Ryan Chiaverini's 2026 Hyundai Palisade took him to two legendary locations that changed America's culinary history.
If you've ever had a corn dog, you can likely thank Cozy Dog Drive In from Illinois' capital city, Springfield. From his perch on Route 66, third-generation owner Josh Waldmire explained what inspired their famous "hot dog on a stick."
"My grandfather, when he got out of the military in 1945, started selling Cozy Dogs. And that's what made corn dogs famous in the Midwest here," Waldmire said. "When he was in the service, he saw a corn dog being baked when he was in Oklahoma and thought, there's got to be a quicker way to do that."
Waldmire's family name is well-known on the Mother Road. His uncle, Bob Waldmire, was a prominent artist who promoted Route 66, and his murals can still be seen in places like Pontiac.
"He went up and down the route just helping popularize a lot of the stops and making them more famous and basically helped give life back into the road," Waldmire said.
Craving dessert, Chiaverini navigated to the Show-Me State's Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. Founded by tennis pro Ted Drewes Sr., his son opened a Route 66 location in St Louis that draws hundreds in the summertime.
"Ted Jr. was the one that really took the reins and made it into what it is today," said manager Bryan Dillon, the great grandson of the founder. "Ted Jr. wanted to have a place that was right along this main thoroughfare."
Ted Drewes' most popular item is served to customers upside down: its thick and creamy concretes. Launched in 1959, Dillon said it helped inspire a frozen creation that diners can find all over the country.
"There's a guy in St. Louis that started Dairy Queen that got the idea from us, and they started the Blizzard," Dillon said.
Cozy Dogs and custard in-hand, more food and history beckon on the journey west toward Santa Monica Pier. For now, this should tide over Chiaverini as he goes farther into Missouri.
"Pier To Pier: Celebrating 100 Years of Route 66" is sponsored by Hyundai.