The Route 66 Begin signs, and the sights we saw on our way out of Chicago.

The first stop on our agenda was at the Route 66 Begin signs. There are two of them = the original which has been completely covered in stickers, and the newer one that has been placed higher so that it won’t get covered in stickers. From there, we had to drive under the Chicago L train tracks. They’ve been in so many movies and TV shows that we had to drive under them.

The next stop was to fill up Shakey.

This stop was a shock for all of us! Check out the cost of gas in Chicago.

The next stop was at Lou Mitchell’s for some photos.

Lou Mitchell’s has been serving customers since 1923. We were excited about having breakfast at Lou Mitchell’s. However, that wasn’t doable since it was Monday and Lou Mitchell’s is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. We had to change our plans to make Lou Mitchell’s just a photo op stop.

Our next stops were quick photo op stops at several locations.

The first stop was at Lu Lu’s Hot Dogs. Lu Lu’s has been serving customers since 1968, and is still serving today.

The next stop was at Castle Car Wash. While no longer in service, the building still exists and is a historical building.

The third stop was at Henry’s Drive In. They opened in 1950 and have been serving customers since then!

These are some additional photos of sights we passed while driving to our next scheduled stop for lunch.

Del Rhea’s Chicken Basket for lunch!

Our lunch stop was at the historic Del Rhea’s Chicken Basket! If you are on Route 66, south of Chicago, plan on stopping here for lunch or dinner!! their food is delicious!! We had their Corn Fritters for an appetizer – it was like getting dessert before the main course!! They were yummy and hit the spot! Then the 3 of us shared the Famous Fried Chicken Basket. It’s half of a fresh chicken, cut into 4 pieces, and two sides. It was plenty for the 3 of us and very delicious!! We also enjoyed Del Rhea’s Root Beer. We enjoyed the root beer so much that we ordered the bottles to take with us and enjoy on the road!

Next stop, Rich & Creamy!

Our next stop was at the historic ice cream shop, Rich & Creamy. We were thinking of getting an ice cream cone, but the shop was closed for the season. They didn’t have a sign saying when they would reopen for the season, therefore we don’t know when that is. We made the stop a quick photo op moment. Dick’s On 66 was across the road from Rich & Creamy and we took a few photos while we were stopped.

Our next stop was at the Gemini Giant Muffler Man!

There are many historical “giants” along Route 66! This was the first one on our Route 66 trip. It’s in Wilmington, IL and was made into a space man holding a rocket, for The Launching Pad Drive In. While the drive in no longer exists, the Gemini Giant was restored to its former glory and is displayed for Route 66 travelers.

Next Stop, the historic Ambler/Becker Texaco Service Station in Dwight, IL.

The Ambler/Becker Texaco Service Station is a Route 66 service station that has been restored to its former glory, and is now a historical tourist sight on Route 66 and provides visitors with information about Route 66 and the service station. It was closed when we were there, but we got some great pictures while we were there. On our way out of Dwight, we saw a garage that someone had mounted the front of a car onto the side above the doors. It was fun and we had to take a photo of it.

Next stop, the historic Standard Oil Service Station in Odell, IL.

The Standard Oil Service Station was built and opened for service in 1932. It remained in service until it closed in the 1960s and then became a body shop. The body shop closed in the 1970s and the building fell into disrepair. It would have been demolished had the town of Odell had not purchased it and fully restored it to its former glory. It’s also a visitor center for Odell.

The next stop was Pontiac, IL, to see the painted murals, check out the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum, and see the Swinging Bridges of Pontiac.

The Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum had closed just before we arrived, and we were unable to tour it. (Sights being closed on the days we arrived became a repeating theme on our Route 66 trip. The place either hadn’t opened for the season yet, or closed earlier than expected – 3:00 or 4:00 PM.) We didn’t let that discourage us too much and took photos of the murals, did some shopping, and then took photos of the Swinging Bridges of Pontiac, in the Chautauqua Park.

Next stop, Sprague’s Super Service Station in Normal, IL!

The historic Sprague’s Super Service Station was built and opened in 1931, as a gas station and a general store. It remained in service selling das and food until 1979, when the pumps were removed. During WWII, the service station closed temporarily because gasoline and repair parts were scarce. The building was purchased in 2006, added to the Registry of Historic Places in 2008, and restored to its former glory. The town of Normal bought it in 2016 and it now serves as a Visitor Center and Gift Shop. Along the way to Normal, IL, we stopped to check out Dead Man’s Curve on Route 66 in Towanda, IL.

Next stop, the Texaco Service Station and American Giants in Atlanta, IL!

Our next stop was a 4-in-one stop! It had a restored Texaco Service Station, a Texaco Big Friend giant, and three other Muffler Giants modified to appear as a Cowboy Phillips 66 Giant, a Viking Carpet Giant, and a Sneed Giant. Around the cornet from the Texaco Service Station, Texaco Big Friend, and the American Giants was the Paul Bunyon Hot Dog Giant. The Paul Bunyon Hot Dog Giant is set back in some bushes, therefore you must park and walk to it in order to get into the best positions to photograph it. On the outer edge of Atlanta, you will see the Smiling Face water tower.

The next stop was the World’s Largest Covered Wagon, in Lincoln, IL.

This stop was a quick photo op stop because you have to stop and take pictures of the “World’s Largest” stuff! Especially when a giant Abraham Lincoln is a part of the display!

The next stop was Cozy Dog Drive In, home of the original hot dog on a stick!

The Cozy Dog Drive In has been serving customers since 1949, along with their special homemade chili! We arrived at 8:00 PM, and they closed at 8:00 PM. They literally turned off their lights as we were walking up. No dinner, just a photo op stop.

Time to see the Turkey Tracks in the original pavement for the 1926-1930 alignment of Route 66!!

This was a fun stop, for many reasons, along Route 66! We had to leave the main Route 66 road (the post 1930 alignment) and take the 1926-1930 alignment in order to see the turkey tracks in the pavement. That alignment took us into a very rural area of Illinois, and we all started making jokes about being murdered, etc, and I was blamed for deliberately taking Gayle and Cheryl to their deaths. It didn’t help that it was now dark outside and there were very few homes and no businesses along the route. However, it being dark made it incredibly easy to see the tracks! I had read several online posts about the turkey tracks being difficult to see, but the headlights of our car made them very easy to see. Gayle and Cheryl sent me out to take the pictures because they were certain that the tracks were a hoax to get people to stop so that the murders would have a steady supply of victims. They were joking, I think. I wasn’t murdered and lived to travel another day!

Final stop of Day 1 on Route 66, St. Louis, MO.

Day 1 of our Route 66 trip was a very long day, as you can tell by all of the places where we stopped and the photos we took. We were crossing the bridge over the Mississippi River at 10:30 PM, and arrived at our hotel at a short time later. Our original plan was to spend the night in a historic Route 66 motel, the Country Inn Motel and Cafe in Livingston, IL, but they closed down in early 2026. I had to change our plans and decided to make our stop in St. Louis, based upon our plans for the following days. In reality, the best plan would have been to stop in Springfield, IL for the night (more on that later). We finally made it to our hotel, and I went out into downtown St. Louis after 11:00 PM to get us dinner since almost all restaurants in Illinois closed by 8:00 PM. I finally found us sandwiches, from a hotel lobby pantry, and got back to the room shortly before Midnight. Yes, you read that correctly. I was walking around downtown St. Louis late at night, after my phone’s battery had died, I got lost heading back to the hotel, and I was by myself. I found out the next morning, and a couple of other times, that downtown St. Louis is a dangerous place to be at night.

Until tomorrow, good night and happy dreams from your Psychotic Nerds!