More on Joliet-- Part 2: Lincoln Highway and Route 66 Intersect There

Route 66, but no mention of the Lincoln Highway.

One of the interesting aspects of Joliet is that it is one of the only two places where the Lincoln Highway and Route 66, the Father Road and Mother Road, intersected (the other in a later bypass in nearby Plainfield).

The July 12th Chicago Tribune article by Emma graves Fitzsimmons raved about how much was being done with 66, but NO mention of equally important Lincoln Highway.

"An increasingly popular destination is the Route 66 welcome center that opened at the Joliet Area Historical Museum last year. Visitors come from as far away as Japan and Denmark (and England, or the Hamptons if you count Paul McCartney) to travel the road and learn about American history. An imitation drive-in movie theater plays a video about the route's history in the lobby, and the visitor book includes signatures from 35 states and 40 countries."

Said Tony Contos, the museum's interin director, "The legend of Route 66 carries a mystique, and it captures something nostalgic. You get to see America, starting in a big city and winding through towns. You see mountains and deserts--it's a great picture of America."

I could have told you that. What always amazes me is that foreigners seem to have more of a knowledge of 66 than most Americans.

And, hey, let's not forget Lincoln Highway, the very first transcontinental highway, preceding Route 66 by 13 years and one of the original "named highways."

Of course, Joliet also has US-6 and US-52 as well as train and interstate connections.

Great City and Worth a Visit. --RoadDog