After entering Illinois on Route 50 and passing though Lawrenceville, Red Hill State Park might be a place to camp for the night, depending on the timing.

Olney is supposed to have white squirrels in the city park. Not that we will actually take the time to look for them, but who knows.

We pass through Noble, Clay City, Flora, and then Salem.

Odin has the Lincoln Trail Antique Shop. Not much storage space in the Fieros for doing much shopping, but it's always fun to look.

Carlyle Lake also has camping, or we could follow the example in Wulf Berg's book and stay at the Knotty Pine Inn in Breese. He says they have a good restaurant, too.

From Carlyle, a new US-50 was built, bypassing small towns of Beckemeyer, Breese, Aviston and Trenton. What's the fun in that?! We'll take the old road.

At Trenton, we'll take IL-160 south, and in less than a half hour we'll arrive at R Runner's place for a cookout. We will get there for lunch and spend some time there. I hope Paul will reply with some pics.

Back on 50, we leave Illinois after East St. Louis, by crossing the Mississippi River.

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I'm told that Wulf Berg updates his route50.com website, so take some time to check it out. See if you can find my name (Chuck Hodges) in the site.

Are you thinking about what part of the tour you might join? There is no registration, but why not get your name on the Participants List on the GAS website (click the logo in the sig below). You don't have to bring a Fiero, if you'd rather drive somethng else.

And get your GAS stickers, mugs, keychains and mousepads. Before supplies run out!

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The Fiero Store is the
exclusive sponsor of GAS

Did I hear my name?

I just looked through my pictures and I can't find any good ones of the house. I will be happy to post some. Again, everyone is welcome to come to my house/shop for lunch. The shop will be open with tables and chairs in case it rains or something. The food is on me. When we get within a few weeks of the event, I would like to try to get an Idea of how many will attend so we don't buy too much food. No one will go away hungry.

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Paul

For a full history of my IMSA Build: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/789315
HHP Adjustable Sway bars for ALL MODELS: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum4/HTML/036556.html

I'm hoping to join up with the tour here in Ohio, go thru IN & IL, maybe droping off around St. Louis. But one thing for sure, I will NOT drive thru East St. Louis. We use to live in that general area. It was bad then and it's worse now. I've seen the pics on the other site.

As a suggestion - after the great lunch and shop tour at Paul's, I wouldn't want to drive too far. Sometimes one get sleepy after one has there belly full, and thats not safe. So I would be turning off RT. 50 at RT.157, go North for about 8 miles or so, to Collinsville, where 157 intersects I-70 / 55. There are a lots of motels in that area, along with restrurants and bars. Might be a good spot to stay the night.

And maybe another side trip? Just a couple exits West on I-70 / 55, on Rt. 203, we have the Gateway International Raceway (Nascar and other racing). Maybe someone in that area could check it out if we could take a few laps around the track. We did that years ago when FOCOA had a show in the St. Louis area.

Then the next day it's just a short jump to St.Louis, and you have to stop at the Arch.

quote Originally posted by AuNROD: ...I will NOT drive thru East St. Louis. We use to live in that general area. It was bad then and it's worse now.

Agreed. Not the best place to be. If I can go I will meet the tour west of STL anyway.

Hey Hey Hey... that big shiny arch thing is in Missouri. That's our side of the river. That's next months topic.

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That Todd guy

The Fiero Farm is not officially open but if you need parts? Email me at todd@thefierofarm.com
www.thefierofarm.com
Bates City, MO

Speaking of antique shops and camping that is why the Fiero Store sells hitches finally you can have a trunk!

quote Originally posted by AuNROD: I'm hoping to join up with the tour here in Ohio, go thru IN & IL, maybe droping off around St. Louis. But one thing for sure, I will NOT drive thru East St. Louis. We use to live in that general area. It was bad then and it's worse now. I've seen the pics on the other site. As a suggestion - after the great lunch and shop tour at Paul's, I wouldn't want to drive too far. Sometimes one get sleepy after one has there belly full, and thats not safe. So I would be turning off RT. 50 at RT.157, go North for about 8 miles or so, to Collinsville, where 157 intersects I-70 / 55. There are a lots of motels in that area, along with restrurants and bars. Might be a good spot to stay the night. And maybe another side trip? Just a couple exits West on I-70 / 55, on Rt. 203, we have the Gateway International Raceway (Nascar and other racing). Maybe someone in that area could check it out if we could take a few laps around the track. We did that years ago when FOCOA had a show in the St. Louis area. Then the next day it's just a short jump to St.Louis, and you have to stop at the Arch.

Thanks for the tips! Route 50 apparently follows I-255 south of East St. Louis, and crosses the river at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, near Mehlville, where it jaunts over to join I-44 for a few miles. Is that direction still part of the bad areas?

But then, Gateway International Raceway looks just like what we're looking for! And then on the other side of Missouri we can visit Kansas City International Raceway Park.

While we're on the subject of St. Louis, one of the "full tour" participants is an Anheuser Busch employee, and says he might be able to help out with a tour of the brewery.

To avoid East St. Louis altogether jump on I-64 at Exit 14 (where it crosses US 50). Then you can take the interstate any where you want to visit (The arch, Gateway International, etc...) and then go to I-44 and pickup US 50 again. All the interstates are fine. There are some places where you don't want to get off, but I can let you guys know that once a plan is made on the places you may want to visit.