Tag: Route 66

Pontiac was another stop on our road trip along the legendary Route 66 through Illinois. At first glance, it’s a quiet little American town, but in Pontiac you can soak up the full Route 66 atmosphere. At the local Route 66 Museum, you can learn just about everything there is to know about the famous highway.

But even better are the conversations with the local people: everyone has their own personal Route 66 story and tells it with pride. And this despite the fact that Route 66 has long since been replaced as an official highway by modern interstate highways. Find out what you can experience in the small town of Pontiac in Illinois here!

Pontiac: Route 66 Association Hall of Fame & Museum

The Route 66 Museum is the must-see attraction in Pontiac on a Route 66 road trip in Illinois. So many memorabilia, photos and exhibits about life on Route 66 have been collected here that you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a time machine. I could have browsed here for hours!

Walldogs: Street art artists from the very beginning

Special highlight: The inner courtyard of the Route 66 Museum is home to impressive murals! These are reminiscent of the Walldogs, the artists who creatively painted stores, billboards and walls with advertising messages before the advent of mass media. Today, Pontiac is trying to revive this tradition, and the most beautiful Route 66 murals can be found all over the city.

Looking for more inspiration? You can find even more travel reports from the land of opportunity on my USA blog.

Bob Waldmire: My hero of Route 66

Even before the terms “digital nomads” and “van life” existed, Bob Waldmire (1945–2009) was drawn to the open road: He spent half his life traveling up and down Route 66 in his converted van, writing stories, drawing, and illustrating. His yellow VW Bus, which now stands in the center of the museum, even served as the inspiration for Fillmore from the Pixar movie “Cars”! Bob Waldmire drove this van across the U.S., always along Route 66. His artistic Route 66 maps are still relevant today and definitely make a great souvenir—available for purchase in the museum shop.

An even better souvenir, however, is the attitude toward life that defines the fascination surrounding Bob Waldmire: His passion for living life on his own terms, away from the mainstream and in complete freedom, really impressed me.

When he wasn’t traveling, he lived in a converted school bus, which was usually parked somewhere in his hometown of Springfield. The school bus is on display in the courtyard of the Route 66 Museum, fully furnished just as Bob Waldmire lived in it: a cozy collection of mementos and souvenirs from several decades on Route 66.

Fun Fact: Bob Waldmire was the son of Ed Waldmire Jr., founder of the legendary Cozy Dog Drive-In in Springfield, Illinois! In addition to the famous Cozy Dogs, Bob Waldmire’s works can also be purchased here.

Museum of the Gilding Arts & Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum

Although Pontiac is named after a Native American chief and not after the well-known U.S. car brand, there are still plenty of vintage Pontiacs on display next door at the Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum.

Not far away is the Museum of the Gilding Arts —at the end of the 19th century, the production and application of gold leaf were very popular. Here at the museum, you can learn more about this technique. Neither museum is an absolute must-see—but if you happen to be in Pontiac, it’s worth stopping by to take a look.

Admission to all three museums (Route 66, Gilding Arts and Automobile Museum) is free, but donations are welcome.

Where to Eat & Drink in Pontiac

Italian cuisine in huge portions is served at Bernardi’s, probably the best Italian restaurant in the city. The dishes were okay, but the ambience was much more interesting.

Coffee shop, which is also a meeting place in the town: At The Cup and The Scone, you can make friends right away.

All locations are within walking distance in the small Pontiac, so simply park your rental car and explore the city on foot!

*Disclaimer: This research trip was sponsored by Enjoy Illinois.

What there is to see on Route 66 in Illinois! I could have spent weeks more driving along “The Mother of Roads” and discovering small and large towns and their stories. This trip was just full of surprises, like in Joliet, where I suddenly found myself quite unexpectedly in a fascinating lost place: the Old Joliet Prison.

Joliet, the Heritage Corridor and Route 66

Our very first stop from Chicago, where the famous Route 66 starts, was Joliet, just a few kilometers away. Joliet is part of the Heritage Corridor, an area around the Illinois and Michigan canal that connects the Great Lakes from Chicago to the Mississippi River. The Heritage Corridor is primarily a popular recreation area with many opportunities for outdoor activities. By the way, the Joliet Area Historical Museum and its Route 66 Welcome Center, which showcases the history of the area, are a great way to get in the mood for a drive along Route 66.

Lost Place: The insider tip Old Joliet Prison

But the real attraction – and really only recently officially open to visitors at all – is the old Joliet Correctional Center (also: Illinois State Penitentiary), a prison built in 1858 that was still in operation until 2002, believe it or not. Then the new prison opened across the street, inmates and guards moved. What remained was an abandoned building, left to decay – and now a dream for all photographers in search of atmospheric lost places.

The old jail in Joliet – How to get in?

Old Joliet Prison & Hollywood

The Old Joliet Prison, however, was a popular setting even when it was in operation, not only for photos, but also for major Hollywood movies and series! Our tour guide proudly showed us John Belushi’s cell from Blues Brothers, and we were not allowed to go any further without first having a photo taken of us in the cell. But the Old Joliet Prison is also a popular filming location in more recent productions!

