodge boys seem to like it!

@jack-dodds