Update on the Wilmington Gemini Giant-- Part 2

Earlier this month, Holly Barker, owner of the Giant and the restaurant, said she was only auctioning off the Giant and its trademark rights.

The auction started Wednesday with an opening bid of $100,000.

The Joliet Area Historical Museum placed the winning bid at $275,000.  The purchase was made possible through a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Guided by the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, the Giant was carefully taken down, protected and transported offsite for temporary storage.

Earlier this year, the Wilmington City Council approved plans to reimagine the entrance to South Island Park, which sits directly along Route 66, adjacent to the city's historic downtown and along the Kankakee River National Water Trail.

So Glad to Get the Giant Out of There.  --RoadGiant

Along66, March 2023: How About That Illinois Route 66!!

I take these from the Route 66 News site.  I just pick the entries of most interest to me.  But, this site has new content every day and covers the whole road.  It also includes pictures, video and more information.  I strongly recommend it for any of you who are into the Mother Road.

MARCH 2

A new Route 66-themed mural will be unveiled at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois.  It has ten panels and stretches 40 feet long.  It will be displayed on the left side of the entrance.

And, as I have said before, along with neon and museums, you can never have too many murals.

MARCH 3

The American Giants Museum is planned for Atlanta, Illinois.  It will be an effort of Mr. Muffler man, Joe Baker.  The museum will be almost directly across from Atlanta's muffler man, the Bunyan Giant.

Now, if we could just get that smiley face off the water tower, things will be fine in Atlanta.

--RoadDog

Along66, February 2023: Joplin's Union Depot and Grants in Illinois

I take these from the Route 66 News blog which has entries every day.  I just pick the ones of most interest to me.  But, if you want to know what is going on along our favorite road, this is the site you want to check out.  It has much more information and pictures.

FEBRUARY 7

It's now or never for the historic Joplin, Missouri Union Depot.  It has now been vacant and deteriorating for 50 years.

It is a very impressive structure even in its current state and the city would do well to make sure it has a comeback.

FEBRUARY 9

Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway announces $6,000 worth of grants which will be from $500 to $1,000.

The Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor is getting one for $1,000.

The Best Western Plus Bloomington East Hotel $1,000.

The Illinois Rock and Roll Museum in Joliet $1,0000 for marketing.

Palms Grill Cafe $1,000 for awning restoration.

City of Atlanta Tourism $1,000 for mural restoration.

Springfield Lucky Horseshoe / Robin Roberts Stadium $1,000.

--RoadDog

Along66, August 2022: Of Grain Elevators and Spindles in Illinois

AUGUST 27

The J.D. Hawes Grain Elevator Museum in Atlanta, Illinois, remains an attraction 40 years after the grain elevator closed.  I've never been to it.  Maybe next time through town.

AUGUST 31

A miniaturized version of the famed Chicagoland "Spindle" returns to Berwyn.    It once stood at a local shopping center.  Artist Pete Gamen created the new 23-foot-tall "Spindle" using fiberglass go carts instead of full-sized cars like the original had.  This new one will be located at Paison's Pizzeria and Bar.

The original one was 50-feet tall and created in 1989 by artist Dustin Shuler.  It had 8 cars impaled on a spike and was dismantled in 2008.

Extra, Extra Berwyn News!!  There is also a new Muffler Man in town at Cigars & Stripes Lounge.

As Svenghooli Would Say, "BERWYN!!"  --RoadDog

Along66, May 2022: Palms Cafe Reopening in Atlanta, Illinois

MAY 16

Missy's Sweet Shoppe soon will open in Palms Grill Cafe in Atlanta, Illinois. 

A new tenant has leased the Palms Cafe from them owner, Atlanta Public Library and is expected to open in early June.  However, it will not be a full-service rstaurant as it was before.

The Palms Cafe was built in 1934 and was closed for many years before being restored and reopened in 2009.  It again closed in the summer of 2020 due to you-know-what.

It was rebuilt to closely resemble what the original looked like and was a real trip nback on the real trip back road.  We ate there several times over then years.

Glad it will reopen.  Now, if the city will just do something about that water tower.

--RoadNotSmiley

The Black Impact on Atlanta, Illinois

I admit I was completely unaware of the role that Blacks have played in the history of Atlanta so am glad the city is going to bring that information forward.

