Introduction

Route 66 Towns We Have Visited Before and Plan to Visit in Part 2.

1. Needles

2. Goffs

3. Amboy

4. Ludlow

5. Newberry Springs

6. Victorville

7. San Bernardino

8. Fontana

9. Rancho Cucamonga

10. Monrovia

11. Pasadena

12. Los Angeles

13. Hollywood

14. Beverly Hills

15. Hollywood

16. Santa Monica

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Introduction

Route 66 Towns We Have Visited Before and Plan to Visit in Part 2.

1. Lupton

2. Monument Valley

3. (Utah) Forrest Gump Point

4. Painted Desert

5. Petrified Forest

6. Hilbrook

7. Joseph City

8. Winslow

9. Flagstaff

10. Williams

11. Ash Fork

12. Seligman

13. Hackberry

14. Kingman

15. Golden Valley

16. Oatman

17. Golden Valley

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Introduction

Route 66 Towns We Have Visited in Part 1 and Plan to Visit in Part 2.

1. Glenrio

2. Tucumcan

3. Santa Rosa

4. Las Vegas

5. Pecos

6. Santa Fe

7. Madrid

8. Tijeras

9. Albuquerque

10. New Laguna

11. Moriarty

12. Acoma

13. Grants

14. Gallup

Centennial Route 66 Tour: Introduction

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Introduction

Route 66 Towns

Although Texas is huge, the section of the original Route 66 occurred only in the panhandle part of the state. Due to its limited number of stops, we covered it during Part 1 of our trip.

1. Shamrock

2. McLean

3. Groom

4. Amarillo

5. Vega

6. Adrian

7. Glenrio

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Introduction

Oklahoma has more miles of the original Route 66 than any other state, thanks to the father of Route 66, Cyrus Avery, who was

from Oklahoma.

Given its importance, the mileage, and the number of stops, we didn’t think our first trip would have enough time to complete the whole state.

Route 66 Towns We Plan to Visit in Part 2.

1. Commerce

2. Miami

3. Vanita

4. Chelsea

5. Claremore

6. Catoosa

7. Tulsa

8. Sapulpa

9. Stroud

10. Chandler

11. Warwick

12. Arcadia

13. Oklahoma City

14. El Reno

15. Yukon

16. Hydro

17. Weatherford

18. Clinton

19. Elk City

20. Cheyenne

21. Erick

22. Sayre

Centennial Route 66 Tour: Introduction

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Part 2 Transportation (the suv)

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For Part 2, we decided to drive a regular car, my 2019 RAV 4. It can be an interesting comparison with the camper on several aspects, such as cost, comfort level, convenience, etc.

Our Experience

A Summary of the Part 2 Trip

A Verdict

• To read the intro of the Route 66 travelogue, click here.

• To read all posts of Route 66 touring, click https://appleanbooks.substack.com/s/route66.

Kansas has the shortest section of Route 66, only 13.2 miles, and only three towns. That does not diminish its Route 66 spirit. If you are a fan of the movie Cars, you definitely must visit this state and its three towns.

Route 66 Towns

Different visitors may list different towns. The following are what we have visited.

1. Galena

2. Riverton

3. Baxter Spring

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Introduction

Missouri’s nickname, “Show Me State,” may have begun in 1899 when Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver stated, ‘I’m from Missouri and you’ve got to show me.”

Missouri is known as the birthplace of Route 66.

We have collected more brochures, flyers, posters, and public annoucements from this state than the others we traveled in Part 1. Among them, St. Louis is at the top. You can feel the celebration of the Centennial Route 66 if you travel along the towns in the state. And yet, many events are upcoming in May, June, July, and later.

Route 66 Towns

The following are what we have visited.

1. St. Louis

2. Euraka

3. Pacific

4. Stanton

5. Cuba

6. Devil’s elbow

7. Uranus

8. St. Robert

9. Lebanon

10. Phillipsburg

11. Marshfield

12. Springfield

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Old Log Cabin

Just driving on Old Route 66 can bring surprises. We didn’t know about this place, but stopped when we saw it. Not only was it a gem with spirited people, but it was timely to comfort our rambling stomatches.

This is one of the few restaurants or cafes that has operated for 100 years near Pontiac, IL. Its birthday is March 15, 1926. It has outlasted every downstate small town restaurant on Illinois Route 66. The Log Cabin Inn and the Selotti family were inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame in 1996.

