Day 1: Chicago to Normal, IL

Today, the road took us from its starting point in Chicago to Normal, IL. I have to say I was initially very nervous about directions; the modern me relying on GPS to get me from point A to B and now having to get directions out of a book. That said, we didn’t get lost not even once today. What definitely helped us are the amazing road signs and arrows that the state of Illinois put around every corner to make sure you follow the route exactly. It’s nice to see the care to preserve this historic route.

It took us a while to get out of Chicago, but once we were out of the city, we just had long stretches of straight road next to the railroad between little towns. My dad and I had many conversations about how it must have been back in the days with the route we were on probably being the only route between towns and how it hugged the railroad tracks so tightly.

Rialto Theater in Joliet, IL

Rialto Theater in Joliet, IL

In Joliet, we found the first relics of Route 66 with an ice-cream shop and mechanic shop dressed up as if we  were living in that era. Downtown Joliet has the beautiful Rialto theater, in an amazing shape and standing majestically in the middle of the town. 

Two cell jail in Garner, IL

Next, we entered Gardner, a small town, but known for its historic 2 cell jail. A tiny building, constructed in 1906, could hold two people next to each other, divided with a metal sheet. The whole building was about 10x10 in its entirety.

Restored Gas Station in Dwight, IL

Every town we drove through today had its own flair on Route 66 and most had visible relics of the old road through diners, gas stations and mechanic shops. It is nice to feel the pride of these towns and the Americans living in them, being part of something so historical. 

Restored Gas Station in Odell, IL

Several of the towns we drove through had restored gas stations of which you can see a couple pictures here. At one of those, in Dwight, there was an older man, sitting in a comfortable chair, reading his book.

He opens and closes that historic roadside attraction each day and is happy to share some stories with travelers that stop by.

The most memorable part today was the piece between Dwight and Towanda. Pretty much along that entire stretch of the current road, the ancient Route 66 lies undisturbed, with grasses growing out of the cracks of its asphalt. On certain occasions  we encountered pieces where there was the road we were driving on, the ancient Route 66  next to us and interstate I-55 right next to that – a telling continuation of time. A couple of the towns we drove through have stretches of that road converted into walk paths for tourists to get their “kicks on the road.”

Route 66 in Garder, IL

Towards the end of our day, we found a stretch of Route 66 that is closed to cars for traffic but open to anyone who wants to walk it. "Memory Lane" is privately owned but opened once a year for old car buffs to ride down this 1-mile stretch just like the old days. My dad and I parked our car to walk enjoy a very quiet piece of this road - a great way to end the first day. 

It was an amazing day today and I can’t wait to see what the road has in store for us these next days.

Memory Lane - an old piece of Route 66

Miles driven today: 133

Time driven today: 4hrs 30 min

Total miles driven: 133
Total time driven: 4hrs 30min