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Hello Folks
We are happy that you are visiting our website. You will find information on our one of a kind Illinois Route 66 tour guide. You will also learn of our talks and tour programs. Find out what all the fuss is about.

And if you love dogs, and
think yours may enjoy a little training and housebreaking, see what we have to
offer on our
Dog Behavior page.
If we can help you in any
way, please contact us by phone (815) 458-6616, fax (815) 458-6626, or
E-mail weissinfo@il66authority.com
Enjoy the ride!
| John & Lenore Weiss | August
23, 2008
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Upcoming Illinois Route 66 Preservation Events
The
Mill, Lincoln IL An exciting work session is planned for Saturday, August 30th. Yes, I know it is a holiday weekend. I hope you can attend anyhow. The plan is to return to The Mill in Lincoln. This time it is to finish up what we didn't get done last time. AND – to install the four (4) new sails that create the wind mill effect. As some of you know, on July 19th a group of us went to John & Lenore Weiss' home to build these large wind sails. An old, original was used as a pattern for the new ones. They turned out great! Now we need to hang them and finalize our beautification restoration. Once again we have been promised original schnitzel sandwiches for lunch. Also, some special desserts will be available. (WE WORK FOR FOOD)!!! Some scraping and painting needs to be completed. Also some landscaping will be done to spiffy up the grounds. Please bring, if possible, ladders, paint brushes and rakes. We will meet at The Mill at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 30th. If the weather looks iffy, please call Lenore at 815-210-3321 for information. Joe Gniadek, Preservation Chairman Directions to The Mill on Route 66:
Meramec
Caverns Barn, Cayuga, IL
We have set a tentative date of Sunday - October 12th, 2008 at 10:00am (Rain date TBA) to do some much needed touch up paint work at the Barn in Cayuga, IL. (just north of Pontiac) advertising the Meramec Caverns. The top portion of the barn, needs some black paint to complete this task. We are now contacting the owner, and with permission granted, we will finish up this small, but tricky patch. Some taller ladders or scaffolding may be needed. Also, we'll need someone just to keep the horses on the property away from the ladders or scaffolding. The Barn has been well photographed and more recently was snapped in the the "Rotarian" article from this past May. It would be great to have this upkeep looking good. Anyone interested please feel free to call. Thank you all for your help, and continuing support Joe (630-947-2354) Joe Gniadek, Preservation Chairman Directions to the Meramec Caverns barn are: It is located approx. 3 to 5 miles north of Pontiac along the Historic Route 66. There is a brown sign there indicating a turnout.
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Section Of Old Route 66 In Springfield May Get Historic Designation
Dorothy McMullen, John &
Lenore Weiss
Springfield State Journal-Register 3/15/2008 By Tim Landis Business Editor A section of Old Route 66 at the southeast edge of Springfield has been recommended for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. A decision on the nomination is expected in about three months. The Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council unanimously approved the recommendation at a meeting in Springfield today for the 1.3-mite section of road between East Lake Shore Drive and New City Road. Commission chairman Floyd Mansburger said the national commission typically accepts recommendations from the states. "If they get to this point, they should be in pretty good shape," said Mansburger. The local section of Route 66, which dates to the early 1920s, was once of six nominations on the council agenda today. Two others sections of Route 66 in central Illinois already are on the national register, a restored brick section off Illinois 4 between Chatham and Auburn, and a section south of Litchfield, in Montgomery County. The Springfield stretch is thought to be the longest remaining drivable section of Route 66 remaining in Illinois. Route 66 author and preservationist John Weiss, who presented the application, said after the meeting that designation as a national historic site does not necessarily protect the road from changes. "I have no objection to the addition of shoulders, but I do not want to see it paved over. This simply says they are suppose to come talk to us about it," said Weiss. No one showed up to object to the application during the meeting held at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. The Sangamon County High Department has tentative plans to widen and repave the road in late 2009 or early 2010. Illinois Route 66 Starts Here Sign
We are excited to announce the acquisition of the only known Chicago 66 sign still in existence. We plan to loan this to the Route 66 Museum & Hall of Fame in Pontiac, IL. This sign can also be viewed on page 7 of our "New, Historic Route 66 of Illinois" book, where there is a picture of it when it was on the corner of Jackson and Columbus streets in downtown Chicago. And for those of you who have attended any of our slide show presentations, you may recall that the first slide introduced to the audience is this sign. The sign was found in the Chicago sign warehouse and now it's ours and the Museun's!!! "Explore the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame and Museum!" Click here for the new brochure in PDF format (1.1MByte)
Click Here For News And Events From Route 66 In Illinois
3 Book Offer For book information, please see Our Books section below Traveling the. . . NEW, HISTORIC ROUTE 66 OF ILLINOIS As the Story Goes. . .