Current owner Brad Trainor’s daughter, Devon, and close friend Shannon have such a fun and wild spirit. They shared their history books, guest books (with visitors from all over the world), and their fun stories. They were kind to pose for pictures.

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Route 66 State: Illinois

Pedestrian Tunnel

During 1926-1946, traffic on Route 66 in Odell was so congested that it became necessary to build an underground passage for churchgoers and school children to safely cross. In 1947, with the advent of the four-lane bypass two blocks to the west, this became Business Route 66, and the tunnel was filled in. This spot is where the staircase to the tunnel began. The width of the tunnel is amazingly narrow.

Standard Oil Gas Station

Originally built in 1932, it was converted into a body shop from 1960 to 1975. It was restored and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

• To read the intro of the Route 66 travelogue, click here.

• To read the summary of Touring Part 1 by a camper, click here.

• To read all posts of Route 66 touring, click https://appleanbooks.substack.com/s/route66.

Ambler’s Texaco Gas Station

Ambler’s Texaco Gas Station, also known as Vernon’s Texaco Station and Becker’s Marathon Gas Station, is located along Route 66 in the Village of Dwright. It is named after longtime manager Basil “Tubby” Ambler, who operated the station from 1938 to 1966. Built in 1933, the business operated as a gas station for 66 years. In 1999, it became an auto repair shop until 2002.

Although closed until May, Bob saw us while driving by and allowed us to visit the inside and told us many stories.

One story from Bob showed the spirit of the village of Dwright. When the last owner of the firetruck, the first built in Dwright, wanted to sell it back to the village, Bob and his friends took two days to collect more than the required amount of money to buy back the engine. The fire engine is proudly parked inside the garage now. Thanks, Bob!

• To read the intro of the Route 66 travelogue, click here.

• To read the summary of Touring Part 1 by a camper, click here.

• To read all posts of Route 66 touring, click https://appleanbooks.substack.com/s/route66.

The Shop on Route 66

Like most towns on Route 66 in IL, it was the Chicago & Alton Railroad that led to Gardner’s establishment. Railway chief engineer, Henry Gardner, and his partners bought the land knowing the course the tracks would take. They platted a town in 1854 and named it after the railway chief himself.

The shop was closed. The surrounding decor is worth the photos.

Two-Cell Jail

This historic Two-Cell jail was built in 1906—the perfect fit for exactly one criminal and their partner in crime.
The jail was closed. But there is an audio description of its history and the history and heroes of Gardener, IL.

I was able to take a photo of the inside through the window.

• To read the intro of the Route 66 travelogue, click here.

• To read the summary of Touring Part 1 by a camper, click here.

• To read all posts of Route 66 touring, click https://appleanbooks.substack.com/s/route66.

Gemini Giant

The fiberglass "muffler man" from the 1960s was moved to a new location in Wilmington, not far from the old location on Baltimore Street. Close to the giant was a standalone two-car garage that had Route 66-related artwork painted on three sides. A large screen displayed town events, weather, and time, and Route 66-related information.

Across the street is a family restaurant that has been there since 1991. The person working there told me their business had increased since the giant was moved to their location, but they have not noticed much business this year due to the cold weather. He was very nice to fill my coffee for free.

• To read the intro of the Route 66 travelogue, click here.

• To read the summary of Touring Part 1 by a camper, click here.

• To read all posts of Route 66 touring, click https://appleanbooks.substack.com/s/route66.

Elwood Arsenal, originally known as the Elwood Ordnance Plant, played a massive role in American history and significantly altered the path of Route 66 in Illinois. Located just south of Joliet, this former munitions manufacturing site was once considered the largest and most sophisticated in the world.

The History of the Arsenal

Built in 1940 as the United States prepared for World War II, the facility consisted of two major sections: the Elwood Ordnance Plant, which loaded shells and bombs, and the Kankakee Ordnance Works, which produced high explosives like TNT. In 1945, these two sites were combined to form what became known as the Joliet Arsenal (and later the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant.

Wartime Powerhouse: During peak production, over 10,000 people worked here. The Elwood site alone loaded nearly a billion units of ammunition, including aerial bombs and artillery shells.

The “West Point” of Munitions: Because of its advanced training programs for personnel from all over the world, the Elwood plant was nicknamed the “West Point of Ammunition.”

Legacy of Transformation: The plant remained on standby or active through the Korean and Vietnam Wars before finally being declared inactive in 1993.

Impact on Route 66

The construction of the arsenal was so massive that it physically forced Route 66 to change. The original 1926-1939 road went directly through the village of Elwood. However, the heavy truck traffic and security needs of the arsenal led to the creation of Alternate US 66.

