Route 66 is arguably the most famous road in America. Generations of travelers have romanticized this highway as a symbol of unlimited mobility and freedom of the road. Its iconic status is enhanced by the unprecedented volume of music, books, films, and other art forms that depict it as the essence of America's highway culture. 

It was born in 1926 as part of the new numbered highway network and quickly grew to be the preferred road west for a nation on the move. U.S. Highway 66 was not as old or as long as some other transcontinental routes, but it quickly gained fame as the shortest, year-round route between the Midwest and the coast as it passed through the fabled landscape of the American Southwest. The construction of this thin, ribbon of road helped to transform the American West from an isolated frontier to an economically vital region of the country and made it accessible to anyone with a car. 

Route 66 achieved a mythic status in American culture that could not be replaced by a safer but soulless super highway system.  Stripped of its signs and removed from highway maps, the route seemed destined to become a forgotten footnote in history. Almost 2,500 miles of pavement, stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica CA,  the great neon corridor was faded, less traveled, and in places, harder to find but still there and waiting to be rediscovered. It might not be what it once was, but it still is a road where travelers can experience the landscape and a time before franchises and freeways swallowed up the old route. The scale of the road corridor and its interface with the communities it connects allows travelers to experience the local sense of place in ways that super highways cannot achieve. We joined an adventuresome group of travelers with Carolina Tours and set out to explore Route 66 from Chicago to St. Louis.

Chicago – With 3 million residents, Chicago is the largest city in Illinois and the third-largest city in the U.S. Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837 and grew with the nation’s westward expansion – until it was devastated by the great fire of 1871.  Chicago rebuilt rapidly, as many talented architects arrived to usher in a new era of architecture – including the first skyscraper.  Today, the city is a celebrated melting pot, known for its parks, art, architecture, sports teams, its multi-ethnic culture, and … for being the place where U.S. Route 66 begins. The tip of Northerly Island, near the Adler Planetarium, provides a scenic viewpoint for admiring the Chicago skyline.

Incredible Architecture

Grant Park is Chicago's principal downtown park, located between Michigan Avenue and Lake Michigan.  Buckingham Fountain, one of the most famous monuments in Chicago, occupies a prominent site at the center of the park. The design of the large fountain is based on the 'Bassin de Latone' at the garden of Versailles.

The only building allowed in Grant Park is the Art Institute of Chicago - a museum and school built in 1893.  It houses an extensive collection of works of art from around the world, ranging from ancient to the present.

Millennium Park, a 25-acre park that opened in 2004, essentially expands the adjoining Grant Park.  The park includes sculptures, gardens, a tree-lined promenade, an outdoor music pavilion, an ice rink, an underground theater, a modern fountain and an iconic monument.

The Pritzer Music Pavilion hosts an array of free cultural performances, including concerts, movies, dance and festivals.  Designed by Frank Gehry, it can accommodate 15,000 people under its 120-feet-tall stainless-steel overhead trellis. 

The Crown Fountain is an interactive work of public art and video sculpture.  It uses water, light and glass to create a most unusual fountain.  Two identical 50-foot towers project video images that occasionally open their mouths to allow water to flow out.  Loved by kids and adults, it’s a summer oasis in the city. 

Cloud Gate, by Anish Kapoor, is a large (33 feet high, 110 tons) sculpture unveiled at the opening of Millennium Park. It soon became one of the city's most photographed attractions and is now considered one of the symbols of Chicago. Even before it was given an official title, locals dubbed the reflective steel sculpture 'The Bean' and the name stuck. The official name, however, is Cloud Gate as its highly polished surface reflects the Chicago skyline and the clouds above.

 

The Field Museum of Natural History was originally founded to house the biological and anthropological collections assembled for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. That collection still remains the core of the museum’s permanent collection. In the past century, the museum has grown into a home for more than 20 million specimens and a 25,000-volume natural history library, as well as serving as the home base for the esteemed archaeologist in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones movies. 

Jackson Park is a 550-acre park located on the South Side of Chicago, bordering on Lake Michigan. The parkland was first developed as the host site of the World’s Columbian Exposition, commonly known as the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.  The architecture and landscaping for the fair was led by Frederic, Law Olmstead.  It was called the “White City” because of the beautiful white buildings, sculptures, lagoons and statues.  Sadly, most of the park burned to the ground after the fair closed.

The statue of The Republic (sometimes called the Columbiana Statue) is one of the landmarks that recalls the fair, only now it is a replica one-third the size of the original.  The designers used the Statue of Liberty as inspiration for their work.  Today the replica stands at the site of the 1893 Exposition Administration Building.

