Route 66 Continues

Romeoville has a Route 66 Plaza that is primarily deserted...but has a great Route 66 wall mural on the side of one of the empty stores. Well worth stopping to see at 625 Spangler. This is right on the Hwy 53 (old Route 66) as you go through town.

You meander into Joliet via Ottawa where you'll find the Rich & Creamy Ice Cream Stand at 920 N. Broadway Street...right in the Route 66 park. Most of the time the Blues Brothers...Jake and Elwood...are dancing on the rooftop. Unfortunately, they were on the verge of tumbling so the owners laid them on the roof instead. The little park features info about what to see and do on the Mother Road in Joliet...and there's a lookout point where you can see the old Joliet Prison in the distance.

Joliet has a great Route 66 visitors center in the Joliet Museum at 214 N. Ottawa. The center has a gift shop, a mural along the ceiling showing key sights of Route 66, a video to watch and lots of info on what to see in this area for Route 66. There is a rug in the visitors center once used in the prison...one that each prisoner crossed over as they entered...saying it's never to late to mend your ways. If you are a fan of the "Blues Brothers" movie, this town has many of the locations used in the film.

As a side trip, I was pretty excited to see the Muffler Man known as the Joliet Jackhammer's mascot in the Silver Cross Field ballpark at 111 E Jefferson Street. Unfortunately, you have to just take pictures from outside the left field chain link fence (which is actually on Clinton Street), so we couldn't have quality time with the particular Muffler Man.

Other key highlights in Joliet include the Rialto Square Theatre built in 1926 located at 102 N. Chicago. There are several vintage gas pumps in Joliet...including a Sinclair one in the Will County Court House parking lot (14 West Jefferson), Shell at the Route 66 Park (near the Rich & Creamy Ice Cream Stand), Standard at the corner of Chicago and Cass Street, Mobil at 204 N. Ottawa, Texaco at 102 N. Chicago (by the Rialto Theatre) and a Red Crown in the Route 66 visitors center.

In front of the Route 66 Raceway there is a stone marker which is supposedly an original alignment marker for old Route 66. The address is 3200 South Chicago.

Heading out of Chicago

As we headed west we found a giant beverage cup at Al's Italian Beef (169 West Ontario Street). We followed Adams till we took a detour to see a Muffler Man...nicknamed Mr. Bendo...at Ced's Muffler Brakes & Auto Repair at 3940 W. Grand Avenue. We met the owner who said the Muffler Man had been on the roof as long as he could remember. He also thought we were crazy to drive the turn by turn directions for Route 66.
Detour number 2 was the Castle Car Wash at 3801 W. Ogden Avenue. Hopefully this place will get restored...legend has it this car wash was once a hideout for Al Capone. Update! Just read in the Route 66 Pulse that the Castle Car Wash will become Castle Chicken coming soon...featuring Greek baked chicken.

We then circled back around, following Ogden east till we intersected with Adams, then resumed our westward journey.

You stay on Ogden through Cicero...where there is a giant hot dog at Henry's Drive-In at 6031 W. Ogden. Continued on to Berwyn...where there was a cute Route 66 neon sign at Route 66 Beverage at 6847 Ogden. Also stopped at Serendipity Antiques, Inc at 6733 Stanley Avenue where Lori, the owner, gave some local antiquing tips.

We tried to find the spindle of cars in Berwyn, but it had been torn down. Also tried to find the Snowflake Drive-In in Lawndale, but it is also gone. There is news of a future drive or walk in Berwyn featuring Route 66 highlights, so when I know more, I will post it.

Followed Joliet Road into Willowbrook and stopped at Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket, 645 Joliet Road...around Route 66 since 1946. This is also a Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives stop...featuring great fried chicken. The road dead ends just past the restaurant so you need to curve around onto Hwy 53 to Romeoville. We actually spent the night in Willowbrook, which is like a suburb of Chicago...making it possibly our shortest distance covered on the Route 66 journey in a day...technically less than 10 miles or so.

Back on the Mother Road

First stop on the way westward on the Mother Road...Lou Mitchell's restaurant at 565 W. Jackson Boulevard in Chicago (312-939-3111). This place has been around since before the start of Route 66 (1923). The food is fabulous...and we even got served little powdered donuts upon arrival as we waited to be seated. Spry little 82 year-old Donna was our waitress...if you happen to have the AAA Route 66 map, that's Donna on the cover.

This time I had the powdered sugar explode on me...resulting in some lingering powdered sugar residue for the duration of the day.

We parked just down the street from the restaurant and across from Union Station. Definitely worth a quick walk through...incredible architecture!

It's hard to find the original beginning and end of Route 66 signs. Many have been stolen...two we were able to find were by parking illegally on Adams (across from the Art Institute at 111 South Michigan Avenue) to find the End of Route 66 sign. Then turning left (you will be under the L train) and immediately turning left again on Jackson you will see the Beginning of Route 66 sign. This was a special moment for me...I've been waiting to see these signs in person for a long time. Unfortunately, this is a challenging area to drive with all the one way streets and honking horns...not a lot of time to reflect on a special moment.