Road Realignment: To accommodate wartime traffic, the road between Elwood and Joliet was widened to four lanes. A newer, straighter alignment was eventually built to the west, which became the main US 66, while the original path through Elwood became Alt 66.

Preserved Pavement: One can still visit a segment of the “”genuine Mother Road”“ on Douglas Street in Elwood, where original pavement has been restored alongside worker statues and historical wayside exhibits.

We became aware of this stop after the Historic Route 66 Navigation app prompted us about it. But it didn’t tell us about the story, and we didn’t visit the preserved pavement, unfortunately.

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Route 66 State: Illinois

Illinois Rock & Roll Museum On Route 66

“The Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66” is a dedicated cultural space in downtown Joliet that celebrates the massive impact Illinois artists have had on music history. Located in a historic three-story building at the intersection of Route 66 and the Lincoln Highway, it focuses on everything from the grit of Chicago blues to the stadium anthems of local rock legends.

• Hall of Fame & Local Legends: The museum honors a wide range of artists with deep Illinois ties, including seminal bands like Cheap Trick, Styx, Chicago, and REO Speedwagon, alongside blues giants like Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy.

• Memorabilia & Artifacts: You can explore a vast collection of stage costumes, vintage instruments, handwritten lyrics, and gold records. A notable highlight is the “Gigantar,” a massive 24-foot-tall guitar sculpture located at the site.

• Interactive & Educational Features: The facility includes a “Music Lab” for hands-on learning, a radio station called “Road to Rock” that streams music from Illinois artists, and listening stations to dive into the state’s sonic history.

• Route 66 Connection: As a designated “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ballot Museum,” it serves as a primary stop for travelers on the Mother Road, even offering official Route 66 passports in its gift shop.

We received a free pin and lots of booklets, posters, and brochures. Christine is the one sending the new 2025 Route 66 passports to Roman. She gave me several websites for the 100th anniversary celebration in Joliet.

Joliet Area Historical Museum

An information hub of Route 66 centennial-related info in Joliet. It is also a museum of the history of Joliet.

We learned that Joliet, IL, has a lot of information and events related to the movie The Blues Brothers.

Copmobile

A replica of the Blues Brothers’ battered 1974 Dodge Monaco, complete with air raid siren on its roof, is mounted on a pole above the parking lot of the Route 66 Food N Fuel gas station.

Old Joliet Prison

The visitor center and the tours were closed on the day we visited.

We sensed the prison instilled a great pride in the people of Joliet. There will be a baseball match with a limited number of tickets that one employee at the Rock & Roll Museum told us she was looking forward to attending.

Rialto Square Theatre

Opening in 1926, it was originally designed and operated as a vaudeville movie palace, but it now houses mainly musicals, plays, concerts, and stand-up comedy. It is also available for public and private functions. People can have weddings in the theatre.

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Route 66 State: Illinois

Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket

First opened in the summer of 1946, the place was inducted into the (Illinois) Route 66 Hall of Fame in June 1992 and chosen as "Best Fried Chicken in the Chicagoland Area" by Pat Bruno of the Chicago Sun-Times in 1993.

We arrived at 4 PM, after lunch hour and before dinner. The waitress said it would be busy very soon. The place is filled with all kinds of artwork of chickens from outside to the inside. There are descriptions of its historical stories. The famous Chicken Basket was for fried chicken. We asked to taste a little bit (for health considerations) and were offered two fried drumsticks. They were battered in cornmeal and then fried, and tasted super delicious. For our dinner, we ordered a BBQ Chicken dinner and a Roasted Chicken dinner, both of which came with salad bar and soup. Roman ordered a key lime pie for dessert. Just too yummy. Felt sleepy after eating!

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Route 66 State: Illinois

Chicago, a major Route 66 city

As the beginning of Route 66, Chicago has a lot to offer, some related to Route 66, some are not, but still fun and worth exploring. Many tour books suggest visiting a few more modern places. We did as suggested.

Cloud Gate

In Millennium Park, the Cloud Gate sculpture is nicknamed "The Bean" because of its intriguing shape. Made up of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, its highly polished exterior has no visible seams. The reflections are amazing, whether they are the city skylines or one's own figures.

This next photo is me seeing my own reflection.

Route 66 Begin/End Signs

There are currently three signs indicating the beginning location (for westbound, E. Adams St.) and ending location (for eastbound, E. Jackson Dr.).

