2024 WB Day 2 - Hot Day & Rods

It took an hour and a half to clear Chicago’s city limits using the original road out of town on a day the mercury would rise to 90.

Past vintage motels and other markers that indicate we’re on the right track.

We learned about one of the earliest fried chicken restaurants.

It’s secret recipe, held secret since the 1920s!

Nearby in Joliet, another building that held people not recipes. Possibly more infamous, thanks to the Blues Brothers.

Cathie was tossing up between Jake and Elwood at the Polka Dot Diner where we had lunch and a malt…

…and Barb checked out the jail in Gardiner.

Dwight had its expected surprises.

The Texaco is a fun place to visit,

and today a real fire truck wailed past the Becker’s 1914 version!

Five of the girls loaded into Phil Becker’s ‘56 for a tour through town…

…to his home nearby.

Phil & Deb had rushed back from an appointment in Chicago to host our group and it was clearly a highlight of the day for many.

The old road runs along side the 55 as we head south to Pontiac,

where Bob Waldmire’s combi tells a story of one man’s love affair with Route 66.

Manny’s infatuation with a 59 Pontiac extended to bringing one to life!…

…and some real Pontys to paw over in the museum display.

At Charm’s Boutique there was a little retail therapy.

Of course the largest photo backdrop was a

must…

…freshly painted pavement meant we could access it this trip.

The open fertile plans led to Lexington and Memory Lane…

…snippets of the past neatly assembled on a byroad.

Towanda has a graphic illustration of how far we still have to go.

History tells us, that 2000 plus miles will flash by in an instant!

A drive by shoot at Sprague’s Super Service on the outskirts of Bloomington meant we were nearing the end of our first day on the Mother Road…

…capped off by a chat with local Mother Road guru, Scott McCoy and the issuing of our personal R66 passports to record the next three weeks across America’s Main Street.