The Museum of Science and Industry is in the Palace of Fine Arts, the only fireproof building in the White City.  The only other relic from the fair still in the same location is the Garden of the Phoenix, a Japanese strolling garden. It was reconstructed on its original site after being vandalized during World War II.  Today the park includes woodland trails, playing fields, a beach, a golf course, and a boat harbor. It is also the future site of the Barack Obama Presidential Center and Library.

The Obama family home is located in this same area, steps away from where he began his career, where she was raised, and where the family lived before moving to the White House in Washington DC.  The home is a handsome, red-brick house, which is now nearly invisible after the Secret Service insisted on NOT trimming the trees and shrubs.  (First photo compliments of neighborhood website.)

 

Nearby, the University of Chicago, founded in 1891, is a renowned academic institution that has had so many Nobel laureates that it is sometimes referred to as 'Nobel Alley'.  Its buildings are modeled after the Gothic style structures on the Oxford University campus in England.

The Frederick C. Robie House, on the University of Chicago campus, is one of the most famous residences in the world. The house is the culmination of the Prairie Style, a local Chicago style that was mostly defined by Frank Lloyd Wright.  This masterpiece of the prairie style school is defined by its horizontal lines that are accentuated by the roofs and long Roman bricks.

The Magnificent Mile, the northern part of Michigan Avenue between the Chicago River and Lake Shore Drive, is Chicago's version of the Champs-Elysees: a grand wide boulevard with exclusive shops, museums, restaurants and ritzy hotels.  All the big names in shopping are here, and the wide sidewalks, adorned with well-maintained flowerbeds, are always crowded. The areas around the Magnificent Mile are some of Chicago's wealthiest.

Our hotel was just off Michigan Avenue, so we had the opportunity to walk the Magnificent Mile after dark.  It was a tiny bit cooler and even more impressive than in daytime – the street is literally lined with fantastic skyscrapers and millions of lights. 

The Old Water Tower is the oldest building along the Magnificent Mile. It was built in 1869 and its castle-like architecture looks a bit out of place in this modern high-rise district. One of the lone survivors of the Chicago Great Fire in 1871, it has faced demolition several times but each time preservationists were able to save it.

The ”Cows Come Home” is a display of art pieces in the small park that surrounds the historic Water Tower.  This exhibition is a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the 1999 display of 306 decorated cows across the city.  They’re back!!

 

First United Methodist Church, dating back to 1831, is the city’s oldest church, but today it is best known for its unusual location.  The Chicago Temple Building has 21 floors and is topped with a traditional church spire that reaches 568 feet into the air.  The first floor hosts the central sanctuary, seating 1000; the second to fourth floors contain other church offices; the fifth through 21st floors are leased to local businesses; above it all, at the very top of the building, inside the spire, sits the Sky Chapel – the world’s highest church.

The Navy Pier is on Lake Michigan, close to Chicago's downtown.  Construction started in 1914 and in 1916 it was opened to the public.  It was then the world's largest pier, 292 ft wide and 3000 ft long, designed as an entertainment area, with freight and passenger ship docking.  Today the restored pier is home to retail shops, restaurants, a children’s museum, a carousel, a giant Ferris wheel (200 feet tall), a mirror maze, miniature golf, an indoor botanical garden, an IMAX theater, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, an outdoor ice-skating rink, and more.  You could spend a week here!

The United Center is the home of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League.  It hosts over 200 events per year and has drawn over 20 Million visitors since its opening.  The 12-foot-tall sculpture of Michael Jordan is known as “The Spirit.”

Soldier Field is the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League.  The stadium opened in 1924, but its interior was mostly demolished and rebuilt as part of a major renovation project in 2002.  This modernized the facility and caused it to be delisted as a National Historic Landmark. 

Architecture Cruise

We enjoyed a 90-minute boat ride from Navy Pier up the Chicago River, past miles of distinctive building, with a running commentary from an expert guide.  The guide explained Chicago’s architectural history and pointed out at least 40 buildings that were deemed noteworthy in the world of architecture.  There will be no attempt here to identify buildings, but we did appreciate the grand views of the city skyline from the river.

Drive the Loop – See the Art

The Loop is the central business district in the downtown area of the city.   It is home to Chicago's commercial core, city and county government, the theater district, and the headquarters of many large businesses. The area has long been a hub for architecture and contains a wealth of outdoor sculpture.

