Our adventure will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Joliet Area Historical Museum, 204 Ottawa St., Joliet, IL 60432. There is a $10 admission fee. We will depart from the museum at 11:15 a.m. and travel to Route 66 Polk-A-Dot Drive-In in Braidwood for lunch.
The route between Braidwood and Bloomington offers numerous points of interest. Although I have driven historic Route 66 many times in recent years, each trip reveals places I would like to explore more fully. Accordingly, we will not establish a rigid itinerary. Instead, participants are encouraged to stop at attractions that appeal to them. These stops may include taking a few minutes to read about Dead Man’s Curve near Towanda, visiting the Standard Oil Gasoline Station in Odell, or purchasing Maple sirup (not a spelling error, find out why) at Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup. Visitors may also choose to spend several hours exploring a few of Pontiac’s museums. We will spend Saturday night in Bloomington, IL.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel & Conference Center at the special rate of $159 for Saturday night. This rate is available through September 18th; please make your reservation as early as possible. Book your group rate here
On Sunday morning, we will continue to Atlanta, Illinois, home of the American Giants Museum and the Route 66 Land of the Giants Rest Stop. We will then make a short drive to Route 66 Motorheads Bar, Grill and Museum for lunch.
After lunch, participants may drive home or remain in the area to explore Springfield. The Lincoln Library is especially worthwhile for anyone who has not visited previously.