A booklet of Trivia, Folklore, and
Ghosts To order your copies: Please send your Name,
Address, City, State & Zip with a Check or Money Order for the Total
to:
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Joliet Kicks on Route 66 Television Debut http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources/traffic&id=6187804 The Joliet Visitors Bureau works to promote the city of Joliet and the tourist attractions of the city. For more information on Joliet tourism call 1-877-4-JOLIET or visit www.visitjoliet.org Rebecca Lantka
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Scenes with the Grease cast and The Blues Brothers at the Joliet KicksOn66-off, June 2, 2007
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John, Lenore, and Paul Peterson, "Jeff" of the 1950's Donna Reed TV show
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Justine Shapiro (center) with crew and Lenore and John during filming of "The Midwest", one of PBS's Globe Trekker series. |
Justine in Odell, IL |
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Paul Lemat ("Milner") and Cindy Williams ("Laurie") from the 1970's movie classic "American Graffiti" with Lenore and John
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Lenore, CBS News reporter Sharon Alfonsi, and John during filming of a segment on Route 66 |
Film crew and Route 66'ers during filming of "A Blast From The Past", one of PBS's Bar-B-Que with Bobby Flay series |
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Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn with John and Lenore |
John with Chicago TV anchor Joel Daley |
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Books
Click Here for more on our NEW book "Traveling the ...HISTORIC THREE"
Traveling the. . . NEW, HISTORIC ROUTE 66 OF ILLINOIS NEW UPDATED 6th EDITION 45 MORE ATTRACTIONS THAN THE 5th EDITION. OVER 100 MORE ATTRACTIONS THAN THE 1st EDITION THE ONLY GUIDE BOOK EXCLUSIVELY ON ILLINOIS. With this book you will easily visit all towns located on Historic 66. Included are numerous side trips to back road adventures and wholesome family fun! FROM CHICAGO TO ST. LOUIS, YOU WILL GET YOUR KICKS EXPLORING OVER 400 MILES OF ROUTE 66.
Please click here to see a sample section BOOK PRICE $15.97 - USA - POSTAGE & HANDLING $5.00 ILLINOIS RESIDENTS SALES TAX $1.03 OUTSIDE USA - POSTAGE & HANDLING $7.00 (Payable in U.S. Funds) PLEASE MAIL ORDERS TO: HISTORIC 66, P. O. BOX 616, WILMINGTON, IL 60481 And check out our "As the Story Goes ..." book
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The
Changing Face of Route 66
We have some information that is uplifting and fascinating. Lenore and I
are in a unique position to see and analyze some aspects of Route 66 that
is not available to any others.
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Historic Illinois Route 66 Talk, Tours & Preservation In Action It is hard to find anyone who has not heard of Route 66. Most older folks have stories to tell about this beloved road. Route 66 represents mom, pop, and apple pie. It is a real slice of American history. What is so wonderful is that you can still see, feel, travel, and experience this unique icon of Americana.
Talks A Route 66 presentation always draws a large crowd!
Many like to reminisce, and a younger generation is showing an
inquisitive awareness for the mystique of this very magical road.
Hundreds of speaking and slide show engagements have been conducted.
This 45 minutes to 1-hour program is always a crowd pleaser. It is a fun
and informative journey down memory lane. January
25th, 2006 talk on Route 66 Tours We can organize * Customized
luxury bus tours of Route 66
Regardless of what kind of tour you choose, we will have people and places
included that are an exclusive addition to our personalized tours.
Preservation In Action In conjunction with the Route 66 Association of Illinois, we are deeply involved in preservation along Route 66 in Illinois.
Standard Oil Gas Station, Odell, IL Tall
Paul dedication, Atlanta, IL
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With our compliments... As a gift to you, we offer you the opportunity to visit a twenty mile section of Route 66 as a sample tour. Then take the time to learn about some seldom mentioned places.
