Lou Mitchell’s, other restaurants in Illinois close indefinitely because of COVID-19

Lou Mitchell's, a traditional starting or ending point in Chicago for Route 66 travelers, and other Windy City restaurants have closed indefinitely because of restrictions imposed by the governor among an upswing of coronavirus cases there. In a Facebook post, Lou Mitchell's stated it was only its second closure in 98 years. "We hope to … Continue reading Lou Mitchell’s, other restaurants in Illinois close indefinitely because of COVID-19

Adams Street Bridge in downtown Chicago to close Monday until 2022

The Adams Street Bridge over the Kennedy Expressway in downtown Chicago will close starting Monday as part of ongoing work on the Jane Byrne Interchange project. Adams Street is part of the westbound alignment of Route 66 in the Windy City. Block Club Chicago reported: The Adams Street bridge, the last of the 11 local … Continue reading Adams Street Bridge in downtown Chicago to close Monday until 2022

David Clark will host a Zoom talk Aug. 6 about Route 66 in Chicago

David Clark, the preeminent expert on Route 66 in the Chicago area, will present a Zoom videoconference event titled, "Route 66 in Chicago: Where the Road Begins," on the night of Aug. 6. Clark, InSites To Go and Route66Chicago.com are describing it as a "virtual tour" of the Mother Road in Chicago. More from the … Continue reading David Clark will host a Zoom talk Aug. 6 about Route 66 in Chicago

Central Camera in Chicago to reopen in a storefront next door in September

Central Camera, a mainstay on Route 66 in downtown Chicago for over a century that burned during unrest in late May over the George Floyd police-brutality case, will reopen in September in a temporary store as the original is rebuilt. Block Club Chicago had the story Tuesday: The store at 228 S. Wabash Ave. will … Continue reading Central Camera in Chicago to reopen in a storefront next door in September

Historic Central Camera store goes up in flames during unrest in Chicago

The historic Central Camera store along Route 66 in downtown Chicago burned Saturday night amid unrest over the death a few days ago of an African-American man in Minneapolis police custody. The store's neon sign, however, appeared to be intact. A reporter with the CBS-TV affiliate in Chicago reported the store 332 S. Wabash Ave. … Continue reading Historic Central Camera store goes up in flames during unrest in Chicago

Two bridges near downtown Chicago will be closed for two years for repairs

Adams Street Bridge (Update: This post contains significant corrections, including photos.) Two years of repairs on two bridges on the eastbound and westbound lanes of Route 66 in downtown Chicago are scheduled that will force detours for travelers. Chicagoland Route 66 expert David Clark flagged this news in an email, saying the Jackson Boulevard Bridge … Continue reading Two bridges near downtown Chicago will be closed for two years for repairs

Chicago Route 66 expert writing his memoirs in serialized form

David G. Clark, known as the Windy City Road Warrior for his extensive knowledge of Route 66 in Chicago, is offering people a chance to read his in-progress memoirs in emailed, serialized form. Clark said he'll be sending out sections of the book by email every two or three weeks. The first installment was sent … Continue reading Chicago Route 66 expert writing his memoirs in serialized form

Several Route 66 cities receive brownfield grants

Several large Route 66 cities will receive brownfield grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency "to assess, clean up and redevelop underutilized properties while protecting public health and the environment." According to a news release from the agency, 144 cities will receive a total of $54.3 million. Here are the Route 66 communities that will receive … Continue reading Several Route 66 cities receive brownfield grants

Publishers Clearing House winner plans to travel Route 66

The husband of a Pennsylvania woman who instantly became a millionaire because she won a Publishers Clearing House prize said they would travel Route 66 in the wake of having all that extra money. Jo-Ann Snyder, 72, of Wilkes-Barre Township, on Friday won Publishers Clearing House's $5,000 A Week “Forever” Prize — $5,000 a week for … Continue reading Publishers Clearing House winner plans to travel Route 66

A look at shooting locations for “National Lampoon’s Vacation”

This new 34-minute video by Adam the Woo, whose road-trip videos have been featured on this website before, exhaustively chronicles all the shooting sites for the 1983 hit comedy movie "National Lampoon's Vacation." Adam wrote in the video description: I set out on an adventure to document every location from the 1983 comedy classic National … Continue reading A look at shooting locations for “National Lampoon’s Vacation”