Flamingo (1974) by Alexander Calder is an abstract sculpture whose vivid color and curvilinear form contrast dramatically with the angular steel and glass surrounding buildings in Daley Plaza.   The Flamingo is 53 feet high and weighs 50 tons (all muscle).

The Four Seasons (1974) is a mosaic by Marc Chagall located in the Chase Tower Plaza.  The mosaic is wrapped around four sides of a wide rectangular box (10 X 14 X 70 feet).  Its imagery includes birds, fish, flowers, suns and lovers, all interspersed with sunbursts and city skylines. 

The Chicago Picasso (1967) is an untitled monumental sculpture by Pablo Picasso located in Daley Plaza.  It is 50 feet tall and weighs 162 tons.  It was unveiled in 1967 and people are still trying to figure out what it is.

Chicago’s Ethnic Salad Bowl

Little Italy: The area of Chicago known as Little Italy was initially made up of Irish, French and Italian immigrants, as proximity to the commercial district made the area attractive to a wide range of immigrants. The influx of Italian immigrants grew, and the Italians soon outnumbered other ethnic groups.  Most of these immigrants came from the southern Italy between 1880 and 1920. The large majority of them were unskilled workers in search of the American dream.

Ferrara Bakery was founded by Salvatore Ferrara, who was just 16 years old when he left his home in Nola, Italy in 1900 and emigrated to the United States. He brought with him the art of Italian pastry making and confectionery, skills which would eventually lead him to open the first Italian pastry and candy shop in Chicago's Little Italy. An instant success, he was recognized throughout the city and suburbs for his fine pastries, wedding cakes and confections.  The third generation of the Ferrara family carries on the tradition of providing its customers with a wide variety of delicious desserts.  Their cannoli are said to be the best in Chicago; no argument here.

Chinatown: By 1875 in Chicago, many businesses were owned and operated by Chinese people; this included 18 laundries and one tea shop.  When the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in 1882, prejudice and racism on the West and East coasts of the country led more Chinese to move to the relative safety of the Midwest.  Chicago’s Chinatown has the distinction of having stayed culturally Chinese in large part due to the influx of Chinese immigrants that continue to make the neighborhood home.  The Chinatown Gate marks the entrance of the neighborhood with its many shops, cafes, dim sum spots and tea-houses. The Nine-Dragon Wall is a reproduction of the 15th-century mural of the same name in Beijing.

Pui Tak Center is Chinatown’s only historical landmark. This church-based community center looks very ornate and Chinese but was actually designed by two Norwegian architects, who used a German architect’s book as a guide!

The Triple Crown Restaurant is located on the main street of Chinatown Chicago, adjacent to the Chinatown Gate.  The restaurant offers family-style dining, featuring Hong Kong cuisine. 

Ling Shen Ching Tze Buddhist Temple occupies a simple, triangular-shaped structure that was built in 1894 for the Immanuel Presbyterian Church – by Daniel Burnham and John Root, of World’s Fair fame.  It became a Buddhist temple in 1992 and is devoted to the teaching of Taoism, which emphasizes humility and religious purity. 

 

The temple and its prayer rooms are lined with walls of Buddha figurines, for which families donate money in the name of a deceased loved one.  The main altar reaches to the ceiling and is covered with various figures as well as offerings.

We also saw many examples of origami figures, such as lotus flowers, towers and ships.  The “jinzhi” are burned in tribute to the gods and ancestors, to give thanks for blessings and prayers for good fortune.  The large pieces under construction were being made for an upcoming festival. 

Pilsen Latino Neighborhood: The Pilsen neighborhood is predominantly made up of people of Mexican descent. In recent years, the area has seen economic development, and today there are many Mexican shops, bakeries, and the Mexican Fine Arts Center Chicago. 

The National Museum of Mexican Art, also known as the Mexican Fine Arts Center, is the largest Latino museum in the United States.  Its subject matter is taken from both the United States and Mexico and exhibits are devoted to four areas: The Day of the Dead exhibition, contemporary art, traditional art, and Mesoamerican art and culture.  It also sponsors performing arts, professional development of Mexican artists, arts education, youth, intercultural coalition building, and an annual performing arts festival.

Dozens of Street Murals make Pilsen a living art museum, showcasing works by graffiti artists and muralists in the neighborhood.  This art distinguishes the neighborhood as a center not only of Mexican culture but of creativity and self-expression.  Murals have a strong history in Aztec and Mayan cultures; their historical influence spread from Mexico in the 1920s and ’30s as government-funded projects to educate the public. That spirit has migrated to the walls of Pilsen, becoming a voice for the people. 

