Route 66, What to See between Bloomington & Chicago
Today you arrive in Chicago!! You are finishing US Route 66 with this final stretch from Bloomington to Chicago!!! You have driven a lot of miles. There were two feelings for me this day.
On the one hand, I was eager to reach my final destination. But, on the other hand, I felt pity because these were the final steps of an intense and great trip.
From Bloomington to Chicago (or vice versa)
We start in Bloomington, 135 miles from Chicago. Getting to Chicago will take relatively little time, although there are still some things to do.
To take Route 66 in Bloomington, you must take Sherbourne Dr and go straight ahead.
The continuation of Shelbourne Dr is Route 66. Keep going through Lexington and Pontiac until you reach Odell.
Odell, What to Visit?
In Odell, you have the “Odell Standard Station,” which was built in 1930. In 1999 the city bought it to restore it and now it is in very good condition. Then, finally, we pass by Dwight, where still stand buildings created by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Just after Dwight, the route splits. The first way is directed toward Plainfield, and the second one is directed toward Joliet.
We took the second one because we found it more interesting. The first town is Wilmington; here is the “Gemini Giant.”
Wilmington and the Gemini Giant
The “Gemini Giant” is one of the giant’s classics that were placed along many roads and highways in the United States, including, of course, Route 66.
They are about 20 feet high and often have a hand with the palm up and the other palm down to hold some kind of tool or item.
They were known as the “Muffler Man” because usually, they were placed in front of auto cars holding a Muffler.
In the case of the Gemini Giant, you’ll see that it holds a rocket in its hands and wears a helmet.
This is because it was redesigned to advertise the “Launching Pad,” a cafe just in front of it. The redesign was to turn it into a kind of astronaut with a rocket in his hands.
We leave Wilmington behind and drive to Joliet, known as “The City of Spires” because of the large number of churches in the area which have Spires.
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Joliet, Route 66
In Joliet, you have the Rialto Square Theatre (102 N. Chicago Street), a luxury theater built in 1925. It was known as “The Jewel of Joliet,” and its decoration is pretty baroque.
You also have a museum of Route 66 (204 N. Ottawa Street) and of course “The Old Joliet Prison” (1125 Collins Street), the same that appears in the movie “The Blues Brothers” and the television series “Prison Break.” Unfortunately, the entrance is not allowed for now.
Now you’re getting closer to the suburbs of Chicago; you begin to notice that you are near one of the major US cities.
Romeoville
But before you dive into Chicago, I recommend a final stop, Romeoville, where you can see The White Fence Farm. It is a pretty big restaurant/complex specializing in chicken dinners that started operating in 1920.
It has a giant chicken in front of the entrance, and inside there’s a museum of vintage cars and a small zoo, among other things.
Arriving in Chicago
And, gentlemen, we are in Chicago. Undoubtedly, Chicago has two characteristic points of Route 66 where travelers beginning their journey, went to breakfast or lunch.
The first is Lou Mitchell’s, a place, especially for breakfast, well-known since most travelers had breakfast here first.
The second one is Pizzeria Uno, which invented the “Deep-dish pizza,” which became the “Chicago style” pizza.
Where is the official start of Route 66 in Chicago?
There is a point where you have to go, E Adams St between S Michigan & Wabash Ave; what’s there, Fernando? You should ask. There is a sign indicating you have just got to the point where Route 66 begins.
It’s your final destination; you’ve been chasing this sign for the last 15 days! Congrats, you’ve arrived.
You’ve got all afternoon to explore the city of Chicago. My recommendation, check in at the hotel first so you don’t have to carry everything around downtown and you can just wander. You don’t have any specific place to go today.
I recommend you to go to the Willis Tower this night and get on floor 103. It is called “The SkyDeck,” and you can see Chicago at night. It’s amazing. You can also do it tomorrow if today is not a good day.
But if you want, I can recommend some things you can do tonight, given that you would like to visit Chicago tomorrow.
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You can give a good walkthrough of Millenium Park. It is a pretty nice park. It is the one with the famous bean-shaped stainless steel sculpture called “The Cloud Gate.”
Millennium Park is a 10-hectare park that always has activities, cultural exhibitions, events, and concerts.
It also has an outdoor theater, Roman-style but modern, of course. Within Millenium Park, the Lurie Garden represents the four seasons, which is very nice. You can also visit it tomorrow if you don’t want to go today.
You can also visit Grant Park, which is much bigger than Millenium Park, about 120 hectares, and is right next.
It has many sculptures and cultural activities and is one of the city’s cultural centers. I like agora sculpture a lot. There are half-bodies that seem to be walking.
I leave you to rest because tomorrow you will have a busy day. Any suggestions? Any questions? You know, write us, and we will always answer.
Cheers!!
Booking.com“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain
US Route 66 Itinerary day by day
- Day 0. Planning and Budget.
- Day 1. Travel preparation. Malibu, Santa Monica, Los Angeles.
- Day 2. Los Angeles. California – Amboy. California. 209 Miles.
- Day 3. Amboy California – Kingman. Arizona. 143 Miles.
- Day 4. Kingman. Arizona – Holbrook. Arizona. 239 Miles.
- Day 5. Holbrook. Arizona – Grants. Nuevo México. 157 Miles.
- Day 6. Grants. Nuevo México – Santa Rosa. Nuevo México. 247 Miles.
- Day 7. Santa Rosa. Nuevo México – Amarillo. Texas. 172 Miles.
- Day 8. Amarillo. Texas – Clinton. Oklahoma. 176 Miles.
- Day 9. Clinton. Oklahoma – Bristow. Oklahoma. 160 Miles.
- Day 10. Bristow. Oklahoma – Springfield. Missouri. 213 Miles.
- Day 11. Springfield. Missouri. – St. Louis. Missouri. 216 Miles.
- Day 12. St Louis. Missouri – Bloomington. Illinois. 162 Miles.
- Day 13. Bloomington. Illinois – Chicago. Illinois. 134 Miles.
- Day 14. Chicago Illinois. Visit Chicago
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Last Updated on 12 April, 2024 by Veronica
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