There’s something about Route 66 that confounds
the “more is better” school of thought. It may be
Illinois’ biggest tourist draw, yet it’s so small-scale and
affordable. You can spend a whole day on the Mother Road and not turn loose
even $50. In the process you’ll probably make a friend or two. Almost
certainly you’ll meet some foreign visitors. High-tech amusements and
grand hotels? Route 66 has a few — but for the most part it’s a
road of simple and unexpected pleasures, of mom-and-pop entrepreneurs and
idiosyncratic dreams come true. The satisfaction people get by traveling it
comes not from big events but from the accumulation of these smaller
pleasures.
Nowhere is that principle truer than in the Land of
Lincoln. Springfield’s own International Route 66 festival enters its
fifth year on the cusp of tradition. Classic cars, live music, and an
artists’ fair will fill downtown streets the last weekend in
September, and the fourth Annual Cruisin’ Route 66 Classic Car
Festival in Litchfield, June 22-24, takes place along a stretch of the
original highway. But for year-round pleasures on a smaller scale, you
can’t beat our part of the road. For example:
· In Atlanta, old signs on brick buildings have been lovingly repainted.
The 104-year-old J.H. Hawes wooden grain elevator, restored in 1993 and
open for tours, is the only one of its kind in Illinois. The eight-sided,
pristinely maintained Carnegie library is a jewel that sparkles with the
village’s rich history. Towering over most of this is an 18-foot
fiberglass statue of a “Muffler Man” holding a giant hot dog.
It’s a recent immigrant from a hot-dog stand in Cicero.
· Williamsville’s Frank Kohlrus takes
time from his careers as a cemetery maintainer and guppy rancher to run Die
Cast Auto Sales on Elm Street. He says he can get you a Tucker. Be sure to
take in the Route 66 Dream Car Museum, a collection of vintage cars owned
by Phil and Pat Hawley. During the summer, there are sock hops and cruises,
too. This is a warm-weather destination.
· A long-abandoned stretch of early 66 forms
the eastern border of Carpenter Park, near Sherman. In 2002 it won a listing on the National
Register of Historic Places. Walk a hundred yards down this vintage curbed
concrete and you’ll be in another era.
· In its various alignments, Route 66 has wound
around three sides of the State Fairgrounds. Don’t wait until August to visit this piece of
history. From Harleys to horses to home shows, there’s always
something going on. In the early days of beer-can collecting, the cattle
barns were the site of many major finds.
· A block south of the Fairgrounds on Peoria Road, D-Day veteran Bill Shea has converted his Marathon station into a museum of gasoline and oil memorabilia, Shea’s Gas Station Museum. Not long ago he had to move another old station on grounds to create more display space. Travelers from 63 countries and all 50 states have signed his guestbook. He’ll make sure you do, too.
· Across South Sixth Street from what used to be Allis-Chalmers, owner Sue Waldmire carries on a family tradition at the Cozy Dog Drive In. Everyone knows you can get a corn dog there, but what fewer people know is that the Cozy has Springfield’s best doughnuts. You can enjoy your food while reading a book from the Edwin Waldmire Memorial Library. · The original 66 Drive-In, located on South Sixth Street, has come to life anew in a new location: part of Knight’s Action Park, off old Route 4. The new and improved version shows family fare early in the evening and, often, movies for mature audiences as second
features. Maybe you can’t shuck and jive on I-55, but you can still get your kicks on Route 66.
· A block south of the Fairgrounds on Peoria Road, D-Day veteran Bill Shea has converted his Marathon station into a museum of gasoline and oil memorabilia, Shea’s Gas Station Museum. Not long ago he had to move another old station on grounds to create more display space. Travelers from 63 countries and all 50 states have signed his guestbook. He’ll make sure you do, too.
· Across South Sixth Street from what used to be Allis-Chalmers, owner Sue Waldmire carries on a family tradition at the Cozy Dog Drive In. Everyone knows you can get a corn dog there, but what fewer people know is that the Cozy has Springfield’s best doughnuts. You can enjoy your food while reading a book from the Edwin Waldmire Memorial Library. · The original 66 Drive-In, located on South Sixth Street, has come to life anew in a new location: part of Knight’s Action Park, off old Route 4. The new and improved version shows family fare early in the evening and, often, movies for mature audiences as second
features. Maybe you can’t shuck and jive on I-55, but you can still get your kicks on Route 66.
