Telephone & Telegrams: Carlisle 1550.
Telephone & Telegrams: “Bank 5303 Liverpool”
Registered Office:
Martins Bank Chambers,
37 English Street,
Carlisle, Cumberland.
Field Manual No. 4: The Mother Road, Mile by Mile
The first 300 miles of the Mother Road: a Loop street sign, a fibreglass spaceman, a giant holding a hot dog, and Lincoln's hometown. Turning 100 in 2026.
Itinerary
Day 1 — Departure
Breakfast at Lou Mitchell's → Begin sign on Adams → Joliet welcome centre (and the prison, if booked) → pay respects to the Gemini Giant → malt at the Polk-a-Dot → sleep in Pontiac.
Breakfast at Lou Mitchell's → Begin sign on Adams → Joliet welcome centre (and the prison, if booked) → pay respects to the Gemini Giant → malt at the Polk-a-Dot → sleep in Pontiac.
Day 2 — The Prairie
Hall of Fame museum and the mural walk → Dwight and Odell stations → Funks Grove for sirup → Tall Paul in Atlanta → Cozy Dog for dinner in Springfield.
Hall of Fame museum and the mural walk → Dwight and Odell stations → Funks Grove for sirup → Tall Paul in Atlanta → Cozy Dog for dinner in Springfield.
Day 3 — Lincoln & the River
Lincoln Home (collect tickets early) → Presidential Museum → south through Litchfield and Mount Olive → walk the Chain of Rocks Bridge to the bend → across into St. Louis.
Lincoln Home (collect tickets early) → Presidential Museum → south through Litchfield and Mount Olive → walk the Chain of Rocks Bridge to the bend → across into St. Louis.
Packing List
- A paper map — the brown signs are rationed
- Cash for donation boxes and pie
- A camera that does low angles (for giants)
- Comfortable shoes for the mile-long bridge
- Patience for farm equipment on two-lane roads
- An empty seat for souvenirs
The Short List
- Begin Route 66 Sign & Lou Mitchell's (Adams St at Michigan Ave, the Loop) — Adams is one-way westbound, so the sign is on the correct side for departure. The matching End sign is on Jackson for the return. Photograph both and tell people you have driven it.
- Joliet Route 66 Welcome Center (Joliet Area Historical Museum, N. Ottawa St) — The prison tours are seasonal and sell out on weekends. Book ahead, and then wear the sunglasses.
- The Gemini Giant (South Island Park, Bridge St, Wilmington) — The robots consider him a relative and ask that you photograph him from below, where he looks most heroic. The Landing Pad shop around the corner opens Thursday to Monday, spring to autumn.
- Polk-a-Dot Drive In (N. Front St, Braidwood) — Order a malt and eat it at the picnic tables with Elvis. He does not eat. Nor do we.
- Ambler's Texaco & the Odell Station (Dwight & Odell) — Both are volunteer-run with seasonal hours. Even when they are closed, the outsides make the photograph.
- Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum (W. Howard St, Pontiac) — Admission is by donation. Walk the mural trail afterwards, and find the giant Route 66 shield painted on the wall for the obligatory photograph.
- Tall Paul (Arch St, Atlanta) — The 1930s Palms Grill Cafe across the street has gone through several operators. Check it is open before planning lunch around it.
- Cozy Dog Drive In (S. Sixth St, Springfield) — Order two. The first one is for research.
- Lincoln Home & Presidential Museum (Downtown Springfield) — Tickets for the Lincoln Home tour are free but timed. Collect them at the visitor centre first thing in the morning, then do the museum while you wait.
- Old Chain of Rocks Bridge (Chain of Rocks Rd, Madison) — Park on the Illinois side, go in daylight, and walk to the bend. Look downstream for the two castle-like water intake towers out in the river.
Getting There
- ORD / MDW — Chicago O'Hare or Midway: MDW ~25 min to the Begin sign · ORD ~40–60 min
- SPI — Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, Springfield: ~15 min to downtown Springfield
- STL — St. Louis Lambert International: ~20 min to the Chain of Rocks Bridge
- The classic: Fly into Chicago, drive southwest, fly home from St. Louis. Expect a one-way rental fee. It is usually worth it.
- By train: Amtrak's Lincoln Service runs Chicago → Joliet → Dwight → Pontiac → Bloomington-Normal → Lincoln → Springfield → Alton → St. Louis, roughly alongside the old road, several times a day.
- From Naperville: Our Dossier No. 3 is about 30 minutes from Joliet. That makes a good place to sleep before an early start south.
Reading for the Train
- Route 66 Adventure Handbook by Drew Knowles
- Route 66: The Mother Road by Michael Wallis
- Route 66 in Illinois by Joe Sonderman
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
- My Little Golden Book About Route 66 by Diane Muldrow
Where to Stay
- Chicago Athletic Association, Michigan Ave, Chicago ($$$)
- Harrah's Joliet Casino & Hotel, Downtown Joliet ($$)
- Hampton Inn Pontiac, Grand Prix Dr, Pontiac ($$)
- President Abraham Lincoln Springfield (DoubleTree), Downtown Springfield ($$)
- Inn at 835, S. Second St, Springfield ($$)
Live Events
See what's on this week: robotsalesmen.ltd/route-66
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