July 29th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues! Day 2 Route 66 Caravan – Chicago, IL

Yankee RV chartered a bus and we headed into Chicago from our campsites at the Hollywood Casino RV Park in Joliet. 

Jackson Boulevard was the starting point for the original Route 66, which means you can drive into Chicago on the “Mother Road” from the Kennedy Expressway, Illinois Interstate 90/94. Exit Jackson east and look for Lou Mitchell’s on your right located near the intersection of Jackson and Jefferson.

That will be our first stop while we are in downtown Chicago is to eat at Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant. We are ready for their all-American comfort food. This classic diner opened in 1923, three whole years before Route 66 would be built there in 1926. By the time the Mother Road was finished, Lou Mitchell's had already become a local classic, and it became a national classic shortly after that!

Receiving millions of visitors annually, the Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower) is one of Chicago’s most popular attractions. It is the second tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. On a clear day, visitors can see four states from the Skydeck: Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan. But at $30 a head to see the view, it is not worth it!

We drove the Loop. It is the heart of the city and it’s bursting with iconic Chicago attractions, including historic architecture, river cruises, Millennium Park, the Chicago Riverwalk, a vibrant theatre district, incredible dining, shopping along State Street, plus much, much more. The Loop is also home to the award-winning Chicago Riverwalk, a pedestrian-only pathway lined with great waterfront restaurants, the McCormick Bridge house & Chicago River Museum, and the mind-blowing digital art display Art on the MART. Get your culture fix at the historic Art Institute of Chicago, one of the top museums in the world according to TripAdvisor. It’s also one of the oldest and largest art museums in the country, home to one of the most impressive collections of Impressionist art in the world.

Flowing through downtown Chicago, the Chicago River has a fascinating history. Not only does this river run through various systems and canals, but it is also the only river in the world that flows backwards. A reversal technique was introduced for sanitation reasons to divert the sewage away from Lake Michigan’s water supply. The reversal of the river was recognized as being the largest public earth-moving project ever completed. It was also acknowledged as a great engineering achievement.

On the lakefront side of the Loop, you’ll also find the Millennium Park Campus — home to iconic Cloud Gate (aka “The Bean”), Crown Fountain, peaceful Lurie Garden, and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion that hosts legendary music festivals like the Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, and a free summer music series and film series. Right next door, you can rock climb, skate, and play at whimsical Maggie Daley Park.

Chicago’s Grant Park is the easternmost point of legendary US Route 66. We drove around historic Grant Park. Right now it is home to Lollapalooza, an annual four-day music festival, in Chicago. It started as a touring event in 1991. The music genres include but are not limited to alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop, and electronic music. 

Ever seen 9 feet tall sets of legs? We did! This "art" is comprised of 106 nine-foot-tall headless torsos, Agora is one of the most debated sculptural installations in Chicago’s recent history. Chicagoans either live it or hate it, no in between. The artwork gets its name from the Greek word for meeting place. The cast iron figures are arranged in interesting groupings. Some are frozen in positions that suggest great movement, while others appear to be standing completely still. Most of them are in monumental crowds, although some appear to be pulling away from the larger group. Installed in 2006, it is the work of internationally-acclaimed sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz. She first created sculptures inspired by the human form in the 1970s. Initially working in burlap and resin, she went on use bronze, steel, as well as iron—the material used for Agora. While Abakanowicz’s work can be seen in museums and public spaces throughout the world, Agora is her largest permanent installation.

The bus carried us back to our rigs and some of us loaded up in cars to tour a few more Route 66 icons in the greater Joliet area.

Our first stop was the Route 66 Park. This roadside park has a historic ice cream parlor, Rich and Creamy Ice Cream. It has neon lights and life size figures of Jake and Elwood Blues, aka The Blues Brothers dancing on its roof. The “Licks on 66” is the official starting point for Route 66 in Joliet. 

We did enjoy some ice cream. For some of us, it was just a baby cone.

There are also informational signs which showcase each Joliet Route 66 attraction, and a 12 foot Joliet Kicks sign. Plus the park has an eclectic collection of public art works that celebrate Joliet's rich and vibrant art culture. I found the Mother Nature Statue in the sculpture garden to be very fascinating.

From here there’s a path with a view of the Old Joliet Prison where scenes from The Blues Brothers were filmed. We missed the overlook for a birdseye view of the Collins Street Prison.  

Across the street from the park you can see Dicks on 66. Outside the towing service building with wacky old cars. What more can I say?!

We did a “drive by” for the Route 66 Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway, as both venues are closed for the 2021 race season, due to the uncertainty of the pandemic.

Our next stop was not hard to miss, on Route 66, as we pulled into Wilmington. The iconic fiberglass statue is 30 feet tall and was originally used for advertising. He’s a prime example of a Muffler Man, as these roadside figures dating from the 1960s are known. Many Muffler Men were variants of the first figure created, a giant Paul Bunyan character. The Gemini Giant has a silver helmet, green sleeveless spacesuit. He is holding a rocket inscribed with the words The Launching Pad.

The Launching Pad and Gemini Giant were inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame in 2000. Both long have been one of the biggest photo opportunities for Route 66 travelers. John and Betty Korelc opened a Dairy Delite at the site in Wilmington in 1960. It was renamed the Launching Pad after an expansion in 1965. The Gemini Giant landed there that year after John Korelc saw a Muffler Man during a restaurant convention. Most Muffler Men at the time were cowboys or lumberjacks. Korelc instead had his specially made so it looked like an astronaut. The restaurant’s current owners, Holly Barker and Tully Garrett are giving a new lease of life to this diner, Route 66 welcome center and gift shop.

Our final stop was the Polka Dot Drive-In located in Braidwood. The Polk-a-Dot Drive-In was founded over 50 years ago has become one of the most memorable attractions along Illinois Route 66. The story behind this colorful spot is something small businesses are made of. In 1956, Chester “Chet” Fife had the idea to serve fast food out of his school bus, dressed up in polka dots! It became a success which moved him onto bigger and better things, which is the building that now stands on this spot. 

 

  

They have an Elvis statue inside and out, Superman with his phone booth, Blue Brothers dancing, Betty Boop, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe on the other side. This great nostalgic 1950s-style roadside diner is known for burgers, malts & chili-cheese fries!

It was a great first full day of our Route 66 caravan with Yankee RV Tours!