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Slice of Americana
We in Illinois like to describe our favorite road in this manner: "Route 66, a linear community of simple pleasures and simple treasures. We are going to look at a 20-mile section of Route 66 south of Joliet. This is where Route 66 begins to show its character. Foreign travelers comment that this is what they were looking for. They want to leave the big city feeling behind and experience the real America. We are going to visit some of the Mom & Pop establishments that are the heart and soul of the Mother Road. Along here, time has stood still. The simple pleasures and treasures are in abundance. We politely pass the Joliet/Chicagoland (NASCAR) Speedway and the Route 66 Raceway (drag racing). We now enter the time warp of the beautiful and serene sprawl of historic Route 66. After passing the quaint town of Elwood, we enter into the site of the old Joliet Arsenal. These 23 thousand acres of history is being transformed into new and exciting uses. The first we encounter is the new 982-acre Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. It is this country's second largest. The name is appropriate not only because Lincoln was from Illinois, but he also created the veteran cemetery system back in 1862. At the entrance is a statue dedicated to the 52 employees of the arsenal who gave their lives during an explosion on June 5, 1942, and two killed in a second explosion on March 24, 1945. As we travel, we are surrounded by rolling, wooded grassy terrain. Here we have another 19,000 acres of the old arsenal being completely transformed back to the way it was, even before it was inhabited and farmed in the 1800s. This area is known as the Midewin National Tall Grass Prairie. It is the largest natural prairie land east of the Mississippi. A stop at the new visitors center is a must. It is located on your left while traveling south. This expanse of land is a real history lesson. Our peaceful, grassy, four lane, divided highway now narrows down to two lanes. Follow the curve into Wilmington, and there he is, waiting to greet you, the Gemini Giant. He is located at the Launching Pad Drive In. This is a wonderful family run business, not a franchise cookie cutter fast food eatery. The gimmick of having the giant is typical of the ingenuity of these small town businesses to draw travelers off the road and into their great establishments. A few blocks down Route 66, at Kankakee Street is the Andrew's Manor Bed & Breakfast. A B & B is really a step back in time. In earlier days, it was a way to earn a few dollars from passing motorists. Signs would read, "Tourist rooms for rent" This one also boasts their home cooked food they serve in their Just Lovely Tea Room. The next street south is Main Street. Here we have the Mar Theater. This original has been serving the community since June 1937. It seats 300 in the main floor seating area, but it also has a 65-seat theater upstairs that shows a different movie. Only family oriented movies are shown seven days a week. Prices range between $3.00 and $5.00. They estimate 37,000 patrons a year enjoy the movies, popcorn and hospitality. Travel one block south to Water Street and you are at the historic district of Wilmington. The storefronts haven't changed much from the 1800s and early 1900s appearance. Many are now antique shops. Numerous others, pizza, ice cream, coffee and a local saloon, are all fun to visit. The Eagle Hotel built in 1836 and 1847 is being completely restored and will soon open with a restaurant and overnight accommodations. Just a walk down Water Street and window-shopping will take you back to a simpler way of life. Even the Old Mill Race can be heard forever gurgling its way down to the Kankakee River. One block further south takes you onto an island in the Kankakee River. Both sides of Route 66 are public parks. A drive through both is a pleasant experience. The South Park located on your left, contains a picturesque dam area and a quaint one-lane bridge over a hand operated lock with enough history to do a whole story on it. Be sure to drive across and explore the area. We leave the island and discover many more Mom & Pop businesses. A stop at Dreamland for some delicious deli treats or ice cream is also a pleasant experience. Whatever you need as a traveler can be found in these Mom and Pop shops along here. Hardware, grocery, gas, repairs, food, shopping and even a not to be missed Ben Franklin Store for a craft person looking for a good buy or a souvenir. We travel south along Route 66 as it curves to the left. Much of this old strip mining area has been converted into a golf course and family recreational facilities. As we enter Braidwood you will notice on your right the neon Route 66 shield of the Polk-A-Dot Drive In. A real 50s - 60s family stop. Here you encounter life size statues of Elvis, Marilyn, James Dean, the Blues Brothers and Betty Boop. A photo with them is a must. Try a Green River, and visit the