Adams and Jackson are two one-way streets that are parallel to each other. On each street, we can see other Route 66 signs facing against the direction the road would be going (thus, travelers will see them). In the old days, when there was only one street, travelers would go from the beginning sign (close to the Art Institute) to continue out of town.

On March 25, 2026, the new begin sign will be installed on Navy Pier to match that in Santa Monica pier. As of today, the exact location is unknown.

Here is one place in front of the water.

Art Institute of Chicago

It is said that this amazing place houses artwork by Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and other famous artists.

We didn’t get inside the institute but just walked around the building. The four sides of the same building show very different views. There are two different names for the place: “Art Institute of Chicago” and “Art Institvte of Chicago.”

See for yourself in the photos below.

And why is Chicago reversed in this photo?

Lou Mitchell’s

Lou Mitchell’s has been serving since 1923. It provides breakfast and lunch and closes at 2 PM. It is crowded, with both locals and travelers who would park their suitcases and luggage against a wall.

We had our breakfast there. The Norwegian Smoked Salmon & Onion Omelette was a huge portion that came with a piece of toast. We shared the meal. I also got my coffee of the day at breakfast, much later than my regular time, but well worth the wait.

Skydeck

Not part of the original Route 66, this building is a new feature of the “Windy City” of Chicago. The Skydeck at the top of Willis Tower is considered one of the best places to experience the city. At 1,353 feet (412 meters) up on the 103rd floor, the observation ledge’s glass boxes extend 4.3 feet (1.3 meters) from the Skydeck, providing never-before-seen views of the city.

We didn’t go up to experience the city. We just took some photos from the street level and in the lobby through the glass.

Centennial Route 66 Tour: Introduction

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Route 66 State: Illinois

Introduction

Illinois is the first state on Route 66, “The first Hundred Miles,” as some of the brochures say.

For centennial celebrations, Illinois has prepared and is still preparing as we travel. Many activities and events are scheduled for the period after our visit in March 2026. Along the way, we collected many flyers, brochures, magazines, stickers, banners, and signs. We talked to some of the organizers and employees involved at the museums and centers. We could feel the excitement in the air and their tones.

Route 66 Towns

Different visitors may list different towns. The following are what we have visited. * indicates it is one of the 12 major Route 66 cities.

1. Chicago *

2. Willowbrook

3. Joliet

4. Elwood

5. Willington

6. Gardener

7. Dwright

8. Odell

9. Pontiac

10. Normal

11. Atlanta

12. McLean

13. Lincoln

14. Springfield

15. Auburn

16. Girard

17. Carlinville

18. Litchfield

19. Mt. Olive

20. Livingston

21. Hamel

22. Granite City

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The Description

For touring the first section of Route 66, we drive a brand-new 2027 camper with 19 miles on it, just finished at the company's Indiana factory for Indicampers.com. The official brand and model are unclear in our contract because it is so new, and it does not even have an official plate yet (we have to put a temporary paper plate on the dashboard). But here are a few pieces of information that we know about the camper.

• Comfort Family model

• Thor Motor Coach 28A

• Four Winds 028G

• Chevrolet 4500 chassis

• v8 gas engine

• Can sit and sleep up to 6 adults and 1 child

• Dimensions: 30’ long, 11’3” high, and 8’3” wide

• A bathroom with a toilet and a washbowl

• A separate shower

• large capacity refrigerator and separate freezer, and a two-burner cooktop

• A microwave and an air-fryer combo

• Lots of lights, many dimmable

Our Experience

Upon picking up and driving for the first couple of days

• It is considerably large and requires the driver to be extra careful to make turns, keep in the middle of a lane, and park.

• The inside has so many storage places that we only used about a quarter of them. It even has his and her closets with hanger bars.

• We only bumped our heads in one location: the front of the driver and the passenger seats, because above these seats is a convertible double bed, and one is not used to thinking about it.

• The camper has two wheels in the front and dual wheels in the back. It rattles a lot and makes a lot of noise. Some parts even fell off during driving.

• The camper is winterized, meaning we cannot use any water on it to prevent the pipes or containers from bursting during freezing temperatures. This means we don’t have fresh water, no sink or shower water, and cannot use the toilet. We were told to be responsible for any damages if we dewinterize the camper. We are hoping that once we get to warmer places, we can fully enjoy the camper with its full capabilities.

• Keeping the camper within a lane during windy conditions, like in the Chicago area, is a huge challenge.

