March 11, AD 2017, a sunny day. embracing the gentle breeze and the bright sunshine, a group of future accountants went on a 3000-mile dream chasing road trip right after our exams. Dream Catcher 66 departed from Notre Dame, Indiana, and drove all the way to the southwest coast, passing by Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally touched the dreamland of California. We appreciated the constant change of natural scenery and experienced the culture of the Midwest. Route 66, as a unique highway of the United States, it is still America's mother road.
Part I
Wild Exploration in the Midwest
We visited the Gateway Arch, the landmark of St. Louis, Missouri. It was like a gate calling for us to start our trip. Then, we stopped by Kansas and visited a souvenir shop, called Nelson's Old Riverton Store. It was opened in 1925, passing down from generation to generation, not for profit, just to keep the special memory of the Route 66. Therefore, we highly recommend that people who have strong emotional attachment to Route 66 should explore it.
Along the way, we found a restaurant, called Route 66 Diner, with rich 20th-century style and delicious Chicken-Fried Chicken🍗. Afterward, we arrived at the State of Texas, a place full of passion and pride. A steakhouse named The Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery🍺 perfectly interpreted the great spirit of Texas. The restaurant has a tradition, the unique and well-known challenge competition, if a person finishes eating the whole 72oz steak🐮 within one hour, he doesn’t need to pay the bill. We were not brave enough to challenge our stomach. So we highly encourage you to try it when you go to this old restaurant.
We then arrived at a symbolic spot of Route 66, Cadillac Ranch, locating on the west side of the city, Amarillo, TX. Created by a group of enthusiastic artists in 1970s to honor the American Automotive industry🚗. Ten classic models of Cadillac were parallel half put in the farm. It was so impressive to have those colorful antique cars, the blue sky, and the golden farm altogether in a picture. It is definitely a great piece of art with great interaction because anyone can paint colors on the cars. If you like painting👄, don’t miss this place! Another remarkable place for you to take pictures is the midpoint of Route 66.
Part II
Dream Chasing toward the West Coast
We kept driving until we see the Grand Canyon. Following the orange line, we observed the marvelous scenery of the canyon. Then we took the shuttle of the red line and went to a perfect spot for observation of the unforgettable sunset🌄.
Departing from the Grand Canyon, we drove towards the west coast without a stop. Finally, we arrived at our destination, the city of angels, Los Angeles😇. We celebrated Ben’s birthday🍰 at a fine dining Spanish restaurant named The Bazaar.
There are just so many interesting places to visit in LA. A fantastic place to take pictures during the night is the Urban Light Sculpture in front of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)📷. Designed by Chris Burden, the sculpture consists of about two hundred restored street lamps from 1920 to 1930s, most of which once lit the streets of Southern California.
Another famous restaurant we want to recommend is the Geoffery in Malibu. You can not only taste the fresh seafood🍤 but also appreciate the attractive view of the Pacific Ocean. It is always enjoyable that you can brunch with the sunshine by the sea🌊.
If you have watched the movie La La Land, you must be familiar with the Griffith Observatory on the slope of Mount Hollywood. The melody of the City of Stars🎵, the charming night, and the lovely moonlight brought us all back to the romantic movie again.
If you don’t have the chance go to China and experience the charm of a traditional Chinese garden, we highly recommend that you go to The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens🌻, located in Pasadena, CA. Last but not the least, we suggest you spend quite an amount of time taking some pictures at the final point of Route 66, which is Santa Monica, where you can have access to the beauty👙 and the beach⛱. You would never need a reason to fall in love with this gorgeous place.
Route 66, we shall see you again next time!
----By Serena & Victoria 3.31.2017
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Road Trip Voting
Dates:2017.4.20 - 2017.4.26
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