Ukrainian Village: The first Ukrainian immigrants were unskilled, uneducated people who were looking for prosperity and a way to escape oppression.  After World War I, many semi-skilled, educated workers came to escape political and economic pressures.  After World War II, Ukrainian immigrants were highly skilled, professionals who were left homeless and without work.  The fourth wave arrived after the dissolution of the Soviet Union; they came mostly for economic reasons.  The Roman Catholic Church didn’t recognize these Ukrainians as Catholics, so they formed their own parishes along ethnic group lines.  They spoke the same language with common interests and traditions. Residents of the Ukrainian Village today are adamant about preserving the history and culture of the neighborhood.

St. Nicholas Cathedral is a Ukrainian Catholic cathedral located in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago.  This Byzantine church is distinguished by its large central dome, as well as its magnificent icons, mosaics and stained-glass windows.  The parish was founded in 1906, and the current building was modeled after the 11th-century St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, Ukraine. The Neo-Byzantine, Cossack-Rococo edifice has 13 green cupolas topped with gold crosses rising 167 feet into the sky, representing Christ and his 12 apostles. Hanging from the highest dome in the center of the cathedral is a brilliant nine-tiered golden chandelier from Greece; it is lit with 480 lights.

 

Greektown:  Now mostly a commercial district, Greektown was once home to Chicago's Greek immigrant community.  Along with family, church provided an important spiritual, stabilizing and social foundation, and there are several Greek Orthodox churches in this area.  The Greek cultural heritage remains evident in the neighborhood’s tavernas, restaurants and traditional pastry shops.  There’s also the National Hellenic Museum with an archive of over 10,000 books and documents. In April there’s the Hellenic Heritage Parade to celebrate Greek Independence Day.

Greek Islands Restaurant is owned and operated by a group of friends who realized the dream that many immigrants had — they opened their own business after many years of hard work. Their business has grown over the years, but the still select and ship the highest quality extra virgin olive oil, superior wines the best cheeses, Greek lima beans, herbs, and seafood from Greece to Chicago for use in the restaurant.  The house specialty is saganaki (flaming cheese).

Other Dining Experiences

Tommy Gun’s Garage is an interactive speakeasy that offers dinner, a musical comedy review with gangsters, flappers, and unsuspecting audience members.  The place transported us back to the 1920s, with the boss's 1928 Model A Ford, Roaring Twenties music, memorabilia and pictures of gangsters and coppers of the time. The mugs and molls dance and sing the Charleston and other musical selections from 1920’s composers like Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Fats Waller and Duke Ellington.  The audience is warned to be ready to hide your hooch (alcohol) because we could get raided by the cops at any time.  You could even get pulled up on stage to perform a sobriety test.

Marshall Field's was a department store chain whose flagship store on State Street was for a time the largest in the world, comprising 73 acres of floor space.  The building features a five-story atrium, topped by a beautiful 1907 Tiffany vaulted mosaic ceiling.   In 2006, Marshall Fields became part of the Macy’s chain.  

 

The Walnut Room, a Chicago tradition since 1905, was the first restaurant ever opened in a department store.  With wood paneling imported from Russia and chandeliers from Austria, the dining room is both elegant and comfortable.

Garrett Popcorn Shops have served up fresh, delicious popcorn since 1949.  They hot-air pop their signature blend of kernels, which is then mixed into their secret family recipes.  Every batch is handmade throughout the day, so it’s always fresh.  We tried the blend of Caramel Crisp and Cheese Corn – surprisingly tasty!

Route 66: Chicago

Route 66 Begins – Near the corner of Adams Street and Michigan Avenue, there is a sign marking the beginning of Route 66 – the start of a trek that crosses eight states and 2,364 miles to reach the Santa Monica (CA) pier.  The beginning of the Route has been moved a few times due to changing traffic patterns and one-way streets, and some folks say the ‘symbolic’ beginning is at Buckingham Fountain or the Art Institute of Chicago just across the street. 

Route 66: Chicago to Springfield

Wilmington – Gemini Giant Muffler Man was one of a series of quirky fiberglass roadside statues that were part of a nationwide advertising campaign.  Standing over 20 feet tall, this muffler man was named after the Gemini Space program, though his helmet looks more like a welding mask.  In his hands is a silver rocket with an American flag on the tail. 

