The sun high in the sky, causes the red to glow on your 1948 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight. You walk around it admiring all the beautiful curves and details put in place by the designers and engineers. You finally open the door and slide into the driver seat. Adjusting the mirrors to fit your fancy. You look up into the rearview and give yourself a little smile before putting in the keys and starting her up. A thrill shoots up your spine as you step on the gas and listen to the motor roar to life. You are headed to pick up your lady. You pull into the drive and honk your horn a few times. With a bound in her step she rushes out to meet you. She throws her bags in the back and jumps into the seat next to you. She kisses you as you speed off down the road. Making your way through the streets of Chicago, all you can do is dream of the sandy beaches of California. You pull onto U.S. 66, step on the gas and let the wind blow through your hair. Soon you will be there. Making new adventures on the west coast.
Your probably thinking, why are you telling us this story?. Well I thought that I would give you a possible snapshot of what it would have been like to get ready to travel from Chicago to California in the late 40’s, possibly early 50’s. For those who are not familiar with what I’m referring to. I’m talking about the “Mother Road” or better known as Route 66. In the early years of the century there was not a direct route connecting east with the west. The interstate system would not come into fruition until 1956. This all changed in 1927 with the establishment of U.S. 66. Route 66 connected Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. The route was 2,448 miles ( 3,940 km) long and passed through eight states (IL, MO, KS, OK, TX, NM, AZ, CA).
Over the years the route has gone through changes and reworked to fit into our modern road systems. Here in Illinois, it starts in Chicago on Adams Street and Michigan Avenue, near The Art Institute of Chicago. From there it works its’ way to Lake Shore Dr which connects to I-55. This in turn will take you all the way to St. Louis. Traveling along 55 will take you through the majority of the cities that the original route passed through. If you are looking to be more adventurous, you can always take the road less traveled. What I mean by that is, by taking the route that snakes its’ way through Chicagos suburbs.
We took a day to try to explore the historical places of Illinois Route 66. We were not able to see all the things along the route, but here a few sites that we were able to see.
We attempted to find the Route 66 starts here sign, but unfortunately could not find it. At the time we didn't know where it was at. Hopefully we can find it the next time we go looking for it. We eventually made our way to Joliet. Here we found the Joliet Area Historical Museum. As the name suggests, the museum tells you the history of the area and about significant people that came from Joliet. It was Star Wars day when we were there which made it a little more fun for the people visiting the museum. We enjoyed a Star Wars art scavenger hunt to get a free tote bag. As well as got our picture taken with locals dressed up as characters from the film!
We talked to one of the attendants at the JAHM and he told us that the official Route 66 museum for Illinois was located in Pontiac about an hour drive away. We had nothing better to do so we jumped back into the car and headed down the road. The Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum is located in the old city fire and police station. The museum has a lot of cool displays talking about all the Illinois cities that 66 passes through. One thing that was really awesome was an unexpected surprise. On the upper level of the building lies another little museum. Unfortunately I can’t remember the name of it, but it is a military museum filled with tons of old and new uniforms and other items from wars past. We had a good old boy give us a tour of the museum and he was very knowledgable about everything that was in there. Each mannequin had a uniform with a photo and description of the soldier who wore it. He would lift his cane point to one and tell you in exact detail what war they served, where they were from and a unique story about them. It was definitely worth the trip down there. This was where our trip ended. We just ran out of time to explore further. Maybe next time though.
The Main Street of America has become a dream destination for many road trippers, including myself. Route 66 has been designated as historical. When you travel it you can see why as it has played an important part in building America’s history. I have been at the beginning and the end of the road. One day I would love to fill in the gap. I know that many of you feel the same way as I do.
Until next time. Thanks for stopping by.
Josh
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