As I am always thinking of ways to amuse myself, continue to grow and, learn so I decided a trip along the iconic Route 66, the Mother Road would pass some time and provide opportunities. I had no idea what a grand adventure I was getting myself into.
Route 66 crosses eight states and covers 2,448 miles of USA turf of which 301 miles are in Illinois. Mind you that alternate routes are required to be used in various areas as Route 66 was decommissioned after 59 years, The iconic Route 66 entered the realm of US infrastructure history on June 27, 1985, when it was decommissioned. Fortunately, in several states people still appreciate its history and keep the dream alive. In Illinois Route 66 runs along state Route 55 from Chicago to East St. Louis.
Some wonder why it’s referred to as the Mother Road, That happened due to the book “The Grapes of Wrath” written by John Steinbeck. His description of Route 66 as the “Mother Road” was for how it served as a refuge for so many people displaced by the Great Depression and the devastation in the Great Plains in the Dust Bowl year.
Due to the amount of information and its iconic stops, I will be breaking this trip down State by State. The start of the Mother Road is in Chicago so I will start my blog in Illinois. However, I did not start Route 66 in Illinois. Many who travel the route don’t start here. To my way of thinking, it doesn’t matter where you start your journey as we are all on different paths. The important thing is that you start.
Ah, Chicago! Well, I started this venture in downtown Chicago on a Friday evening. That made for excitement!
Navigating downtown Chicago with its foot traffic, motorized scooters, and traffic on a Friday night with upper and lower levels for a driver on their own is WOW! But, I survived and so did everyone else! I was a woman on a mission and for the most part, I was successful.
Several highlights in Chicago, not all of which are photographed are Cloud Gate, Art Institute of Chicago, Lou Mitchell’s, Sky Deck, WillisTower, Henry’s Drive-In, and Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket.
An interesting stop is the Old Joliet Prison, where the Blue Brothers did their “show”. Tours are available at the prison however, I didn’t dig the vibes so, I chose not to stay on the grounds.
Other Iconic stops are: Rich & Cream, Dic’s Towing Service, Blues Brothers Cop mobile, Gemini Giant (Moody Blues was in my head at this stop), Antique Shops in Wilmington, The Shop on Route 66 and the two-cell Jail in Gardener were interesting. Then there was Ambler’s Texaco Gas Station in Dwight.
In the town of Odell The Mobile State & 66 Licks, the Odell Pedestrian Tunnel, and Standard Oil Gas Station. (Are you tired yet? We’ve just begun!) In Braidwood IL. Route 66 travels through the city where you can visit the Polka-Dot-Drive-In, a 50s-themed diner. It was a great stop since the Launch Pad was closed. Polka-dot offers loads of diner food, ice cream, and nostalgia. I would note you might find the restroom either interesting or uncomfortable. I was a little uncomfortable, And as you can see in the photo, there wasn’t a shortage of customers at the dinner.
Pontiac is a great stop with the Hall of Fame Route 66 Association of Illinois, Bob Waldmire Road Yacht, Pontiac Oakland Auto Museum, and the Historic State Police Building. I enjoyed these stops and enjoyed meeting people in these locations.
Down the road, there is Sprague’s Super Service Station, Paul Bunyan Statue and the Atlanta Library in Atlanta, the Largest Covered Wagon in Lincoln, and Springfield has the Cozy Dog Drive-In.
In the Lincoln and Springfield areas, any history buff might want to check out the historical information in the area.
Though it is off route I stopped over to see the Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon which is located in Washington Park in Springfield. I had the pleasure of being there as they played. This stop is off Route 66 but I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity when I was so close to it. (After all, it’s about the journey!) The park was a great place to stretch and was beautifully laid out where I relaxed and appreciated the peaceful beauty.
Headed on toward East St. Louis there is the Ariston Cafe, Litchfield & Route 66 Museum, Soulsby Service Station, Henry’s Rabbit Ranch, the Pink Elephant Antique Mall and one finalizes Illinois at the Chain of Rocks Bridge crossing over to Missouri.
These last stops were very enjoyable; many could be stand-alone blogs as there is so much to appreciate there.
And yes I was getting my kicks on Route 66. Such a great time and this was just the first state on the journey westward.
I highly recommend that if you have limitations you research the stops in advance as some stops are not handicap accessible.
LINKS:
https://classicchicagomagazine.com/the-historic-route-66-in-chicago/
https://illinoisroute66.org/joliet-il/
https://illinoisroute66.org/wilmington-il/
https://route66mc.com/town.php?ID=254
https://illinoisroute66.org/pontiac-il/
https://illinoisroute66.org/lincoln-il/
https://www.visitspringfieldillinois.com/Landing/LegendaryRoute66.aspx
https://visitlitchfield.com/route-66-in-litchfield/
www.carillon-rees.org
https://www.theroute-66.com/mount-olive.html
https://www.nps.gov/places/chain-of-rocks-bridge.htm
Thank you! Now I have the song pleasantly going through my head.