Dwight – Ambler’s Texaco Gas Station was opened in 1938 by Tubby Ambler and operated as a gas station for 66 years, making it one of the longest operating gas stations on Route 66. It was built in cottage style to blend in with nearby residential architecture.  Today it’s a visitor information center and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Our arrival in town was a big deal – we were met by local polices with gift bags, took a ‘ride’ in an old firetruck, and toured the old station.  Quite a welcome!

 

Dwight – The Dwight Depot, built in 1891, was constructed for the Chicago and Alton Railroad.  The limestone building, based on a Romanesque style, is one of the few remaining stations between Chicago and St. Louis featuring this type of design. 

Dwight – The current Fox Development Center was the home of the original Keeley Institute and Livingston Manor, a noted clinic for the treatment of alcoholism.  Over the entrance to the building are five stained glass windows depicting the five senses; the windows were designed by Louis J. Miller, who once worked with Louis Comfort Tiffany.

 

Dwight – First National Bank, now officially known as the Dwight Banking Center, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  The building was constructed in 1905 to house the real estate office and bank of Frank L. Smith, a prominent local citizen, U.S. Congressman and Senator. The building is an early example of Wright’s Prairie style, with limestone block and deeply recessed horizontal windows; it was remodeled in the 1960s using Wright's original ideas and remains the only one of his three bank designs still standing.

Odell – This Standard Oil Gas Station was built in 1932 and has been fully restored to the original signage and colors of the Standard Oil Company.  Today the property is a Welcome Center filled with vintage equipment and memorabilia. 

Pontiac – Edinger’s Filling Station is a mom and pop diner serving up traditional fare like hamburgers and other sandwiches, as well as specialties like chicken pot pie and fried macaroni.  We had lunch here before setting out to explore the town of Pontiac. 

 

Pontiac – Livingston County Court House, located on the town square, was built in 1875 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.  A statue of Abraham Lincoln memorializes the numerous visits that Lincoln made here between 1840 and 1860.

Pontiac – Wall Dog Murals include 23 outdoor murals which are great pieces of public art, depicting the town’s varied local history. Most of the murals were painted by the Walldogs, a group of sign painters and muralists who came to town in the summer of 2009. The more than 150 artists painted the entire set of murals in just four days. 

 

Pontiac – Art Cars are 15 miniature cars that have been decorated in a variety of styles by local artists and art groups.  There are 15 of them scattered around town:  10 '57 Chevys and 5 pickup trucks.  

 

Pontiac – Route 66 Association Hall of Fame and Museum is located in an historic firehouse and contains thousands of artifacts and memorabilia from the Illinois portion of Route 66.  The Hall of Fame celebrates the people and business owners who made Route 66 one of the most memorable and important highways in the world.  One of these is Bob Waldmire, an artist and cartographer who is well known for his artwork of U.S. Route 66, including whimsical maps of the Mother Road and its human and natural ecology; his cards and posters are for sale, and his bus and van are now here on exhibit. Outside on the back wall of the building is the largest known Route 66 mural, with a driveway made of bricks from the original road.

 

Pontiac – Housed in the same building is the Livingston County War Museum, with artifacts, films, books, uniforms and weapons from the past 100 years of American wars.  This is a living history site because the staff are military veterans and history enthusiasts who share their experiences with visitors.  This 90-year old veteran told us stories associated with the planes represented in his large collection of military airplanes.

 

Atlanta – Midway on Illinois’ Mother Road, Atlanta is about 150 miles from both Chicago and St. Louis.  The town features several murals, one of which includes a test of strength to predict how far you will travel on Route 66. 

Atlanta – The Palms Grill Café (pie and coffee) opened in 1934 and is still there today; it has been lovingly restored with tables, booth, bar, lighting fixtures, flooring, and even the antique cash register ring back to a time when life seemed less complicated.  Waitresses still dish out blue-plate specials – and award-winning pie.

Atlanta – The Paul Bunyan Muffler Man holds a gigantic hot dog in place of his traditional ax.  The 19-foot-tall fiberglass sculpture was moved from Bunyan’s Hot Dog Stand to its current location in 2003.

Lincoln – The Lincoln Heritage Museum is located on the campus of Lincoln College, the only college named for Lincoln during his lifetime.  The museum features remnants of Lincoln’s life and legacy – campaign banners, Lincoln’s desk, furnishings from his home, even a lock of his hair.  There are over 100 rare artifacts from Lincoln’s life, accompanied by an enthusiastic museum director who gave us a grand tour.  One of our favorite exhibits was a display of letters to Lincoln from school kids. 