Members of the Atlanta Tourism group would like to pay tribute to Blacks for their role in adding to the town's history.

"There is the iconic bubbler fountain (drinking fountain), former Atlanta Fair ticket booth, Knights of Pythias marker and more mementos from Atlanta's past.  However, these mementos only tell one side of the story.  There is not an outdoor marker or sign detailing the black experience in Atlanta, which can be traced back to the Civil War."

"We will be creating  outdoor signage and an exhibit portraying this.  It will highlight the black Civil War veterans who settled in Atlanta, detail the vents of the Atlanta Fair BBQ, which commemorated the 12th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, memorialize the first black graduate from Atlanta High School (Walter White in 1884) and utilize oral histories of the black experience in recent Atlanta history.

Plans call to have some of this in Atlanta's Route 66 Park.  Funds will be used to create an interpretive experience for all this.

--RoadDog

Two Logan County (Illinois) Tourism Icons Receive Grants

From the January 26, 2022,  Lincoln (Illinois) Courier.

The Atlanta Tourism and Logan Tourism/The Mill Museum each received a $1,000 grant from the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway organization.

The Mill Museum  in Lincoln is a once-popular restaurant featuring a Dutch-design with turning windmill opened in 1929.  It is now a museum that houses collections from the Tropics, Pig Hip and The Mill.

The money will be used to buy materials for an open-air pavilion behind the museum.

Members of the Atlanta Tourism group want to highlight and pay tribute to the role Blacks have made in the history of their town.

--RoadDog

Along 66, June 2021: Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway Grants and Tulsa's Route 66 Neon Sign Grant Program

JUNE 26

Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway awards $50,000 in grants to various projects

Shyview Drive-In Theater in Litchfield received $1,000.

Old Joliet Prison  $1,000

Atlanta   #1,000

Henry's Rabbit Ranch in Staunton  $750

Elkhart   $750

Edwardsville   $500

Among them.  Money makes the places glow, you know.

****************************************

JUNE 27

Decropolis becomes the24th recipient of Tulsa's Route 66 Neon Sign Grant Program.  It is located on East 11th Street, the old Route 66.

You can never have too mush neon in my estimation.  Tulsa sure knows how to push its Route 66 heritage.

--RoadDog

Along 66, April 2021: Atlanta, Illinois, Taking Care of Its 66 Heritage and White Fence Farm Losing Business in the You-Know-What

APRIL 21

New exhibit in Atlanta, Illinois, showcases an original section of Route 66.   A 1924 section that is a quarter mile long.  It used to be part of Illinois Highway 4, which then became Route 66 in 1926.

It was a part of the first paved road in Logan County, Illinois.  Located on the city's north side.  We've seen it before and thought it likely was a part of 66 at one time.

Atlanta is one town on the Mother Road that knows how to push their Route 66 heritage.  Now, if they'd just replace that hokey smiley face on their water tower with a Route 66 shield, things would be really smiley in that town.

APRIL 29

White Fence Farm in Romeoville, Illinois, has lost $2.4 million since the pandemic began.  

Third generation owner Laura Hastert has had to cut her staff from 125 to just 40.  We've never been able to eat there as they always seem to be closed at the times we drop by.

Well, here's hoping things get better for the White Fence.

--RoadDog

Along 66, March 2021: Springfield, Missouri, Steak 'N Shakes Sold and the Palms Grill Cafe reopens in Atlanta, Illinois

MARCH 8

The owner of the Steak 'N Shake restaurants in Springfield, Missouri, sells them.  Gary Leonard sold his six Steak 'N Shake restaurants in Springfield, including the historic one on Route 66.  This one is on St. Louis Street and was built in 1962.

I know that the whole Steak 'N Shake chain is in financial difficulty and sure hope they make it.  I am a big fan of their burgers (and sure miss the great breakfasts they used to have) and especially those milk shakes.

MARCH 9

The Palms Grill Cafe in Atlanta, Illinois, is soon to reopen in April which is great news in itself.  And, it will be hosting an upcoming "60 Minutes" interview that will be 12 minutes long.

The Palms announced closing in August because of the COVID pandemic.

It was built in 1934 and reopened in 2009.

A real trip back to the 1930s and 40s when you eat there.  Plus, we are still sad that that great Bonanza Steakhouse in nearby Lincoln closed, so now need a place in the area to eat.

