2014-10-08 Goodbye Chicago, Hello Pontiac,IL

We had a great week in Chicago. Saw everything that we wanted to see and then some.

It's a Wednesday and we are heading south. It's only 60 miles to our next destination - Pontiac, IL - at a fairgrounds campground.

Along the way, since this IS a Route 66 trip, we headed for the Mother Road via Gardner. We'd already visited this town a few days ago but we needed to start back on the Road somewhere.

The Village of Dwight has a lot going for it and it plays up it's Route 66 roots to the hilt.

This vintage gas station has the last gas pumps used in Illinois on Route 66. The visitor's center wasn't opened but we could see inside the windows and the outside was really cool.

They didn't have any diesel when we pulled in to "fill'r up".

We parked our rig on the main street near the center of town and started walking around.

The post office had a mural.

There was an old 1857 church that had been restored almost 40 years ago.

And lo and behold Frank Lloyd Wright even designed the First National Bank of Dwight.

They've got letters to prove it.

Entrance doors

Really nice looking old wind mill.

The last cool display on old Route 66 in Dwight.

Down the road a few miles was Odell. They had this beautiful gas station and pump.

Karen said she would consider trading in her 5th wheel for this cutey but she wasn't quite sure our truck could handle the load.

Old equipment that used to be used on cars in the old days.

We chatted with the "attendant", Kathryn, for 20 minutes or so about life in the town. She was a city girl who married a farmer and they worked 460 acres for the longest time.

We talked about the difficulties of farming then and the changes. There weren't many family farms anymore. They sold the farm a few years ago and moved back to the city.

Down the road a ways I noticed that the old original Route 66 was paralleling our newer highway.

After our short drive we arrived at 4-H Park Campground and we were setup in a very short time.

Two doors away was a Haunted House in the making. Friday and Saturday should be interesting.

2014-10-02 Route 66 Joliet & Gardner

The ITINERARY said to go to the Willis Tower (the old Sears Tower) today but the weather is just awful so we decided to tour at ground level today and we headed for Route 66 and Joliet.

NE of Joliet is a Knott's Berry Farm-like chicken restaurant that's been there since 1920. They only serve dinner and we've told ourselves when we are starving that we'll come back and eat here some evening.

I wonder why they call themselves the White Fence Farm? Hmm. More research needed, I guess.

Just so that there's little doubt exactly which highway you are on, there are signs like these along the way.

Why are the Blues Brothers dancing on top of this ice cream place called Rich and Creamy? They are closed but we promise ourselves...

Route 66 occasionally was different roads at various times. This is one of the streets through Joliet that was Route 66.

The Joliet Historical Museum had some great exhibits on the city and lots of 66 souvenirs in the shop.

There were exhibits on the Illinois and Michigan Canal and how they built it.

Route 66 area

The Lincoln Highway crosses Route 66 ONLY in this town.

The Rialto Theatre down the street looked like Versailles inside.

We had lunch at the Route 66 Diner in town and then took a walk around town to look at their murals.

After all that walking we needed some refreshment and Rich and Creamy hit the spot.

Stuff you see on the side of the ROAD.

Old gas station in Braidwood

In Gardner they painted the highway so you would know where to go. Jail to the left, Route 66 to the right.

This old 2-cell jail is a big hit along the road.

This restored streetcar sat behind an old diner that burned down a few years ago.

It was getting time to eat again so we headed back north to Braidwood and the Polka Dot Diner. Good food.

Great atmosphere too!