Lincoln – The Railsplitter Covered Wagon has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "World's Largest Covered Wagon.”  It is a 25-foot wagon made of oak and steel, with a 12-foot tall Abraham Lincoln in the driver’s seat.  The covered wagon was created in 2001 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Mother Road. 

Springfield is the Illinois state capital and location of the only home that Abraham Lincoln ever owned.  He practiced law here from 1843 until about 1852, and he is buried at the Oak Ridge Cemetery.  Springfield is the heart of Lincoln country.  

Looking for Lincoln …

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum merges scholarship with showmanship; it is one of the nation’s most popular presidential memorials.  It is a huge complex with 40,000 square feet of galleries, theaters, historical artifacts, and interactive exhibits.  The museum traces Lincoln’s life from his humble beginnings to Washington DC and his untimely death. 

The Lincoln Home National Historic Site is the two-story Greek Revival home in which Lincoln lived from 1844 to 1861.  Built in 1839, the property has been restored to look as it did when Lincoln lived here. The visit here gave us a glimpse of Lincoln’s life as a husband, father, neighbor and friend.

The First Presbyterian Church of Springfield, founded in 1828, was the church home of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln and their four sons.  It still houses the original Lincoln family pew purchased by the Lincolns for $50.  Mrs. Lincoln’s funeral was here in 1882. 

The Lincoln and Herndon Law Offices were located in this building, on the second floor – above Tinsley’s Store.  The building now houses the Visitor Center along with exhibits from the law office and the old post office.  During Lincoln’s 1847-1849 tenure as a United States Congressman, partner William H. Herndon maintained the practice. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Lincoln Depot is the Great Western Railroad Depot from which Lincoln boarded a train in 1861, bound for Washington DC to be inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States.  His concise and eloquent farewell speech bade an emotional good-bye to the town he loved. 

The Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site marks Lincoln’s final resting place in the Oak Ridge Cemetery – the second most popular cemetery in America, after Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC.  After Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, his body was stored in a receiving vault while Springfield citizens began raising funds to build a memorial.  The tomb, built of granite with a 117-foot-tall obelisk, was completed in 1874.  Mrs. Lincoln and their three youngest sons are also buried here; their eldest son was buried in Arlington. 

The Old State Capitol served as the seat of Illinois state government from 1839-1876 and featured prominently in the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas.  This is where Lincoln’s body lay in state after his assassination in 1865.  It is also where Lincoln delivered his famous speech in which he said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.  I believe that this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.”

 

The “new” State Capitol building was done in grand French Renaissance style and located on Springfield’s highest elevation.  To this day, no structure in the city is allowed to be taller than its zinc-covered dome.  The building held its first legislative session in 1877.

Route 66 in Springfield …

Mahan’s Filling Station is a unique example of the earliest of gas stations along Route 66; the building may date to as early as 1917.  After it closed, it was moved a short distance to rest next to Fulgenzi’s Pizza and Pasta. The station has been restored to its original state and is now a photo and souvenir opportunity for Route 66 visitors. 

The Lauterbach Muffler Man is a fiberglass giant standing in the parking lot of the Lauterbach Tire and Auto Service. He used to hold a tire, but was recently upgraded to be more patriotic with a U.S. flag. In 2006, the muffler man lost his head during a tornado, but was skillfully repaired by the station.

The Maid Rite Sandwich Shop opened in 1926 and claims to have the first drive-thru window in the country.  They sell loose-meat burgers and homemade root beer, the same food they served 70 years ago.  For the uninitiated, a loose-meat burger is kind of like a sloppy Joe without the sauce, best served with extra mustard and onions. 

 

The Dana-Thomas House, considered one of the best examples of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie architecture, was built in 1902. The home is 12,0000 square feet with 35 rooms, 100 pieces of furniture, 250 art-glass windows, 3 main levels, and 16 varying levels.  

The Cozy Dog Drive-In is the home of the hot dog on a stick, early fast food for travelers, invented here in the mid-1940s.  It is still run by the same family and is packed with souvenirs, Route 66 memorabilia, and travelers eating deep-fried cornbread-coated wieners on a stick.  We stopped here for lunch – an experience not soon forgotten.

Route 66: Springfield to St. Louis

From Springfield to the Mississippi River is classic Illinois farm country – miles and miles of corn and soybeans.  Lots of green!

Auburn – The Brick Road is a 1.5-mile segment of the original Route 66; it is a well-preserved example of one of the early road construction methods.  Paved with brick in 1932, it is a thin, two-lane roadway, along with two single-span bridges.  Riding this unique stretch of road provides some of the sights, sounds and feel of what it was like to bounce along Route 66 decades ago. 