bathrooms to discover their eye catching unique decorations. If you travel south to the stop sign, it is Route 113. Just for some fun, turn left, travel one half mile. On your left is a game farm. Here you can admire herds of a rare deer species along with other unusual critters. It is not an official tourist attraction, but they do not mind you viewing the animals from the fence area. If you want a-really unique experience, continue east on Route 113 for another 1/2 mile to turn right on Essex Road. Travel another 5.5 miles, and on your right you will find Metal Art by Jack. You won't believe what this man creates! His imagination is outstanding. His creations are outdoors so you can stop any time. If you are lucky Jack Barker will be there to show you his numerous displays inside a true "folk artists" paradise. Return back to Route 66 and continue south. Note the Burma Shave signs as you pass through Godley. If you turn left at the intersection, it takes you to K-Mine Park. It is worth the visit. Continue south on Route 66 to the Mazonia State Fish and Wildlife area. As you pass through the gates you will be simply amazed at the transformation from strip mining to nature's gift of beauty in abundant supply. Here land that was virtually destroyed by strip mining has been converted into a beautiful family destination. Fishing, boating and hiking are a relaxing experience. A mile further, along the Mazon River, we have the Riviera Roadhouse. Very little has changed since its heydays.Super great home made food is still delivered on a dumb waiter weighted down by a World War One artillery shell. Stalactites hang above the bar area remind you of the days before cars had airconditioning. It was a pleasure to enter the cool basement as if it were a cave. It is easy to envision Tom Mix, Gene Kelly, Al Capone and brother Ralph sitting at the original bar. This is an experience like no other. Outback, nestled in the tranquility of the mighty oaks, is the original Route 66 Streetcar/Diner. This horse drawn relic has had many uses and has a ton of history. It is being restored in a whimsical manor by volunteers of the Route 66 Preservation Committee. Our final destination will be in Gardner. A visit to the 1906 Two Cell Jail and the grounds surrounding it is a special small town. This town celebrated its 150-year birthday sesquicentennial this year. The festivities were held on August 7 and 8, 2004. Plenty of small town hospitality and history was available to all of you lucky enough to attend. You experienced sites and attractions rarely seen. Yes, simple pleasures and simple treasures. That is what Route 66 is all about. Come visit this 20-mile slice of Americana soon. Then experience all the rest that the Mother Road in Illinois has to offer. Seldom Mentioned Places - Free Admission ROUTE 66 HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM, PONTIAC - This is the new home of the famous facility that at one time was located at the Dixie in McLean. This fantastic facility is run by the Route 66 Association of Illinois. Located on Route 116, Howard Street, at Mill St. ROUTE 66 WELCOME CENTER, JOLIET - Visit this $1.5 million building. See displays about Lincoln Highway and Route 66. Souvenirs available in the gift shop. Next door is the $5.5 million Joliet Area Historical Museum. Closed Mondays. Located on Route 66 north of Route 30 (Lincoln Hwy.) CASTLE EDEN - See a 1/10 scale model of the Washington D.C. White House as it appeared in 1903. Also visit the beautiful grounds, religious museum, Shrine of St. Theresa and gift and book shop. Located on original Route 66, the location is now known as AYLESFORD. NORTH OF 1-55, FRONTAGE RD. - EXIT 273B.
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About your hosts, John & Lenore Weiss. If you are not familiar with us, here is a brief biography about us.
We are the authors of the only Route
66 guide book of Illinois, now in its 5th printing. We have received the coveted
John Steinbeck Foundation Award. We have also been inducted into the Illinois
Route 66 Association Hall of Fame.
John is the past chairman of the Route 66 Preservation Committee. With his large
number of volunteers, they have completed numerous preservation projects. This
resulted in winning the first Cyrus Avery Award from the Route 66 Federation in
California for the best restoration project on all of Route 66.
We also won the first Peoples Choice Award from the Route 66 Magazine. The
National Park Service has also presented us with a very special plaque.
Our ongoing involvement consists of giving numerous lectures along with bus and
car tours. To continue to be this involved for the past 15 years is apparent
that we love the Road, and you, the individuals who give the Mother Road a heart
and soul.
John, Lenore, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, and aide |
Michael Wallis, John, Lenore, and Jim Ross
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John and Spike O'dell |
Content copyright (c) 2005 John Weiss