Here we go! After driving to Chicago, we found the official start of Route 66, then we had a fantastic breakfast at the famous Lou Mitchel’s restaurant, started in 1923. The exodus from Chicago on Route 66 looked like any other city suburb. It was difficult to find the 66 landmarks but with our apps we were able to drive by most of them. Slowly the city dissolved into field after field of flat farmland dotted with small towns once patronized by travelers from “The Mother Road”. Between the Gemini Giant and the home-shaped filling stations we were feeling the past come to life.
Castle Car Wash, 1925. Hideout for Al Capone. Tough to find, but we found it.The first favorite station of the day was Ambler/Becker in Dwight, IL.Standard Oil was a station we found in peaceful, breezy Odell, IL. It was hard to imagine bumper to bumper cars waiting their turn in the road.Sprague’s Tudor designed filling station illustrated each business vying for customers in its own unique way.Remnants of the old route 66 were often found parallel to newer alignments which we traveled using our apps and signage to guide us. Often we could see clearly that today’s traffic needs were not even imagined in road planning of the past.We slept here. Thank you, Harvest Hosts. This parking pad was at the end of a piece of the original road.
2 comments
Love the wardrobe Aurel!
Love the glass top gas pumps, and roadside sights