Girard – Doc’s Soda Fountain was established as Deck's Drug Store in 1884; the soda fountain was added in 1929.  After three generations of the Deck family running the drug store, it came under new ownership and the Decks added their Pharmacy Museum to the store, displaying items dating back to the late 1800s. Doc's Soda Fountain offers lunch, pies, ice cream and old-fashioned sodas.

Carlinville – The Million Dollar Courthouse was designed for Macoupin County in 1867 as a $50,000 project supported by bonds and taxes.  Through a series of screw-ups and scandals, construction was halted in 1870 at a cost of $1.3 Million.  It took the county 40 years to pay off the debt.

Carlinville – The Cannonball Jail is officially the historic Macoupin County Jail was built in 1867, using the "cannon ball" method, which stopped jailbreaks by making it nearly impossible to remove sections of the stone wall.  Completed in 1869, just a few years after the end of the Civil War, this medieval-inspired fortress has surplus cannonballs embedded within the walls to prevent jailbreaks.  It also served as home to the sheriff and his family.

Litchfield – Ariston Café, run by the Adam family for over 90 years, is thought to be the oldest café still operating along Route 66.  It has survived by adapting to changing times, but the counter inside still takes you back to 1935.  The Ariston is considered one of the finest classical eateries on Route 66 and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings.  

 

House specialties include the Horseshoe Sandwich (a huge open-faced sandwich with two thick slices of bread, meat, a pile of French fries, and a thick cheese sauce smothering it all) and a wide range of mouth-watering desserts. 

Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center – The Museum invites travelers to learn about the history of Litchfield, Route 66 in Illinois, and the impact of the community on the wider world.  All sorts of things can be found in here:  Bob Waldmire maps and drawings, original Route 66 road signs, antique automobiles, exhibit of businesses along the “Mother Road, a hand-drawn fire wagon, the 1904 cornerstone and time capsule from the American Radiator Company, and much more. 

 

Mount Olive – Soulsby Shell Service Station was built in 1926, the year Route 66 opened and stopped pumping gas in 1991.  It continued serving soda pop and snacks until 1993 and now has been restored to represent the many family gas stations along the Route.  The original gas pumps remain in front of the station.  

Collinsville – Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico.  It has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site was inhabited from about 700 to 1400 AD, with a population of up to 20,000 people.  Cahokia was one of the most sophisticated prehistoric cities, with more than 120 mounds, plazas and agricultural fields.  No one knows what happened to the Cahokian Indians and their city, but by 1400 the site had been abandoned.  Some believe that climate change and social unrest may have affected crop production and forced them to leave.

The principal evidence of the existence of these people is the monumental mounds, which were constructed by hand with soil carried to the site in baskets carried on the backs of workers.  The 100-foot Monk’s Mound – the largest prehistoric earthwork in North America.  Other archaeological evidence includes the Birdman Tablet and the discovery of Woodhenge, a circular sun calendar used to determine the changing seasons and ceremonial dates. 

 

 

Madison – Chain of Rocks Bridge is a 5353-foot-long steel trestle bridge crossing the Mississippi River; it opened in 1929 to bypass downtown St. Louis.  It was named after a 17-mile granite outcrop that forms treacherous rapids and led to a unique and distinctive bend in the bridge.  It is now one of the world’s longest bicycle and pedestrian bridges. 

St. Louis is the largest city on Route 66 between Chicago and Los Angeles.  It was founded in 1764 by French fur traders and named after Louis IX of France.  The town gained fame in 1803 as the jumping-off point for the Louisiana Purchase Expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.  With the arrival of steamboats in 1817, St. Louis began to grow rapidly and became an important river port.  It became the crossroads of westward expansion in the United States as the starting point of the Santa Fee, California and Oregon Trails.  The city is the second largest inland port in the country and is a major part of the Inland Waterway System.

Gateway Arch is officially part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial; it stands 630 feet wide and 630 feet high, the tallest man-made arch in the world.  Built as a monument to the vision of Thomas Jefferson and St. Louis’ role in the westward expansion, it honors those who came west in the 19th and early 20th centuries. 

