Continuing Driving along the Landmarks of Route 66
June 2024
Historic Landmarks along Illinois Route 66
We drove back to McLean, Illinois, to continue our journey on Route 66. Today, we started at the historic Funks Grove in Shirley, where we visited the “pure maple sirup” storefront, yes, with an “i.” Next, we stopped by the grand McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington, which marks the original 1926 highway alignment. Continuing north, our next highlight was the unique 1931 Tudor Revival architecture of Sprague’s Super Service in Normal, built to look like a home. After soaking in the details, we headed to Lexington, where we stretched our legs along Memory Lane, a preserved 1926 roadbed lined with vintage billboards.
- June 27, 2024
- 1.49 mi
- 0:33:39 hrs
- 77 °F
From Lexington, we drove further north to explore the perfectly restored Standard Oil Gas Station in Odell, complete with an antique tool display inside. In Gardner, we pictured the front of Every Buddies Pub and Grub and peeked inside the legendary Riviera Restaurant. Our final milestone was the iconic Sinclair Dinosaur, overlooking Wilmington from the garage roof.
- June 27, 2024
- 0.22 mi
- 5:33 min
- 77 °F
From Lexington, we drove further north to explore the perfectly restored Standard Oil Gas Station in Odell, complete with an antique tool display inside. In Gardner, we pictured the front of Every Buddies Pub and Grub and peeked inside the legendary Riviera Restaurant. Our final milestone was the iconic Sinclair Dinosaur, overlooking Wilmington from the garage roof.
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Although we originally planned to drive to the official starting point of Route 66 in Chicago. However, photographing every nostalgic site took too much time, so we reluctantly left the “Mother Road” for another day in Gardner, Illinois.
Reflecting on these last two Route 66 trips, I find myself hooked on the idea of dedicating an entire journey to exploring this legendary highway and soaking up its nostalgia and small-town charm. However, before pursuing that dream, we must first accomplish our original goal of visiting all the National Parks—a journey that began our travels through the states in 2020.