Onwards to Cuba, Missouri - Vineyard Country

MISSOURI LEGENDS

Onwards To Cuba - Vineyard Country

Cuba, Missouri is yet another outdoor adventurer’s paradise with twenty rustic lodges and campgrounds, three rafting rivers and numerous lakes that offer great hunting, fishing, canoeing, swimming, and water skiing.

Getting its start in 1857, Cuba was named for the island of Cuba that was much in the news at the time, due to the Spanish tyrannical rule of the Cuban people. In the beginning, Cuba was known as a farming community and railroad shipping point. Soon apple orchards began to be planted in abundance. From 1895 through the 1920s the community was known for its apples and for its barrel making industry. Apple production declined in the 1930s but the community still makes barrels.

These roadside stands selling grapes and all manner

of produce once dotted old Route 66 along this

stretch of the road. Vintage postcard.

In the 1930s, Cuba picked up and moved its original town site by the railroad tracks to be closer to the new Route 66, along which, sprang up a number of services and tourist stops. One example is the Wagon Wheel Motel that continues to stand at 901 E. Washington. Originally built in 1934, it was constructed of Ozark native stone and called the Wagon Wheel Cabins. In 1946, it was expanded from 9 units to 14 units. It once also featured a Standard Oil Station and a cafe. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the retro motel continues to serve weary Route 66 travelers today.

As you enter Cuba, a "new" stop along Route 66 is Missouri Hick Barbeque. While this place isn't vintage Route 66, it serves up great Ozark barbeque and the name itself is so representative of Route 66, that we had to include it. The restaurant, complete with an upstairs outdoor deck, is a great place to watch the traffic during the summer months. It is located at 913 E. Washington Street.

Missouri Hick Bar-B-Q, Kathy Weiser, November, 2007.

This image available for photographic prints HERE!

Another vintage peek of the Mother Road is available at the old Carr Phillips 66 Service Station, circa 1932, at the corner of Washington and Franklin Streets.

For a bite to eat, the Route 66 Cafe at 510 W. Washington, has been serving Route 66 travelers for years

Many small towns along Route 66 display their pride in the Mother Road, but Cuba does it very well with the many murals that appear on its buildings. The Viva Cuba organization completed its first mural in 2001 with plans to complete 12 more. The Missouri House and Senate have proclaimed Cuba as "Route 66 Mural City."

Restored Carr Phillips 66 Station at the corner of Washington and Franklin Streets, Kathy Weiser, November, 2007.

This image available for photographic prints HERE!

Al West Tractor Sales mural, Kathy Weiser, November, 2007.

Roberts-Judson Lumber Co. Mural, Kathy Weiser,

November, 2007.

As you continue your trek along Route 66 to Rosati and St James, Missouri, you will pass by numerous wineries and vineyards in this rich wine producing country.

Also See:

Gray Summit to Cuba 66 Gallery

Book your lodging in Cuba, Missouri HERE!

Cuba 66 Cafe and Hayes Shoe Store, Kathy Weiser, November, 2007.

To Rosati

Return to Route 66

To Sullivan

From the Rocky Mountain General Store

The Route 66 Map Series - Created by Mother Road Experts Jerry McClanahan and Jim Ross, the Route 66 Map Series, consisting of a separate fold-out map for each Route 66 state, provides an easy-to-follow through route and clear, simple directions to keep you on the right track as you take the historic journey down America's legendary highway. Each map is generously illustrated with original nostalgia art by McClanahan, and text by Ross includes the history of the road, tips on finding abandoned segments, and information pertaining to each state. These eight maps are an absolute must for every Route 66 cruiser.