Day One

Hello friends, family, coworkers, clients, and assorted miscreants. I am currently sitting in the Whitmor Farms Restaurant somewhere in the middle of Missouri; finally getting around to pulling some pictures off the cameras and getting myself connected to the Internet, so there is some catching up to do. I should be posting every other day.

First of all, Jackson St. was closed between Lakeshore and Michigan, so the Art Institute had to do as a starting point. I am afraid that I will have to start with a crappy picture of the Art Institute lion that I quickly snapped while being yelled at by one of the yellow jacketed Chicago traffic fascists for standing in a handicapped space. Those darn people with their rockstar parking!


I found the first Route 66 sign on Ogden, this one nicely enhanced by the addition of an extra six.


All serious endeavors require sticking logos on gear and otherwise pimping stuff out, so while stopped at the sign I added some pieces of flair to the car.



The first "real" Route 66 landmark you encounter is the defunct Castle Car Wash in Lawndale, my favorite neighborhood.
I was told to take a picture of this here caboose. So I did.


A couple of cool Route-66-y-looking-thingies in Berwyn.



Rich & Creamy. That one's for you, Tony.



Stopped at the Route 66 Museum in Joliet, where the lovely Elaine sent me on my way with a bag full of maps & brochures. They had the following mural. Looks like a long-ass drive!



This is the first giant I encountered, next to the Launching Pad Drive-In. He's the "Gemini Giant."



The Polk-a-Dot. Perhaps they're in business with the Rich & Creamy people?


A restored (crica 100 years old) streetcar diner behind the Riviera in Gardner IL.



A couple of old-skool gas stations in Dwight, plus some cool stenciling on the road.





Hey! I thought it wasn't called that anymore?!



A section of unused roadway. You frequently see old stretches like this of the original divided highway, with two closed lanes running next to the existing two-lane.


An even-older-skool gas station in Odell.


NOT FOR USE IN MIXED DRINKS OF ANY KIND.


Stopped here to buy some sirup (sic). These guys have been right here making it for over 100 years.


Downtown Atlanta IL, with a Huge Paul Bunyan holding a Huge Wiener.


The Cozy Drive In, INVENTORS OF THE CORN DOG ON A STICK.



Henry's Route 66 Rabbit Ranch in Staunton. Montana the Rabbit lives there (her picture didn't work out), and she is running for president. I have the fridge magnet to prove it!


Some cool old signs.


The old Chain of Rocks Bridge across the Mississippi, now closed to vehicular traffic.


These are just downstream of the Chain of Rocks Bridge and used to supply St. Louis with drinking water. Nasty.


Another cool falling-down old sign.


Some exciting looking rocks in Missouri, just before it became pitch black and I got utterly lost.


No pix of the last part, where I set up my tent in a completely unlit state park, in the middle of the night, in drizzle. More to follow tomorrow!!!!