Cahokia and Beyond
Day 1
Another Cloudy Solstice
Day 2
More Missouri
Day 3
Day of the Giants
Day 4
Day of the Food
Day 5
Merry Christmas
Day 6
Happy Boxing Day
December 26, 2025 (day 6)
I figured this would be the last day of the trip, but by early afternoon,
I wasn't so sure. A final three hours of expressway, after a day mostly on
two lanes, did the trick. My love of two-lane roads was reinforced by
passing two accidents in those three hours.
December 24, 2025 (day 4)
I made very few stops today, and those I did make all had to do with food
of some sort. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
December 23, 2025 (day 3)
What a great day for hunting roadside giants. At 80° F in December in
Oklahoma, it was also a great day for wearing T-shirts and shorts. I left
home with nothing but long sleeves and jeans.
December 22, 2025 (day 2)
Today was sort of Route 66 centric, but actually being on the route was a
little hit-and-miss as I worked my way across the state.
December 21, 2025 (day 1)
There was a really nice crowd at the sunrise gathering at Cahokia Mounds,
but clouds blocked a clear view of the sun. After that cloudy but very
cool start, I moved on to two sign parks, a tree market, a fudge market,
and an exciting motel resurrection.
Prelude - December 12, 2025
No one really knows what sort of celebrations and ceremonies took place at
Cahokia Mounds when the builders were still around. It is known that some
of the mounds are oriented on solar alignments and that several woodhenges
with evidence of solar alignments existed there over the years. In recent
years, gatherings for Winter Solstice have been organized there. I don't
know when that started, and I don't know if it has always been scheduled
for a Sunday, but I know that has been the case since 2022. Solstice, of
course, does not always occur on Sunday, but that sort of thing happens
when our five-day work week is forced onto cosmic events.
This year is different. Solstice does occur on a Sunday in 2025. Not only does it occur on a Sunday, it occurs during daylight at Cahokia. Sunrise is a common time for observing the Solstice. That is when the gatherings take place at Cahokia and when those I've attended at nearby Fort Ancient have taken place. Sunrise at Cahokia on December 21 will occur at 7:15 AM CST. Solstice is at 9:03 AM CST.
I intend to be there for the sunrise and may or may not remain at the mounds for the precise moment of Solstice. I plan on stopping by a collection of neon signs at nearby Granite City, so if I leave Cahokia before 9:03, I may be there when I observe the actual Solstice. Beyond that, I will generally follow Historic Route 66 west at least as far as Tulsa, being sure to check out the neon park at Saint Robert. The route home from Tulsa, and my whereabouts on Christmas Day, are yet to be determined.