Day 3: Chicago, IL to Pontiac, IL
The Odell station
As we pulled off I-55 into Odell, for our first real taste of Route 66, we decided to follow the signs that pointed to an "Historic Gas Station."
Betty Estes, from Pontiac
When we got to the station, Betty Estes, who heads a historical society in Pontiac, IL, was waiting for John Weiss, a Route 66 enthusiast and author, to show up.
We decided to wait for him, too. When John got there, he let us into the station, and we got to look around inside for a while.
John Weiss, Route 66 author
We ended up buying John Weiss' book, "Traveling The... New, Historic Route 66 of Illinois." It was an unbelievably good decision. It helped us find all of the interesting spots in Illinois, but also caused it to take much longer than we expected, because there is so much to see. It ended up taking us 3 days to cross Illinois.
An old grain elevator
We found this old grain elevator near the tiny town of Cayuga.
Restored Meramac Caverns painted barn
There is an incredible cavernsystem in Missouri, off old Route 66. They used to offer to paint farmer's barns for free, with high quality paint. In return, the farmer would provide a large flat spot for an advertisement for the caverns.
There used to be many of these barns, but today there are only two. This one has been restored, and there is a sign explaining it nearby.
Tomi in the famous Old Log Cabin cafe
Another famous Route 66 landmark is the Old Log Cabin, and it is still going strong. The food was OK, but the ambience was terrific and the people were very friendly!