The Old St. Louis County Courthouse was built as a combination federal and state courthouse in St. Louis, Missouri. Missouri's tallest habitable building from 1864 to 1894, it is now part of Gateway Arch National Park. The Old Courthouse was the site of the first two trials of the pivotal Dred Scott case in 1847 and 1850

The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, generally known as the “Old Cathedral,” was the first cathedral west of the Mississippi River and until 1845, the only parish church in the city of St. Louis.  Its roots date back to 1764, but the present building is the fourth church to be erected on this site.  Completed in 1834, it is the oldest building in the city. 

Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. The stadium has a seating capacity of 44,494, and contains 3,706 club seats and 61 luxury suites.  It opened in April 2006.

Union Station opened in 1894 and was thought to be the largest, most beautiful train station in the United States.  Modeled after a medieval city in southern France, it has sweeping Roman archways, fresco and gold leaf detailing, mosaics, stunning stained-glass windows, and a 65-foot barrel-vaulted ceiling.  The train platform was one of the largest single platforms ever built – at 140 feet tall, 700 feet long, and 600 feet wide, it spans 42 tracks.  The last train pulled out of Union Station in 1978, soon after it was designated a National Historic Landmark. 

Each night in the Grand Hall there’s a light show with video animations of flying birds, sea creatures, flowers, and trains that move across the 65-foot ceiling.  The current edition features Beatles music. 

Crown Candy Kitchen is an authentic family-run soda fountain that has been serving malts and shakes, lunch or dinner, since 1913.  They serve malts, sundaes, floats, a famous BLT, and they make their own chocolate candy.   What’s not to like?

The National Museum of Transportation houses what has been recognized as one of the largest and best collections of transportation vehicles in the world.  It was founded in 1944 by a group of historically minded citizens who had acquired a mule-drawn streetcar and needed a place to park it.  The museum site includes one of the two first man-made railroad tunnels west of the Mississippi River, as well as more than four miles of tracks. 

With over 70 locomotives, many of them one-of-a-kind, the Museum has one of the most complete collections of American railroad motive power.  Its collections of automobiles, buses, streetcars, aircraft, horse-drawn vehicles, and riverboat materials are constantly expanding to reflect the ever-changing nature of transportation.  It’s a moving experience.

 

Favazza’s on the Hill (lunch) is a family-owned trattoria, part of St. Louis’ historic Italian neighborhood known as “The Hill”.   They claim to serve the best old-world Italian meals available without crossing the Atlantic.

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard opened in 1941 on the original Route 66 through St. Louis and became famous for its frozen treats.  Ted’s custard is thick and rich; they call it “concrete” because it doesn’t move – to prove its density, it’s served upside down.  Concretes come in many flavors and with many toppings; a favorite is the “All Shook Up,” a peanut butter and banana masterpiece in honor of the king himself, Elvis Presley.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral, is the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.  It was built in 1914, a masterpiece of art and history.  Its unique design combines Romanesque style architecture with a Byzantine style interior.  It contains one of the largest collections of mosaics in the world, created by 20 different artists, covering 83,000 square feet; it contains 4.5 Million pieces of glass and over 7,000 colors.  In 1997, Pope John Paul II honored the Cathedral by making it a Basilica, a place of worship of special distinction.

Forest Park, at 500 acres larger than New York’s Central Park, is one of the largest urban parks in the United States.  It was also the site of the 1904 World’s Fair.  Located in the park are the Missouri History Museum, the Jewel Box (an art deco greenhouse), the St. Louis Art Museum, a zoo, a science center, a boathouse, and a community golf course. 

 

City Museum is a hundred-year-old warehouse in downtown St. Louis in which artists have re-purposed the pieces of old cities to build miles of tunnels, slides, climbers, bridges, and castles.  There are secret passages and grand galleries, playgrounds and ball pits, a circus and a train, a rooftop school bus and a Ferris wheel. The 10-story former International Shoe building has been transformed into the ultimate urban playground and architectural marvel.

The Scott Joplin House State Historic Site was the home of Scott Joplin and his wife Belle during the years that they lived in St. Louis.  Joplin composed a large number of songs that made him a national phenomenon in the genre of ragtime music, such as “The Maple Leaf Rag.”

Maplewood, a St. Louis suburb on the western edge of the city, is located on a stretch of the original Route 66.    Some of its original sights have survived: Katz Drugstore, the Maplewood Theater building and the Ozark Trail Garage. The Route’s history is celebrated with memorial plaques along two blocks of the main street, including shops that were active during the Route’s heyday.

End notes …

Tour: Route 66 - Chicago to St. Louis

Tour Leader:  Ingrid Long

Local Guide: David Moline

Tour Company:  Carolina Tours

Dates:  July 13-22, 2019