If you have watched the series“Prison Break“, the prison facility will look familiar to you: The Old Joliet Prison served as the set here too! In the series, the prison was given the name“Fox River State Penitentiary“, where one of the two main characters, Lincoln Burrows, is wrongly serving a prison sentence, while his brother Michael Scofield does everything he can to free him.

Old prison – many stories

In many places, you can still sense an oppressive atmosphere. Many cells are still in their original condition, just as they were left; the bars and the cold, metal plumbing fixtures are still there. And when you consider that prisoners were still held here less than 20 years ago, it sends a chill down your spine.

The atmosphere throughout the facility is gloomy, and I wouldn’t want to know how many creepy stories these thick walls have witnessed.

Old Joliet Prison: Is it worth it?

Unique as a photo backdrop anyway, the visit to Joliet Prison was absolutely worth seeing. Due to the dilapidated condition and the unclear further use of the huge area, be sure to inquire about the current state of affairs beforehand. And: Don’t get any stupid ideas to visit the prison on your own, the area is monitored by the local police. You don’t want to end up in the other prison across the road 🙂

Springfield, Illinois, one of the most historic places in the United States, is located 300 kilometers from Chicago. And no, it’s not the Springfield from *The Simpsons*: It’s just called that because Springfield is one of the most common names for small towns in the U.S. This Springfield is, for one thing, the capital of the state of Illinois (not Chicago—who would have thought?) and, for another, the place where arguably the most significant U.S. president— Abraham Lincoln—made his mark. The historic Route 66 also runs through Springfield, so a stop in Springfield on our Route 66 road trip was an absolute must for a full dose of American history.

Springfield Illinois: The main attractions

History always sounds so dull anyway – and what’s a European to do with American history? The whole of Springfield, Illinois, revolves around Abraham Lincoln, there’s no escaping it, and at first glance, the city that is so meaningful to Americans seems only moderately interesting to us. But turns out, Springfield is so interesting!

First of all, Lincoln was a great person who changed not only America but also the world. And second, Springfield, Illinois, is a charming town and the Lincoln attractions are so wonderfully designed that even if you’re a culture vulture, you’ll be enthralled. And you also learn something along the way. (By the way, as so often on this trip, I thought that such a road trip is also a nice trip for families: many museums and sights are designed to be kid-friendly and kids are always welcome in family-oriented Illinois anyway!)

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum

Dedicated exclusively to the life and work of Abraham Lincoln, the museum is a mix of interactive exhibits and multimedia demonstrations. It’s very informative and people put so much detail into it!

Old State Capitol

Lincoln Home National Historic Site

Here, in a sort of an open-air museum, you can see the home of Abraham Lincoln, where he lived until his election as president. The residence has been extensively restored to its condition during Lincoln’s lifetime. But not only was Lincoln’s residence preserved, but so was the entire street.

Lincoln’s tomb

Abraham Lincoln was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, which is one of the most visited cemeteries in the United States as a result. Don’t forget: Be sure to rub the nose of the Lincoln bust in front of the entrance to the mausoleum, it’s supposed to bring good luck! Judging by the scrubbed nose, this is probably really popular and for small people like me, there’s even a stool in front of it!

Lincoln’s Tomb

Springfield also has a lot to offer outside of the Lincoln sites, so plan at least one full day for that, better yet two days! What else you should have seen:

Illinois State Capitol

Inaugurated in 1877, the Illinois State Capitol still serves as the Illinois House of Representatives. The dome, visible from a great distance, is over 100 meters high (even taller than the Capitol in Washington, D.C.!) and truly spectacular, especially against the backdrop of the low-rise buildings in the small town of Springfield. (Although Springfield is the capital of Illinois, it has a mere 115,000 residents!)

You can also find more about Illinois in my USA Blog

Dana Thomas House by Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the most famous American architects of the last century: for example, he designed the Guggenheim Museum in New York. With his “Prairie Houses,” he created the concept of “organic architecture,” where houses and buildings were meant to blend seamlessly into the landscape, art, and culture.

Eating and drinking in Springfield: The best locations

In Springfield, Illinois, there are quite a few places you absolutely shouldn’t miss on your Route 66 trip! It doesn’t get any more American than this. And just like in the rest of Illinois, you’ll find plenty of “makers” here: creative small business owners in crafts, retail, and agriculture —producing fair, local, and sustainable goods. They’re all part of a public program called Illinois Made.

On our road trip through Illinois, we met a number of people along the way—café and restaurant owners, microbrewery operators, and artisans—and it’s impressive to see the enthusiasm with which these small businesses go about their work.

Custom Cup Coffee

The coffee is roasted right here on the premises—and you can even watch it happen! If you’re interested, they’ll answer any questions you have about coffee. The owners of Custom Cup Coffee are committed to fair-trade coffee and know most of their suppliers from around the world personally. And in addition to fantastic coffee and friendly service, they serve up the most amazing apple-cinnamon-bacon pastries ever.