A flat tire on Day 4 of the trip, March 13, 2026

In Joliet, IL, we parked it in a public parking lot and visited the Joliet Area Historical Museum and Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66. We returned to the camper within 1 hour and found that the front-right tire was completely flat.

• The 1-800 number leads to lengthy text messages. We were told the camper company contacted local garages, but no one had picked up the request.

• After waiting for more than an hour and sending them other possible garages, Roman found that we were told that our premier insurance does not cover flat tires.

• I called AAA and was told my Gold membership does not cover RVs. The representative said she could still reach out to the local office and would let them give me a quote for the cost before heading over to help.

• Within 15 minutes, a local technician came directly to the camper to replace the flat tire with our spare tire, only to be reminded that there was no spare tire on the camper. We suggested to him to either fix the hole caused by a nail, or inflate the tire so that we could drive to a local place to replace it. He said the tire could not be fixed. So he filled it with air. At the same time, Roman called around and found a local company, All Fleet Services, that fixes trucks and trailers. The AAA worker said he had another task but would check back later to make sure we were good.

• It was in the middle of a Friday, and the roads were crowded with traffic. Roman drove as fast as he could, hoping the tire would hold before he could reach the local company. And we did after a long 20-minute drive.

• All Fleet Services is a 24 HR Road Service for doing truck and trailer repair. They confirmed that the tire was beyond fixing. They had to locate a new one to replace it. And they tried twice after the first attempt failed. Two hours later, we got a new working tire. The company gave us a break on the price in exchange for providing a Google review. They had never covered RVs. Roman was very happy to write a positive review. The instance proved again my observation that some local businesses and people are nice and more helpful.

• The event took 4.5 hours away from our day. Today was also windy (29 MPH at one time) and cold (30-degree windchill), which made this day really dark and worrisome.

• The camper company is really sneaky:

  • The insurance, even the upgraded premium insurance, does not cover the most common problems on the road: flat tires. In hindsight, we could have paid more attention to this detail.

  • They didn’t provide spare tires for the camper. Roman found a small print in our contract stating it was for the sake of maintaining some regulation.

A Summary of the Part 1 Trip

We needed to clean and return the camper by 11 AM, March 25, 2026. Given the uncertainties of road conditions and traffic, we arrived in Las Vegas, NV by 6:50 PM on March 24. Here are some stats of traveling with the camper. Here are the stats.

Here is the breakdown of the total cost.

A Verdict

After driving a campervan last year and this camper, we concluded with the following:

• Drive an RV that is the right size for the travel group, not too small, and not too large. The campervan from last year was the right size for two people, even though it took some getting used to and constant head bumping, even on the last day. This camper is designed for 6+1 people. It might work for a family with 5 kids. But it adds the weight, thus the extra cost of gas, and the discomfort of bumping on the seats while the camper is moving. I could imagine a lot of complaints, which may result in much slower driving than we did.

• Realize that an RV is not necessarily inexpensive. It can depend on a few factors. In our case, we had extreme weather (high wind at 45-55MPH, tornado watch, lightning and thunder, and extreme coldness such as 12 degrees with a wind chill of 0 degrees) that forced us to stay in the hotel for three nights. The RV parks are not inexpensive anymore. We noticed a higher price this year than last. The cost of gas is much higher than that of a regular car.

• Realize that an RV does not mean convenience for travel. Last year, we loved the freedom of using a toilet anywhere, boonducking in unexpected places, etc. This camper, however, is winterized, meaning there could be water of any kind. We have to be clever to figure out how to use the toilet at night. But no water takes half of the fun from using an RV. It adds the cost of meals and extra stops at rest areas, plus materials to handle the toilet use at night when we had to spend the night in the camper.

• Make sure you have the driving skills and nerves to drive a 30-footer that is 12 feet high. I tried it at the camper company’s parking lot and decided I’d go hands-free from it unless necessary. Roman is a skilled long-distance driver. Even so, he struggled with keeping the camper steady, staying in lanes, and finding parking spots that suited the size. Not every place is equipped with large vehicle parking.

My verdict: I have checked an item off my bucket list.

Roman’s verdict: continue to find a suitable campervan (note, not a camper) for the future.

• To read the intro of the Route 66 travelogue, click here.

• To read all posts of Route 66 touring, click https://appleanbooks.substack.com/s/route66.

• To read the intro of the Route 66 travelogue, click here.

• To read the summary of Touring Part 1 by a camper, click here.

• To read all posts of Route 66 touring, click https://appleanbooks.substack.com/s/route66.