Route 66 Leg One: Chicago to St. Louis 316 Miles Route Highlights Route 66 Starts Here Sign Gemini Giant Standard Oil Station Bunyon with a Hot Dog Cozy Dog Drive In World's Largest Catsup Bottle Featured Campgrounds Indiana Dunes State Park 1600 N 25 E, Chesterton, IN If you plan on starting your Route 66 adventure in Chicago, this is the perfect campground for tenting, RVing, or cabin camping. The South Shore Line offers rail service directly from the state park to downtown Chicago. St. Louis West/Historic Route 66 KOA 18475 Old U.S. Hwy 66, Eureka, MO This campground sits right on historic Route 66 and offers amenities like a heated pool, playground, jump pillow, and gem mining. Plus, it's located less than a mile from Six Flags St. Louis. Featured Accommodations The Pasfield House Inn 525 S Pasfield St, Springfield, IL This 1896 mansion has been converted into a bed-and-breakfast. It's located close to all the major attractions in Springfield. Playlist Songs to get you in the mood, while on the road... "Route 66," Chuck Berry "Illinois," Brett Eldredge "Chicago," Sufjan Stevens "My Kind of Town," Frank Sinatra "Lake Shore Drive," Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah "Illinois," The Everly Brothers "Illinois Blues," Skip James "Chicago Breakdown," Big Maceo "Have a Good Time," Big Walter Horton "Little Boy Blue," Big Walter Horton "I'm a Man," Bo Diddley "Mustang Sally," Buddy Guy "Going to Chicago," Fenton Robinson "Highway Man Blues," Jimmy Dawkins Illinois Chicago, Illinois, is the eastern terminus of the Mother Road--depending on which way you travel, you will either start or end your trip across from Grant Park and Lake Michigan. Over the years, various road realignments and improvements have meant that the route was, and still is, ever-evolving; today many of these iterations still exist in some capacity throughout the Land of Lincoln. After leaving the Windy City, the road takes you southwest through rural Midwestern towns full of classic motel neon, vintage filling stations, roadside giants, and historic bridges until you hit the Mississippi River and East St. Louis. The Route The stretch of Route 66 from Chicago to St. Louis is home to aluminum-and-chrome diners, historic, family-owned cafes, bizarre attractions, and other reminders of the route's charming past. You'll also see plenty of cornfields and flat prairie land between the bustling cities and sleepy towns along this first leg. Fun Fact: Illinois is known as the Land of Lincoln because the tall guy--and eventual president--spent most of his adult life in the state. So prepare to see plenty of Honest Abe-inspired roadside wonders on this stretch. There are nearly 300 miles of Route 66 in Illinois. The state is also home to many of the country's most famous Muffler Men, those fiberglass titans of retro roadside kitsch. A lot of the old route has been gobbled up by modern highways, in particular I-55, but there's still plenty of neon, fiberglass, and chrome to keep any Roadtripper happy. Traditionally, travelers begin their journey southwest near the shores of Lake Michigan, not spending too much time in Chicago. After all, the Mother Road is calling. Chicago Start your epic journey at the route's original 1937 terminus at Lake Shore Drive and E Jackson Drive in downtown Chicago. Don't miss the Route 66 Starts Here sign at the corner of S Michigan Avenue and E Adams Street. The sign (along with a handful of replica signs on the same block) is located in a busy section, so you may need to find parking elsewhere and walk to the sign for a photo. Lou Mitchell's Restaurant & Bakery 565 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL Lou Mitchell's is the perfect place to get breakfast--and a cup of the "world's finest coffee"--before you leave the Windy City. The restaurant has been serving home-cooked comfort food to travelers since 1923, predating the designation of Route 66 by three years. Before sitting down, diners are handed a freshly made donut hole and a miniature box of candy. And because one donut hole is never enough, you can order some to go. Extra Stops Buckingham Fountain Photo Op 301 S Columbus Dr, Chicago, IL Willis Tower Attraction 233 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL The Berghoff Restaurant 17 W Adams St, Chicago, IL Lulu's Hot Dogs Restaurant 1000 S Leavitt St, Chicago, IL Castle Car Wash Photo Op 3801 W Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL Henry's Drive-In Restaurant 6031 W Ogden Ave, Cicero, IL Hofmann Tower Photo Op 3910 Barrypoint Rd, Lyons, IL Weirdville Date: August 21, 2004 Location: Chicago, Illinois UFO Sighting: Tinley Park Lights On a balmy August evening in 2004, Chicago residents reported seeing a series of red or white lights that formed a triangle shape. Several videos captured the light show, and it was even reported by local news outlets. The phenomenon occurred about 45 miles from O'Hare International Airport, but the lights moved too slowly to be a commercial plane. What makes this one of the more significant UFO sightings is that it was investigated by the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), a nonprofit with thousands of civilian volunteers. The mysterious occurrence was also featured on the History Channel's UFO Hunters . Outside Chicago Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket 645 Joliet Rd (Historic Route 66), Willowbrook, IL Route 66 is renowned for its classic American cuisine. If you're not still full of donut holes (or even if you are), visit Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket, just outside Chicago, for some of the best fried chicken you'll ever taste. The roadhouse has been serving its home-cooked goodness since 1946, and even if you're not ready to eat just yet, the neon sign is a classic photo op. Extra Stops Montana Charlie's Little America Flea Market Shopping 255 S Joliet Rd, Bolingbrook, IL (Open on Sundays from April through October) Rich & Creamy Restaurant 920 N Broadway St, Joliet, IL Route 66 Welcome Center and Gift Shop Attraction 204 N Ottawa St, Joliet, IL Rialto Square Theatre Photo Op 102 N Chicago St, Joliet, IL Route 66 Raceway Attraction 500 Speedway Blvd, Joliet, IL Excerpted from Roadtrippers Route 66 by Parent ROADTRIPPERS All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
