Final Days on Route 66 – St. Louis KOA and Heading Home (September 19–20, 2015)
September 19–20, 2015 – Final Stop on Route 66
After feeding the fish one last time, we left the Joplin KOA and made a stop at the Candy House Gourmet shop in Joplin, Missouri. It was a fun little stop and a good way to start our final travel day before heading east.
From there, we made our way to our third KOA of the trip — the St. Louis KOA West in Eureka, Missouri. This would be our final stop of the trip. We had actually stayed here back in 2013, and it left a good enough impression on us that we decided to stay here again.
Unlike the Joplin KOA, this one was very activity-oriented. We ended up with a prime spot right next to the pool, and Route 66 ran right in front of the campground, which made it feel even more fitting for the trip.
They had a bounce house set up for the kids, which Jameson absolutely loved.
That evening we also drove into St. Louis to stop at the famous Route 66 frozen custard stand, Ted Drewes. If you’re traveling Route 66, this is one of those places you just have to stop at.
September 20, 2015 – Last Morning on the Road
Sunday morning the KOA had t-shirt coloring for the kids, which was another nice activity before we packed up to head home.
This KOA really has a lot going for it. There are plenty of tent sites, several Kamping Kabins, and a nice pavilion. As it turned out, there was actually a wedding reception happening in the pavilion the night we arrived, which was something we weren’t expecting to see at a campground.
Near the front of the park, they even have a real caboose that you can rent and sleep in for the night. And the camp store was well stocked with a good variety of Route 66 souvenirs.
All in all, this is one of the better places for anyone RVing on Route 66 to stay when visiting the St. Louis area.
After packing up that morning, it was time to head home to Indiana and officially bring our Route 66 trip to an end.
Final Thoughts on RV Travel on Route 66
In summary, we found traveling Route 66 with an RV to be a really fun experience — something we honestly weren’t completely sure about when we left home.
What we discovered is that there are a lot of RV parks along the shoulders of Route 66 that really cater to travelers driving the Mother Road, just like the motels and classic roadside stops do for car travelers.
We also started noticing other RVers along the way with Route 66 license plates or decals on their rigs, which was pretty neat to see. You could tell a lot of people were out there for the same reason we were.
One of the biggest advantages of traveling Route 66 in an RV is getting to sleep in your own bed every night, while still waking up somewhere new each day.
If you’re researching RV travel on Route 66 and thinking about making the trip yourself, I would absolutely recommend it. It’s a great way to experience Route 66 while still having all the comforts of home with you along the way.
Wrap-Up
This trip was a great introduction to traveling Route 66 by RV, and it definitely won’t be our last time traveling the Mother Road.
Hope you enjoyed the ride!
Pat & Jennifer
Links
- Our full September 2015 Route 66 RV trip overview
- Shasta Trailer Adventure: September 12–14, 2015
- Western Oklahoma to Amarillo: September 15, 2015
- Jack Sisemore RV Museum (Amarillo, Texas): September 16, 2015
- Amarillo to Tucumcari: September 16, 2015
- Amarillo, Texas to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: September 17, 2015
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Joplin, Missouri: September 18, 2015
- Tips for RV travel on Route 66
Photos from the Day
Final Days on Route 66 – St. Louis KOA and Heading Home (September 19–20, 2015)
