Illinois/Missouri Route 66 - Chain of Rocks Bridge

The Chain of Rocks bridge is one of the most famous crossings on old Rt. 66, and cross I did, hoofing it from the Missouri side all the way back to Illinois. Built in 1929, the famous bend in the bridge was necessary for the Mississippi River traffic below it, but a real hazard to the oversize automobiles of the 1940's and 50's. The actual rocks the bridge was named for are somewhere nearby in the river, but I could never find them. One last bit of trivia: A chase scene in the movie "Escape from New York" was filmed on the bridge, and having walked or driven over most of the bridges to Manhattan, all I can say is, that was a real stretch. Log Book: 298 miles motored on old Route 66.

Illinois Route 66 - Mount Olive

     Pretty yellow and orange pumps at the Soulsby filling station in Mt. Olive, Illinois. Built by Henry Soulsby in 1926, it was passed on to his children, Russell and Ola, when he retired. The brother and sister partners sold gas at the station until 1991, spent a couple more years at the spot greeting Route 66 tourists, then sold the place to a neighbor in 1997. It was still a classic Route 66 attraction at the time of my visit in 2005, and I recently noticed the station described on the National Park Service website!
      Coal mines were active in this part of Southern Illinois from the late 19th century until the 1950's. The Union Miners Cemetery is located in Mt . Olive, and this cemetery is also the final resting place of Mary Harris Jones. "Mother" Jones was a community organizer who helped found the Industrial Workers of the World union and later was active with the United Mine Workers of America. Her struggles on behalf of mine workers and children are an inspiration. Log Book: 236 miles motored on old Route 66.

Illinois Route 66 - Coliseum Ballroom

Change is a constant on the old road, and you need to get a move on to get your fill of the aging and ever evolving Rt. 66 attractions. The Coliseum Ballroom in Benld, Illinois was built in 1924 before there was a Route 66, and it was gone in a flash, destroyed in a recent fire. As a 66 attraction, this place had it all. Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Chuck Berry, Louis Armstrong and Jerry Lee Lewis all performed here. Tommy Dorsey and some of the other big bands of the 1930's and 40's also played here. According to some old-timers, Chicago gangsters, including Al Capone, used to hang at the Coliseum, and if all this wasn't enough, the building itself was said to be haunted! This photo is from my 2006 trip. Weird looking place, wasn't it? Log Book: 247 miles motored on old 66.

Illinois Route 66 - Ariston Cafe

     The Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, Illinois, was built in 1935 with a simple brick architectural style common for new businesses in the frugal Depression years. As the original owners no doubt knew, Route 66 during the Depression years continued to carry much of the traffic between Chicago and St. Louis, the second and seventh largest cities in the country at the time. With this constant flow of travelers, the business even sold gas for a while. The Ariston has lasted as a restaurant since then, one of those must stops on the old road. 
     I arrived at the cafe towards the end of the day, which allowed for a neat photo with the neon signs turned on, but too late to stop for a bite as I needed to make St. Louis before nightfall. This is the type of trade off made necessary when making scheduled stops on a Route 66 trip, and it drives most roadies crazy. But the accountant in me likes to set a mileage goal every day, with a list of museums and roadside attractions to cover and with the motel reservations having been made far in advance. Hey, looking for a place to sleep at the end of a 12 hour day on the road is never any fun. Log Book: 227 miles motored on old 66. 

Illinois Route 66 - Auburn Brick Road

It was worth the trip tracking down this wonderfully preserved brick highway in Auburn, Illinois, a section of Route 66 so old (the original Route 4 section) that it was already bypassed in favor of a new alignment by 1930. As far as I can tell, this mile and a half of brick two-lane was laid down in 1932, so these cobblestones were never technically a part of old 66. But who's to split hairs with such a wonderful find? Log Book: 216 miles motored on old 66.