--RoadDog

Along 66, Jan. 2021: Just the Guys to Do the Neon at Uranus and the Palms Grill Cafe Available in Atlanta

JANUARY 17

Additional elaborate neon signs are planned at the Uranus, Missouri, complex.  Already an interesting stop, now even more so.  Neon.  We need more NEON.  And, they're just the guys to do it.

JANUARY 21

The lease on the historic Palms Grill Cafe in Atlanta, Illinois, is now available.  It will come fully equipped with 47 seats in the main dining area and a backroom with seating for 60.  All told, it has 1800 square feet.

It is in the Downey Building on the main street through town.

We have eaten there on several occasions and it is a real trip back into time.  What it was like back then.

Here's hoping they get it open.

--RoadPalms

Along 66, November 2020: Atlanta Tourism, Paris Disneyland and That WW II Bomber Landing in Springfield, Illinois

NOVEMBER 24

The city council of Atlanta, Illinois, has voted to create the position of tourism development director with a salary of $20,00.  That is sure a lot of money for a city of just 1,600 people, but they know how important tourist dollars are and they have certainly done a lot with their Route 66 heritage.

Now, if they would just please get rid of the Smiley face on their water tower, life would be good.

NOVEMBER 25

More details are being released about the Cars Route 66 Road Trip section at the Disneyland, Paris site.  

Looks neat, but I seriously doubt that I will ever visit it.  I'm not a fan of those big-wait-in-a-line-forever tourist parks.

NOVEMBER 29

An interesting article has appeared about the landing of a World War II bomber on Route 66 in Springfield, Illinois.

A bomber pilot made an emergency landing on Route 66 in Springfield, Illinois, in 1942 and then took off from the same road after his plane was repaired.

Now I Done Seen Everything.

Check the Tires and Oil.  Clean the Windshield.  --RoadPlane

Along 66, August 2020: Palms Grill Closes and Burro Removal in Arizona (Oatman)

AUGUST 3--  The Effects of COVID-19 closes Palms Grill Cafe in Atlanta, Illinois.   It closed on Sunday and is owned by the Atlanta Public Library who hope that anew management team will take over running the place.

They have had three operators in the ten years it has been open.  Hopefully it will reopen again soon as it is a real trip back into time.  We ate there last year when we found that another one of our favorite places in nearby Lincoln, the Bonanza Sirloin Pit, had closed.  

We're still sad about that as their food was great and then there were those fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and huge rolls.  They used to brag that "Our Rolls Are Too Good to Be Throwed" as a knock at some other place.

AUGUST 5--  A car show fundraiser for the Route 66 Museum in Victorville, California, raised $16,000.

AUGUST 7--  One thousand wild burros will soon be removed from Arizona's Black Magic Mountain Range.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management says the burros have overpopulated and damage the range.  Of course, we are also talking about Oatman's famed little beggars (well, DEMANDERS I should say).

They will be put up for adoption, so if you ever wanted a spoiled little semi wild burro, now's your chance.  Those not adopted will be put up at an off-range facility.

These burros are the descendants of burros used in the old gold mines a century ago.  When the mines closed, the burros were turned loose.  They overpopulated because they have no natural predators.

And, as we all know, they roam the streets of Oatman and are a huge tourist draw.  Hopefully, they will keep some of the Oatman burros.

Just Don't Figure You're Going to Get By Without Feeding Them.  --RoadBurro

Along 66, Feb. 5, 2020: A Father-Daughter Trip on 66 in a Unique Vehicle-- Part 1

FEBRUARY 5--

They are from Canada, where the Dad removed everything except the drive train from a Volkswagen Beetle and replaced it with yellow grillwork to make quite an interesting vehicle.

They had done a drive all the way from Canada to Key West.  The Dad said, "I've done seen everything, so they decided to take a trip on the Mother Road, starting in Chicago and on out to Santa Monica Pier.

They would drive until the sun went down and then look for a motel.  Which is the correct way to do Route 66.

They made a video which is well worth watching.  All the good, the bad and the ugly of a trip in an open vehicle.  Think motorcycle.

DAY 1:  Chicago

DAY 2:  Paul Bunyan statue in Atlanta, Springfield Capitol, Soulsby Station, St. Louis, Ted Drewes.

