Illinois

Let me say first that I went armed with two guidebooks, Wallis’s book, and a road atlas, which, together with surprisingly good signage in many of the eight states, kept me from going astray much at all. The guides taught me that the highway was rerouted many places, especially in cities, over the years it was an official U.S. highway (1926 to 1977 or so). The Chicago start then, was variously set at some combination of Michigan Ave., Jackson, Adams, and/or Lakeshore Drive.

I found out too late that there is some kind of plaque/marker at Adams and Michigan, so I didn’t see it. I settled for documenting my start at Jackson and Michigan.

I decided right away that I didn’t care to follow the road block by block out of Chicago, so I beat a hasty retreat south to Joliet, and rejoined 66 there. I gradually decided that in many cities there are not interesting US66 relics to look at any more, so I shot through a number of cities on the Interstate (I know, I’m not a purist, but that’s okay).

Joliet is where I was born. I went by St. Joseph’s Hospital, but learned that it was a newer location, and they had razed the old one where I had arrived. Oh well. I got on Route 66, and saw a few interesting things. Jake and Elwood, atop an old diner, were rockin’. (It is interesting that the next little town down 66 from Joliet is, right, Elwood.)

On the trip, I was going to see many businesses dolled-up to take advantage of the Route 66 theme, and Joliet had a few.

I noted the spot where US66 and US30 intersected, because Michael Wallis had written another wonderful historical book on The Lincoln Highway, which actually pre-dated Route 66. Michael advised me not to try to drive the length of it, NYC to San Francisco.

I was impatient to get down-state to settle in with friends, so left Joliet and moved along through farm country. I saw that the old road is well maintained, alternating between two- and four-lane stretches. Frequently it was returned from four to two lanes, and I could see the other half broken up and covered with weeds. Some little-used stretches (which I liked best) were narrow and lacked center-line definition.
I slowed through frequent small towns, wary of speed traps, but made good progress. In one town I encountered the first of several giants that were erected back in the road’s heyday along the route. I saw a couple as I went west. This space-age guy, I think, originally advertised a muffler shop. Another, down-state, a hot-dog stand?

Frank’s Old Station, in another little town, was one of many museum-piece filling stations that had been nicely preserved.

Further along I pulled into the Ariston Café in Litchfield. This excellent restaurant has been in business since 1924, and the current (third) location since 1935.

I sat down at the bar with a group of bikers. The guy next to me was drinking a Stag beer, which I had not seen in many decades. His evaluation of it was “not terrible”. So, I chatted with him over Stag beer, and after they rode on I had another while chatting with the new owner, Will Law. He doesn’t plan to change a thing. Good idea.

I enjoyed spending the night with Darryl and Fran Slater in Edwardsville, near St. Louis. Darryl is another classmate from Western Military Academy (WMA) in nearby Alton. After dinner they showed me around Edwardsville, and pointed out a Route 66 marker made by an acquaintance of his. The next morning I would cross the Mississippi River.