On our cross country road trip to Washington state, we cruised through St Louis this time ’round and waved to the arch as we went by on the bridge. We had tried to launch our trip a few months earlier and we were in St. Louis, MO camping and sight seeing when we had to turn back for home. (Long story, but the company my husband worked for at the time announced they had sold the company and were issuing live final checks, so we had to be physically home to manage that transition, but that’s a story for another time.)
As we drove through Missouri, the hours on the road were beginning to be felt. Our goal each day was around 500 miles — about 8-10 hours of drive time at our pace. We needed to take a break, so when we saw a A&W restaurant road sign it peaked our curiosity.
When I was a little girl, my grandparents would take me to an A&W Drive-In in Electric City, WA. I loved the frothy foam and vanilla ice cream on top of a big heavy frosty glass jug of root beer.
Each of the A&Ws in the 70s used to have an old fire pit in the center of the restaurant that you could sit around (like the one pictured above). In the particular A&W I grew up with, you would sit down at your booth and there was this sort of little juke box looking menu at each table that served as your menu. I believe you could even use it to “call in” your order if I recall correctly (I was only 4 or 5 years old at the time). We would get a the appropriate sized burger — a Papa, Mama, or Baby or Teen Burger or a hot dog and of course that a root beer!
We did have to drive a mile in off Interstate 70 (see map below). We took 40 in and their parking lot was empty enough that we were able to pull in with our rig and trailer without an issue and park.
A few things had been updated in the restaurant like the lamps and the seats reupholstered. But there was the fire pit (see pic above of this A&W) with the original chairs around it. Pretty cool!
And those big heavy frosty frothy mugs were just as I remembered! Our kids were love’n it! By the way, don’t miss a great teachable moment! A root beer float is a great way to illustrate and experience the three states of matter: liquid [root beer], solid [ice cream] and gas [frothy fizzy bubbles on top]!
With tummies full and old and new memories cherished, we loaded up our tribe to head back down the road. The kids quickly settled in and we made good progress to Nebraska. When we had to stop and do a bathroom break in Nebraska, this was our view. I personally love how we can just pull over on an exit and use the bathroom without having to worry about stranger danger at a public restrooms or unwanted germs!
The next day would be the Fourth of July and prove to be a difficult day. Be sure to read about it here!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Was this information helpful to you? If so, please click the links below to share on Facebook or pin to Pinterest so that others may enjoy this experience as well. Thanks for spreading the word!
5 Kids and a RV recommendations are based on personal experience and do not represent the business or not-for-profit we feature. We share our experiences in an effort to inspire parents and caregivers to engage and explore with their children. On occasion we may post a review or provide information as an affiliate.
5 Kids and a RV: “Let’s go learn something today!“
