Route 66 Chicago to St Louis

Theses photos start in Chicago and go through just before St Louis (I will post those separate)

 this is the Route 66 end sign in Chicago

 66 welcome sine in Berwyn Illinois

 Joliet Prison opened in 1858 closed in 2002.

 The prison was built with convict labor The limestone used to build the prison was quarried on the site.

we got there latter in the day but there did not seam to be a tour or anything

so we just wandered around the outside quoting Blues Brothers lines.

 If you go a little of route 66 in to the village of Essex Illinois you can see the metal  folk art of Jack Barker

 Many of the towns have painted route 66 logos on the road.

 Route 66 logo on the back side of the 66 museum in Pontiac Illinois.

 The museum is in what used to me the old city building.

 When they remodeled they left the old doors to the jail cells up...aww poor Matt!

 At least he will have company in there

 Well this may have more living space than George but i bet its not as fun to drive and park

 Which is why the same guy Bob Waldmire, a hippie artist known to Rt. 66 fans for his detailed

pen-and-Ink maps and postcards of route 66 (he was also the basis for the Filmore from cars) also drove this a 1972 VW bus just like George.

 Funk general store.....yep in the town of Funk.

 The store had been closed and turned in to an antique store,

which by amount of big spiders and their webs was no longer open.

 Smiley face water tower.

 Notice anything weird about this building in Lincoln Illinois?

 OK, I will help there's a phone booth on the roof

Once upon a time,this was city hall and the booth was used as part a severe-weather warning system. In the late 1960s, the city decided it needed a spotter system for when skies grew menacing.

So, it used the roof as for its vantage point. Someone would have to keep a look out for storm and call it in and of course, during storms and tornado's, the weather might get wet so The lookout would need protection so hence the whole both and not just the phone.

 Outside a gas station....notice the Houdini booth on the right.

 Ra66it Ranch like the famous Cadillac Ranch (i will take pictures of that when we pass it)

but made with  VW Rabbits

 Some other pictures taken around the Ra66it Ranch