The day started like many others. The air was crisp and a light blanket of snow was slowly melting in the morning sun. But today was no ordinary day. Today we start the most Epic Road Trip we've taken to date...Route 66!!!
Our Toyota was loaded with all of our things and we hit the road. The trip out of Michigan was one we were very familiar with from previous travels. Soon we found ourselves crossing the Indiana State Line.
We were only in Indiana for a short time before crossing into Illinois.
The start of historic Route 66 is in Downtown Chicago. Many us the Art Institute of Chicago in Grant Park as their starting point.
We opted to skip the Chicago portion and pick up 66 in Joilet. Heading South on highway 53 the first thing we came to was Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.
The Preserve is the site of the old Joliet Ammunition Factory. Over 19,000 acres of land was severely environmentally damaged after years of TNT production. No pics from this area as it was just fields of long grass.
Gemini Giant
On the banks of the Kankakee River sites a small town called Wilmington. One of the most famous "Giants" of Route 66 is located here at the Launching Pad Restaurant and Gift Shop.
In the parking lot you'll find the star of the show, The Gemini Giant. At 30ft tall and weighing 438lbs, this Giant has been in family photos since 1960.
Unfortunately they remain closed, so no souvenirs. We did hear from a few people they were trying to reopen this summer.
We hopped back up in the truck and headed South. One thing we're really good at is getting sidetracked. A few miles down the road and we were there.
In the town of Braidwood is the Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area. Being rockhounds we'd seen some interesting things in the area. You can collect Pennsylvanian age fossils in dedicated areas as long as you fill out a permit. That can be found here.
The Concretions in the area contain mostly plant and fern fossils. We didn't find anything great but we didn't really know what to look for. Here you can see some of them from Illinois State Museum.
Back on the road. Our next stop was in Pontiac at the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum. This is when we started really learning the history and backstory of this highway...The Mother Road.
Pontiac Illinois
The Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum is located at 110 West Howard Street, Pontiac, IL. They are open 7 days a week (Holiday exceptions: Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.) Summer Hours 9:00AM - 5:00PM Winter Hours (start November 1st) 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
The guides there were very welcoming. They showed us some of the highlights and let us know what to look for when we left. One thing we didn't know about was the Route 66 Passport and Travel Guide.
The Passport covers the entire trip. Each state has sections with places to stop. At each stop they have stamps you can get for your passport! They also offer discounts, free items and collectables. Here is ours with the stamp (couldn't get the Launching Pad stamp since they weren't open).
Inside the Hall of Fame Museum area was Bob Waldmire’s bus! Bob is Icon and Artist who helped keep Route 66 alive. He lived out of his van traveling the entire route helping and meeting people. His story is amazing and deserves it's own post. Here is his van and some other memorabilia.
Outside was a bunch of murals lining the streets of the city. They reflected what Route 66 once was and were done with great attention to detail. Have a look for yourself.
Bob planned on painting this mural but ended up passing away before it could be completed. The city and friends of Bob came together and got it completed in his name.
After our visit to Pontiac we once again were back on the road. Route 66 jumps on and off the current highway system and I-55. While heading South on I-55 was the town of Atlanta. Another of the Route 66 Giants is located here. This one was originally Paul Bunyon holding an Axe, but it was replaced with a Hotdog and sold to a restaurant near Chicago. It ended up here in 2003 when the owner decided to keep it on the historic route.
It was getting later in the day and we were starting to get hungry. While in the area of Springfield, there is no better place to stop than The Cozy Dog Drive-In! This place is an Icon. Corn dogs have been around for a long time, but The Cozy Dog put them on a stick. They were absolutely delicious! We grabbed some stickers for the truck and hit the road.
It had been a long day and we were ready to find a hotel. Just up the road from our hotel was our last Giant for the day. This one is the Lauterbach Giant and our last picture for the day.
That was a wrap for day 1. Keep an eye out for our upcoming adventure on Route 66!