We got to Joliet about 10:30 and went to the Joliet museum and Rte 66 welcome center for our first purchase of souvenirs. Fun! It was really a nice little museum filled with local pride of place. We took a few photos, then we headed out on Historic Rte 66 which followed IL 53 – a four lane road that became a 2 lane road through IL countryside and small towns. We stopped in the small town of Wilmington to snap a photo of the Gemini Giant who stands beside the now-closed Launching Pad drive in. This kind of road departs from the regular way we travel as Americans on high speed, bland freeways. There was a much slower pace and we traveled through Illinois farmland and small towns.
Our tour map book of Rte 66 notes all of the places where you can find “giants” on Rte 66 and Wilmington was the first of those. We were amazed to see what looked like the cooling towers of a nuclear facility after we passed through Wilmington. It was between Braidwood and Gardener. We thought that might account for the giants along Rte 66!
We stopped for lunch in Pontiac at the Old Log Cabin. It has been open since the 1920’s. When Rte 66 was re-routed around the Old Log Cabin, the restaurant was picked up and turned around so it still faced the highway. It was a pretty typical small town diner complete with friendly service, low prices, and good sandwiches. We jumped back on the road again and I wanted to drive so Dennis navigated. He had to get me through several really tricky back and forth stretches that were confusing. Our guidebook took us along the frontage road most of the time, so we were driving in sight of I 55. During several long stretches we could see the old, broken up roadbed of the original 66. The creative folks in a few of the small towns had turned the old pavement into walking/biking paths.
We did have a few disappointments, though. One of the “giants”, a statue of Abe Lincoln, was no longer at the designated corner in the guidebook, and an old car museum appeared to be closed – no entrance, no lights, no sign. And then there is the hotel. I cannot recommend it. First, it was very difficult to find! It is not in the heart of visitor attractions but is near I 55. The room is small and dimly lit (not in a romantic way) and it lacks charm. Oh well – we are still up for the adventure and glad we made good progress today. Tomorrow we will take in the historical sights of Springfield – Lincoln-related, of course, and we will head a bit further south to check out Country Classic Cars in Staunton (at my brother Tim’s recommendation) and we’ll take time at the Our Lady of the Highway for a traveler’s prayer. We will also shop for a motel and see if we do a better job this time!
Dennis will upload some of our photos.
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