Route 66 Nostalgia in Illinois’ Land of Lincoln

My first stop en route was in Wilmington. This fabulous little town is tucked into the Kankakee River Valley, and is full of antique shops and cafés. Amongst its residents, two local characters stand out – the Gemini Giant and the Sinclair Dino. Named after the Gemini Space Program, the Gemini Giant stands at over nine meters tall.  The Sinclair Dino sits atop the petrol station and keeps watch over Wilmington.

On my way to Springfield, I made a quick stop in Odell. There’s not a whole lot there, but the Historic Standard Oil Gas Station is well worth a visit. The people that work there are lovely and can tell you all about the glory days of the historic road and the cool pieces representing Route 66 history inside. Can you believe that once upon a time you could buy a gallon of petrol here for about 10 pence?

My next stop was in Pontiac, a delightful town that was established in 1837. There are several museums in downtown Pontiac, including the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame and Museum and Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum. Not only did I love the fact that these museums are free to go in, but it is also full of thousands of artifacts and memorabilia related to the “Mother Road” – Route 66.

Once you get to Atlanta, Illinois, you have to see the Paul Bunyon statue. The statue, one of four giant statues in Illinois, is of a six-meter-tall man holding a hot dog. Who wouldn’t want a picture of that!

My last stop on this particular leg of Route 66 is Springfield, the capital of Illinois. There is so much to do and see here that you need several days to really get the most out of the city. Springfield is rich in history, particularly in relation to Abraham Lincoln, who lived here before becoming president of the USA. Places that I visited, and strongly suggest you do, too, are the Lincoln Tomb, Presidential Library and Museum, Lincoln Law Offices, his old home, and the historic State Capitol Building. All of these sites were really interesting for visitors of all ages.

I couldn’t help but notice Springfield’s nice ambience, great restaurants, hotels and B&Bs! If you time it as well as I did and go to Springfield at the end of September, you’ll get to experience the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival. The three-day event is so much fun with bands, food and about a thousand hot rods to admire.

This stretch of Route 66 from Chicago to Springfield will delight people of all interests, and I hope you have as much fun as I did stopping at all of the little towns!