Route 66 Motorheads Bar

The Route 66 Motorheads Bar isn’t just a classic Route 66 trucker bar on the side of the road—it’s also a museum, with classic cars parked out front, vintage signs inside and out, and plenty of neon. In the shed next door, you can not only admire even more exhibits but also watch the restoration work in progress. By the way: It’s an absolutely fantastic spot for photos!

Cozy Dog Drive In

A real must-see on Route 66: The Cozy Dog was invented at the Cozy Dog Drive-In —it’s a hot dog on a skewer, deep-fried in a batter coating. It sounds outrageously greasy—and it is—but it’s also kind of delicious. One order with fries for two is easily enough for four—just like everywhere else. The portions are huge.

The Cozy Dog Drive-In is a Route 66 institution. People of all ages—not just tourists—have been coming here since 1949! The atmosphere is warm and family-friendly; everyone knows everyone else, and everyone knows Bob Waldmire: This Route 66 legend—who has an entire exhibit dedicated to him at the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac —is the son of the founder, Ed Waldmire. Incidentally, the Cozy Dog Drive-In is still family-owned and is now run by one of Ed’s grandsons.

Engrained Brewery & Restaurant

At Engrained, they’re brewing up a storm: If you’d like, you can order a selection of five different beers, served on a wooden board. I highly recommend it—each one is more delicious than the last. By the way, Engrained uses the leftover grains from beer production to make the dough for their flatbread pizzas—nothing goes to waste!

And here, too, you’ll find the Horseshoe Sandwich, a Springfield, Illinois, classic: a slice of toast with a juicy burger patty, piled high with endless fries, and topped with cheese sauce. The portion, as always: huge. If that’s too much for you, order a “Ponyshoe.” Not that it makes much of a difference: Either way, on Route 66, between the beer, Horseshoes, and Cozy Dogs, you’ll have to slowly say goodbye to your diet anyway.

Practical tips for visiting Springfield, Illinois

Be sure to set aside enough time for Springfield—there’s plenty to see. It’s definitely worth making a stop in Springfield and staying overnight. The city has several large hotels offering good accommodations, including the Wyndham Springfield City Centre. From the outside, it’s an eye-catching high-rise—which some Springfield residents have given a suggestive nickname—but it has one major advantage: from the upper floors, you’ll have the best view of the city and the State Capitol. Be sure to ask for a room with a view of downtown.

By the way, you can also reach Springfield from Chicago by train if you don’t want to rent a car—but once you’re there, it’s actually often easier to get around by car, since public transportation isn’t particularly well-developed and some locations are quite far apart.

This research trip was sponsored by Enjoy Illinois was supported.

Route 66. The name alone evokes all sorts of associations: I dream of freedom, endless roads through the American Midwest, and driving, driving, driving into the vastness of a country that seems both more mysterious and more fascinating to me with every visit. Did you actually know that Route 66 starts right in the heart of Chicago? Just around the corner from The Bean, so to speak? This makes it perfect to combine a few days in Chicago with a short trip along Route 66: a truly American road trip! Just like in the movies. It’s always been on my “must-see-in-my-lifetime” list.

The charm of the Midwest

Starting in Chicago, you can follow the old Route 66 throughout Illinois, and it feels like traveling back in time through the America of the last century. Every place along Route 66 in Illinois has its own charm and its own history in connection with the road that criss-crossed not only the country but also people’s lives. And it was these that made this road trip so special.

Even in Chicago, I was struck by the incomparable friendliness of the people. The gruff Berliner in me was irritated when, on more than one occasion, complete strangers threw themselves in front of me just to hold the door open for me. Or spontaneous high-fives with shoe sellers who admired my shoes. Or strange women shouting at you in the middle of the street: “I love your skirt!” Just like that. Because you can say something nice out loud instead of just looking furtively. In general, being nice is a basic requirement for life here. And we were still in an anonymous city!

But things got even more amazing when we left the city on our road trip. Chicago itself only has 2.7 million inhabitants, and the rest is so spread out that you quickly get the feeling that you’re in the countryside as soon as you leave the city by car.

And this is where the positive energy and joie de vivre of the Midwest really hits you. Not once, not a single damn time, did I have the feeling of encountering bad-tempered or unfriendly people on our road trip. It was crazy, almost unreal. On the contrary, the joy of showing his city, his Route 66, his Midwest, was a gesture from everyone’s heart – and this paragon of a positive attitude to life and pure, genuine joy was so infectious that for the first time I really understood why people are so fascinated by America.

Route 66 – a road full of American history

Actually, Route 66 no longer exists as an official road. At some point, no one was in the mood for almost 4,000 kilometers of cobblestones and/or single-lane country roads: Route 66 was put into operation as early as 1926 as the most important east-west connection.

➜ You can find out more about Route 66 and what you can experience there here

What was a revolution for the infrastructure at the time was no longer sufficient to cope with the increasing traffic. Route 66 was relocated and rebuilt several times until it was replaced by interstate highways in most places. What remained was the legend. Along with the quirky stories, the warm-hearted people and the many rest stops and stores along the road that lured passing cars with the most eye-catching signs and craziest buildings.

*Transparency: I was invited on this trip by Enjoy Illinois for research purposes. for research purposes.