"Grain Elevator Museum"
That sign pretty much summed up the greater portion of our drive today. Illinois is one boring ass state to drive through. Illinois is mostly cornfields and wind turbines. There were a few items worth seeing, and I am glad we took the road less traveled. We took I94 west and connected with Route 66 in Joliet, IL. While originally I was going to stick to the freeway for most of today, I instead decided to take the original Mother Road from Joliet for a few hours.
One of the first sites I recognized I didn't realize we'd be passing. Route 66 Dragway, which I had driven my Camaro to back in 2001 on the first leg of the power tour. Seemed like yesterday, and I still can remember the oil, fumes, and loud exhaust on the somewhat grueling trip. That said, it was probably the most memorable trip I have ever taken in my Camaro.
Next up was The Launching Pad Drive In. This was exactly the cheesy stuff I was looking for. Outside the Launching Pad Drive In stands the Gemini Giant. This fiberglass space man is was I grew up expecting to see around every corner of the trip. The reality is, the lone space man seems to be a rare breed. Still, he looks great, and made our trip down the historical path well worth it.
The next little dinner, The Polk-A-Dot Drive In, we stumbled upon had The Blues Brothers breaking it down.
Below are some more sites along the way.
The number of wind turbines was amazing.
The scenery was much better once we crossed the Mississippi River. Mountains and trees were a welcomed site.
The Wagon Wheel Motel. I found this place online with great reviews. It's truly amazing, and just the type of place I was looking for. The queen size room is a bit small, but more than sufficient, extremely clean, and quite cozy. Best of all, the workers treat you like family. I'm going to look for a similar place for tomorrow. Many have recommended The Blue Swallow in Nevada, but I'm not sure we're gonna be up for the 12+ hour drive. That's what we drove today, and it got brutal towards the end, thanks to my 3.5 hours of sleep last night.
My kind of Motel!
Until tomorrow night! (internet service permitting)
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