Cruise along Route 66 this summer for a retro road trip

Casey Claypool, executive director of Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, has logged hundreds of visits along the 421 miles of Route 66 in Illinois, meeting with small businesses, community and chamber leaders and soaking up the history of the “Mother Road.”

“If you do it right, it takes seven days to see the Route 66 sites in Illinois,” Claypool said, adding most will spend two or three days but she recommends the week to take in the full experience, from roadside murals, historic locations and iconic foods.

Most know Claypool through the website IllinoisRoute66.org as well as the visitors guide and now a mobile app that helps travelers plan their stops along Route 66. For Claypool, it’s fun to have people share their social media posts, adding how the website and app helped them find map their route to destinations along Route 66.

The organization serves as a network for businesses and communities along Route 66. Claypool strives to keep her resources up to date, including listing special events like car shows and festivals or featuring small businesses like an antique shop, a tire and service center and campgrounds.

“Our sole purpose is to market and advance the economic development of Route 66,” Claypool said. “Our job is to provide as much information to the travelers.”

Route 66 was built in 1926 and over time, there were multiple alignments. The official starting point is across the street from the Art Institute in downtown Chicago, where visitors pose next to the sign announcing the start of Route 66. The roadway traverses 92 communities in Illinois, from larger cities like Chicago and Joliet to smaller rural communities.

With the rise of social media and posting selfies, there’s been a renewed interest in Route 66 and capturing one’s phone in historic locations and next to noteworthy murals.

The new Route 66 Experience located on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield presents a perfect stop to learn the history and capture selfie photos next to neon signs and more. The permanent exhibit is open year-round and has become a must-see on the roadway’s adventures.

The exhibit is also adding to the Route 66 experiences in and around Springfield, added Scott Dahl, director of Visit Springfield, the cities tourism agency and website of the same name. Every day Dahl and his staff help direct visitors around Springfield to taken in the state’s history, learn more about President Abraham Lincoln and navigate the many sites located along the area’s stretch of Route 66.

One of the top spots is Shea’s Garage which reopened this spring to visitors. Dahl said after visiting the property and snapping up some photos, be sure to head down to Motorheads Bar, Grill & Museum, to see an exhibit with artifacts from the garage including Bill Shea’s mechanic uniform.

Springfield is also home to some iconic foods of the Route including the Maid Rite Sandwich Shop, which opened in 1924 and touts itself as the first drive-thru restaurant. Another favorite stop for Route 66 visitors is the Cozy Dog Drive In, a family-run restaurant that in 1949 introduced visitors to a hot dog on a stick, better known today as a corndog. Dahl said in full disclosure, the restaurant is not in the original building and it has moved over from its original location on the road, the look and feel of the building retains a historic feel.

“It’s like stepping back in time in Cozy Dog you feel like you’ve been transported to another era. You walk inside and it hasn’t changed much,” Dahl said.

And if one is talking iconic, there must be a mention of the horseshoe, an open-face sandwich of Texas Toast topped with piles of meat, crispy French fries and a cheese sauce. Dahl said Springfield restaurant add their own spin on the dish and Visit Springfield has a Horseshoe Trail to offer visitors destinations serving up the hometown favorite.

Visitors this summer may see the beginning of the work to spruce Route 66 for its centennial celebration in 2026, and this includes adding more murals created from professional artists.

Before diving into the centennial Dahl said the Springfield community is excited for the opening of the Scheels Sports Park, featuring eight turf fields for soccer, lacrosse and baseball and a 190,000 square-foot indoor sports dome. The sports park is slated to open in 2025 and will draw visitors to the area for youth sports events. With the expected influx of visitors to the area for sporting events, such as tournaments, Dahl said community leaders hope visitors will make time to check out the area’s sites, businesses and restaurants too and utilize tools like VisitSpringfield.com and Illinoisroute66.org to map out excursions between sporting events.

“The historic sites are very walkable,” Dahl said. “We’re very excited that the park is going to bring people to the entire city.”

With the goal of helping visitors enjoy their time in Springfield, Dahl said his best advice is to plan for more than a day.

“Plan more time,” Dahl said. “On Route 66 there’s a lot to experience, a lot of ‘Instagram-able’ moments.”