9/21/17 - Petersburg, IL

As I was looking for my next campground, I found Lincoln's New Salem State Historical Site near  Petersburg.  Straying from Route 66 some to stay at another campground that was off the beaten path was well worth it.  The site is very affordable and we are about 20 miles northwest of Springfield, IL.

This evening I discovered that this is a huge weekend for Route 66 classic car enthusiasts in Springfield  International Mother Road show.  So I thought that I would explore the park here and Springfield tomorrow before the crowds.  Now I know why there were 29 RV's arriving today at the Pontiac campground.  I really did a lot of research before this trip, but missed that event completely.

My research payed off with wonderful sites seen today.  I highly recommend the Ultimate Route 66 Pro Guide phone app.  It has been the most helpful tool, especially traveling with a companion who can't read, or if he can, chooses not to talk.

We focused on Bungie friendly sites today.

After leaving the campground this morning, I went to the edge of Pontiac to get a picture of the Meramec Caverns barn sign.  It turns out that the corn has obstructed much of the view, but I took the opportunity to get a photo of the car and camper.  If you look closely and enlarge the photo, you will be able to see the barn.

Pontiac, IL held a mural painting event in 2009 and 18 murals were created to celebrate the town's history with Route 66.  I have attached some of my favorites around the Route 66 Hall of Fame museum.  Please note, I think that I did a pretty fine job of parking on the street in Pontiac but I was glad there was little traffic.  Although I didn't visit the museum, I have included the Wishing Well and  the Bob Waldmire Road Yacht for your enjoyment.

North of Lexington, IL we found Memory Lane, a stretch of old road that we drove down.  They even had some replica Burma Shave signs.

In Lexington, the motorcycle rider at Kelly's on 66 caught me eye.

My first souvenir hunting stop was Sprague's Super Service in Normal, IL.  The lady who runs the shop there was eager to share her story and to hear mine.  She focuses on selling items made by local artists, so I began my Route 66 collection with a keychain made from a license plate.  I am also searching for a fleece jacket.  It was so warm that I left home without mine.  Since the weather has been in the 90's this week, I can wait until I find the right one.

Funk's Grove was my first ghost town.  This appears to have been the train station at some point.

The Funks Grove Maple SIRUP was a planned stop, but the sign discouraged me and we kept on moving down Route 66, looking for kicks.

In 1999 I lived in Alpharetta, a northern suburb of Atlanta.  I never knew there was an Atlanta, IL until today.  And that it is the home of this guy.  It turns out that the same mold was used to make him and other giants that I can expect to see on this journey.  Generically, they are known as "Muffler Men."

The Memories shop in Atlanta is for sale, if anyone is inspired by this trip to set up a cute little shop across from Bunyon's statue.

Next to the statue was a shop that drew me in.  There was a sign for caramel apples in the window.  So my evening snack is planned and I now have two keychains.

As you may have guessed, I am entering the Land of Lincoln, and had to visit Abe reading on a giant covered wagon.  I included my preferred transportation mode and wanted to express my thanks that I did not have to cross the country in a wagon.

This trip has given me plenty of quiet drive time to think about the history of our country, the changes that this paved road made in the lives of so many, and reflect on the sorry state of many of the small towns I am passing through.  I was trying to imagine what it would be like to grow up with about 500 neighbors.  The closest that I could come was the memory of reading the series about Maggody.
Joan Hess

My smiling travel companion, Bungie, never complains but he didn't want to get out to explore this tiny chapel created to Route 66 travelers in Lincoln, IL.

So we stuck out for Petersburg to find a place to sleep tonight.  Even though we left Route 66, I stuck to the back roads and got to experience many corn fields and some farm machinery getting ready to harvest.  After taking an allergy pill, I was ready to set up the camper in this hot humid weather.

A campground neighbor has already toured my camper and invited me for s'mores tonight.  We will see how social I am.  I was really looking forward to that caramel apple.