Route 66 Day One...Chicago to Springfield, IL: Epic!

Today...the journey officially began. We stayed outside Chicago last night, had a deep dish pizza and a good night's rest to prepare the start of our adventure. This morning, we woke up and ventured into downtown Chicago in the Dart! We started and ended the day the same way...LOST. After asking a friendly Windy City worker for directions, we managed to find our way to Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). We rode the elevator to the 103 floor and walked out to see a great view of the city - it was a beautiful day! We even ventured out to the "Ledge," a four foot glass cube that sits out on the side of the building. After getting back on the ground, we grabbed a Chicago style hotdog, mine complete with tomatoes, peppers, relish and NO KETCHUP...then we walked to the iconic "bean" or "Cloud Gate" - a bean-shaped sculpture near the Chicago Art Institute, which also happens to be near the beginning of Route 66! 

We made our way back to the Dart and hit the Mother Road! Before leaving Chicago, though, my wife wanted to see where two of her favorite TV shows are filmed: "Chicago Fire" and "Chicago PD" - so we drove by both buildings and ended up being invited to a tour through the Chicago Fire station, which is a real working firehouse, where the TV crew comes to film in once a week. It was an impressive tour...they even let us back the Dart up to the door and snap some photos. Chicago PD is filmed in the same station as the 80s TV show, "Hill Street Blues." It also serves as an active University Police Station for the University of Illinois at Chicago. After this, it was back on the road!

Chicago does a pretty good job with signage helping travelers navigate through the city following Historic Route 66. We made it out of the city and down the road. The Dart ran excellent...and the cooler weather today mitigated any concerns about heat...which I consider to be a major enemy of old motors and transmissions.  We cruised through many iconic '66 small towns including Cicero, Joliet, Dwight, Odell, Pontiac, Lexington, Bloomington and finally ending up in Springfield just after midnight!  What a ride...it's so much fun to get off the interstate and see these towns that the highways once travelled directly through. Now, much like the fictional "Radiator Springs" in the movie "Cars,"  the small towns are a fading memory of days gone by. However...there are signs of life: Route 66 is becoming a popular destination for "roadies" like my family: those who wish to relive the days of American travel that was slow and steady and that provided economic sustainability to the towns along the back roads. We have already seen signs for the Route 66 Bike Route that is allowing even braver souls to travel the route on two wheels. 

Out of all the awesome experiences of today, two really stood out to me:

1. My oldest son was so tired by the end of our day today...but he refused to fall asleep in the car. He said, "I don't want to miss a single mile of this trip!" That statement brought a lot of joy to me, because he is seeing the value of our adventure...and it's only day one. We'll see if his enthusiasm lingers. 

 

2. We met two young men from Germany at the inconic Standard Oil gas station in Odell, IL. They had rented a car and are traveling the Route! They were all smiles when the Dart pulled in and asked if they could take pictures of it...of course we said yes. I love that the two lane highway and the classic car brings people together...normally we would just rush past each other, but the old highways force us to slow down and actually talk to people. Which brings me to number three...

3. Speaking of talking to people...the highlight of our night took place after leaving Pontiac, IL. The signage for Route 66 in Pontiac was confusing and we had to backtrack and turn around a couple of times. When we finally got on track, a car with really bright lights was behind me, so I pulled over to the shoulder to allow it to pass, which it didn't...then the flashing lights came on and we got pulled over by the Sheriff. My kids said they felt like Lightning McQueen getting pulled over by the Sheriff.  He came to the window and asked where we were headed and when I said, "Santa Monica," he was amazed! He had pulled us over because he saw me going back and forth through town and knew I was either lost or "impaired" and wanted to see if he could help. After doing a quick check of my license, he assured us we were headed in the right direction...and then at my wife's request, took a few pictures with the car. He was the coolest Sherrif in town! Again...we wouldn't have ever had such a unique and fun experience with our family had we been blazing down the interstate simply trying to get from point a to point b as fast as possible. You discover amazing things when you get off the beaten path and slow down...

Enjoy the pics from day one...more to come later! Adventure awaits!