Quite possible the best, but certainly the most unexpected, find on last March’s Illinois/Missouri/Iowa trip, I completely stumbled upon this by (lucky) accident. Staunton, about 40 miles north of St. Louis wasn’t on my schedule at all, but I decided to check the town out on my way from Lincoln, IL to Belleville, IL. After driving and walking around the town for a bit, I saw that Route 66 led through here once and of course I had to check it out and drive on it for a short way.

Then I found this. Clearly a labor of love and a decidedly low-key affair, which is all the more reason for me to love it, plus the weather was nice, cold and sunny after a harsh blizzard the day before , so I was very happy to have found it. Unfortunately it wasn’t open the morning I went, as a handwritten note informed me the owner was at the local library on a computer course. Otherwise I probably would have kissed him (well, most probably not that, but I would have loved to congratulate him on the good work he’s doing, and would have bought a few souvenirs). He (or she perhaps?) made my day.