More.  --RoadDog

Along 66, May 2019: Own a Historic Bar and Help the Joliet Correctional Center

MAY 19--  Historic Chubby's Bar and Grille in Atlanta, Illinois, is for sale as the owners want to retire.  It is located at 111 Southeast Vine Street.  Asking price is $79,000.

It is located near the Palms Grill Cafe and the muffler man from Henry's Drive In in Cicero, Illinois.  (The one holding the hot dog.)  There is a great mural painted on the side of the building.

I have driven by the place many times and thought the mural was for a long-closed place, but evidently not so.  So, if you've always wanted to own a bar and restaurant, now's your chance.

MAY 21--  The Joliet Correctional Center needs $10 million to stabilize six key structures.

Hey, For Jake Blues.  --RoadDog

Get Your Kicks, Illinois'10 Must-See Route 66 Attractions-- Part 2

6.  Sprague Super Service, Normal

7.  Funk's Grove, Shirley

8.  Downtown Atlanta

9.  Ariston Cafe, Litchfield

10.  World's Largest Catsup Bottle, Collinsville

And, Many More Than That.  --RoadDog

Along 66, June, 2017: "New" Places On 66 Since 2006 "Post-Cars) Era

From the Route 66 News Site.

Route 66 has spawned many new places along its length since 2006, the "Post-Cars" movie era.  That movie did a lot to increase knowledge of our old road among the general public.  The list covered all states, but I will do just the ones in Illinois, and some of the ones in Missouri.

They include places built-from-scratch like Pops in Oklahoma or places that had been closed or moribund like the Palms Grill Cafe in Atlanta, Illinois.

ILLINOIS

Pontiac-Oakland Museum, Pontiac
Palms Grill Cafe, Atlanta
Colaw Rooming House, Atlanta  (Didn't know about this one)

Sprague Super Service Station, Normal
Cruisin' With Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center, Bllomington

More to Come.  --RoadDog

News From Along Route 66, February 2017: Tips for Tourism Success-- Part 2

Two small towns and their emphasis on Route 66 come to mind:  Atlanta and Pontiac, Illinois.

The Atlanta Clock Tower came from the high school and was placed in a structure by the library (itself an interesting building).  They are having tourists wind it.

Palms Grill.  At first they wanted it just as a non-working replica, but now it is one of the best places to eat along the old road.

They also moved the Paul Bunyan muffler man statue to main street.

Then, there is Pontiac with all their murals, museums and that wonderful old courthouse in the town square.

Two Cities to Emulate.  --RoadDog

Sitting here At the Munger-Moss Motel-- Part 19: Rejpoining the Illinois Route 66 Association

APRIL 24TH, TUESDAY

**  After lunch and the Arcade Museum in Atlanta, Illinois, we got back on I-55 and took it to Chenoa and got back on 66 and took it to Pontiac.

**  Took a drive around the downtown, past that beautiful courthouse and really neat Bob and Ringo's Bar.

**  Then we went to the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum.  A church tour group was going in when we arrived.  I had also been thinking about rejoining the Illinois Route 66 Association again as I had let my membership expire, so paid my $25.  Looked at Bob Waldmire's van, which is inside.  We'd seen it on several occasions when he was alive.

**  Then we went outside and saw Bob Waldmire's converted school bus, his home sweet home, which is parked outside.

**  Drove to Dwight, then back on Illinois Hwy. 47 and home.

Sure Was Good to be Back on the Old Road Again.  --RoadDog

Sitting Here at the Munger-Moss Motel-- Part 18: A Horseshoe and a Pie at the Palms Grill Cafe, a New Museum in Atlanta

APRIL 26, TUESDAY

**  We split a ham horseshoe sandwich, a Central Illinois treat, at the Palms Grill Cafe in Atlanta.   If you don't know what a horseshoe is, it is a meat on a toasted piece of bread covered with gravy, cheese and fries.  Absolutely not good for you, but boy is it good.

**  Their portions are so generous that both of us had some left over.

**  The Palms Grill Cafe is known for their pies and we split a chocolate pie.  It was huge.  I highly recommend you save room if you go there for dessert.

**  Before we left Atlanta, I walked over to a new place to me called the Arcade Museum.  Many are in operating condition.  There were pinball machines as well as a lot of early video games, including several of my old favorites like Pac-Man, Asteroids and Space Invaders.  I was tempted to play, but knew we had to get on the road home.

--RoadDog