Ok, I should have camped last night. No excuses. But there was a Denny’s and a Panera Bread within walking distance from my hotel. Anyway, I didn’t.

I also didn’t explore Springfield like I thought I might. I woke up and decided that a nice drive through the country would suit me better. The skies somewhat indicated rain sometime today, so there was a slight hint of urgency in my decision. I was worried about time again.

But I was able to put that all aside and just let whatever happens happen. Alright, not really. I concluded that if it was before 3pm by the time I got to the KOA near Edwardsville, IL, I would head through St. Louis.

And with that in my weird little head, I hung on for the ride.

Leaving Springfield during morning rush hour was no real problem. It’s like it’s not even a city. Fancy that! And after several miles of parking lots and stripmalls, I hung a few rights and lefts and was on the 1926 alignment of Route 66. There are two through this area. It’s said that most folks like the 1930’s alignment. I’ve done that one twice, it is indeed a good thing. On it you’ve got Our Lady of the Highway monument and Mt. Olive with Mother Jone’s gravesite.

Though it’s a fine alignment, my problem with it is that it’s right next to the interstate for the entire time. It’s basically a frontage road and while I’m very glad the Department of Transportation allowed it to remain, I was looking for a more rural flavor.

As I started, heading through Chatham, Auburn and Thayer, I was thinking to myself¹ that the towns south of Springfield are pretty well shot. And it’s true, there’s not much to the three I just mentioned.

Route 66 follows what is now IL 4, though sometimes it wanders off. The coolest example of this is when it wanders off at Snell Road, just south of Chatham. There, for a couple of miles, it is brick. That’s right, brick. Old, red bricks. And it’s not just a straight stretch. Oh no. It curves and rises and falls with the land, just like any concrete alignment of 66 would. But it’s brick. And it totally made my day.

But when I rode in to Virden, my opinion changed a little. The name “Virden” was familiar to me, but I couldn’t figure out why. I chalked it up to the fact that I’ve studied Route 66² for years and probably just remember it from that.

I pulled into a parking space in the town square. I love town squares. Every town should have one. Virden’s was pretty big and there was a park in it. Also, the streets were so huge that they made them parking lots. It was weird, but a good touch.

I ate a breakfast of Clif Bars and water, took a few pics and decided to check out the rather large monument. I could only see the back of it, but it read “Battle of Virden Monument.” I know the Civil War pretty well and couldn’t remember any battles in Illinois. French & Indian War wasn’t this far west. So what gives?

I circled to the front and saw the very amazing relief done in bronze (I think). It depicted the entire Battle of Virden. It all came back to me. The Battle of Virden, 1898 was between the workers (miners, in this case) and the mining company who refused to pay a higher wage. This was one year after the Lattimer Massacre in Pennsylvania. This is why Mother Jones is buried in Mt. Olive – among the poor fellows who gave their lives for workers rights during the Battle of Virden.

I should have asked around to see if I could find the actual site, but I didn’t. Not wanting to take up more time than I already was, I mounted up and rode on down the road.

I was wrong about southern Illinois towns. These places are what makes Route 66 amazing.

Even so, Girard didn’t hold much for my interest. While sticking to Route 66, towards the south side of town, I passed a park that still had all of its old playground equipment. Its old school slide was attached to an old school swingset, next to an old school merry-go-round and near the old monkey bars. No plastic or wood here. Just Made in the USA steel. Sure, you’ll need a tetnis shot if you even touch it, but that’s what being a kid is all about!

Between the towns of Girard and Nilwood Route 66 reverts back to its old concrete. Thank God. I love driving (and now riding) on the old concrete. It’s rutted and broken, but has this 1930’s look of gettin’ somewheres. Perhaps headin’ out California-way. Frontage roads along the interstate, even if they are Route 66, don’t have this feel.

Nilwood. Oh dear Nilwood. There’s not much that can be said for such a place as this. But it won my heart nevertheless. It’s got an old, abandoned two story school built in 1927, a post office, rail road tracks and a very very very creepy blue building that’s sort of sunken into the ground. There are stairs that lead down to a door that a sign claims opens automatically upon payment. There is no explanation offered as to what you are paying for. You are just supposed to know. Also, the “curtains” in one of the windows is a child’s bed sheet with 101 Dalmatians on it. Creepy? Oh I say yes!

However, just south of Nilwood are the famous Route 66 turkey tracks. When the original concrete was being laid, a turkey came out of field, did a little dance and left his happy footprints forever upon our Mother Road.

For years they went unmarked, but now they are highlighted in a white square with Route 66 shields surrounding them. Who dares say that the 1926 alignment through Illinois isn’t worth it?!

Carlinville was a blur, but I believe I was just hear a few weeks ago with Sarah and Becky. We were looking for the Sears houses. While there are many of them, I again didn’t find the whole section devoted to them. Maybe next time. There will be a next time.

The next town down the line is Gillespi. I was dizzy with excitement! Gillespi is nice enough. No town square that I saw, but a nice enough downtown. By nice I don’t mean thriving, really. But… aesthetically pleasing.

I believe it is Gillespi that has converted what appears to be an old firehouse into a movie theater. It’s strange to see such a change. Normally, towns convert old theaters into other things (or just tear them down), but Gillespi has converted something into a movie theater. And it still plays movies! This week they’re showing Drillbit Taylor. Soon they will be showing the new Narnia movie.

The stretch between Gillespie and Hamel includes Benld. Again, I can’t remember which town had what. I wish that I could figure out a way to keep track of such things. I did see a train between Benld and Hamil. And Hamil’s got a pretty nifty rails-to-trails along Route 66.

From Hamil, it’s a descent into the Mississippi River Valley. It was merely 12 noon and so I figured that I would could take in the Chain of Rocks Bridge and make it through St. Louis today!

Route 66 between Edwardsville and Mitchell is weird and straight and seems to go on forever. It crosses a few highways, twists around some rail road yard and then dead ends at the Chain of Rocks Bridge. There are old motels and a drive in theater along the way to keep you company.

The Chain of Rocks Bridge got a new parking lot since I was last there in 2006. The other parking lot smelled like vomit. Seriously. It was horrible. I like the new one and now it’s not all vomit-scented.

The bridge itself was pretty well unchanged from before. I had a nice mid-day stroll across the Mississippi and probably took too many pictures of it. I should take breaks like this everyday.

The bridge is only open to foot traffic now, and it claims to be the longest foot bridge in the universe (or maybe just America). So from there, to get to the newly reopened McKinley Bridge, I had to backtrack a bit (worth it), head south a bit and then I effortlessly crossed into Missouri.

I took an old alignment through St. Louis, keeping the mood of the day in the 1920’s. St. Louis is a nice town. Again, aesthetically. I rode through the city and took MO 100, Manchester Road, out of town, stopping at a Panera Bread for a snack and some internets.

My destination was the KOA on the west end of town, right along Old Route 66 (though a newer alignment than the one I was currently on).

That is where I am now. At the KOA. Tonight is laundry night and I think it might rain. Tomorrow I’ll have pics of my tent site and of the campground. I think you can sleep in a caboose. I was going to ask, but … well, I have no idea why I didn’t. I should have.

I’m camping. I’m next to Route 66. And in the time I’ve been writing this, five freight trains have passed by. I’m in a good place.

That’s all for now. Time to fold some clothes.

Here are my pics from today.

Miles today: 164
Miles total: 1356

I’m not doing the temps anymore, sorry.

1. That means talking to myself, ok? [↩]
2. Though if there were some sort of exam, I’d fail it. [↩]