Route 66 - day one - Sean and Lindsay's rehersal dinner.

Thursday / Friday
It took Carrie and I a few times explaining what we were doing - and people looking at us with utter confusion, to realize that we were doing something awesome with this vacation.
"So let me get this strait, you flew 1200 miles to START a roadtrip??"  to which I reply "yeah, but its Route 66, and unfortunately you cant start it in Florida..." 
Either way - we are under way!
Got to the airport, bags right on the carosel as we walked downstairs, Nick was kind enough to pick us up and have us stay at his new and improved place in the city.  Great start so far!!  Dinner at $$$$$ was great - Chicken Parm ( they have 5 differnt varieties) was amazing - and I highly reccomend - price was not out of the park by any means and had street parking - so not a bad combo!
A few games of mario cart ensued back at Nicks, and then hit the sack for the big push west.... Well in our case southwest..but good call.

Up early - walked down the street to get the rental car, scooped up Carrie - said bye to Nick, and we were on our way,,, well, almost. I decided we had to stop at Wrigley for a few photos really quick....did anyone know they moved Harry our to the entrance to the bleachers at sheffield and waveland??  wow!!  I feel like I can re-connect to the cubs now, they suck, the crowds have gone down, and things seem to be back to "normal" or, well at least as I remember them as a cubs fan.  Last place looming, and a slew of new young players,,,,maybe I can be a Cubs fan again next year!!!!
Well with that out of my system, back to the journey!!

This trip was born out of years of having seen different references on TV and radio, but the day that I really decided that we were going to do it - was an evening about 5 years back, running in downtown Chicago.  My route would take me from my place on Printers Row out to the lakefront - and on the way back I always made it back through buckingham fountain and grant park.  Every night I ran past the "Start of Historic Route 66 Historical Marker" out near Jackson and Lake Shore Drive.  Naturally I thought, what better place to start and get a great picture - the actual start of Route 66 and the place where the idea was born. 

Not so fast my friend!!!  Set up for the Jazz Fest was going on Friday morning - with vendor tents set up all over and the road blocked off (as you can see in the background)  - my sign was no where to be seen, probably in between some of the tents or something.  After a few minutes walking around, thinking I was wrong with my streets, aggravated, "we cant start without the sign!"
Distraught - we decided that a picture at the "actual start" and not at the historical marker, would be just as well.  After all, as a decendent of Magellan, I dont need signs, I navigate by feel and instinct, as Carrie would soon find out all too well.  From Lake Michigan (seen in the background of the fountain photo) to the Pacific Ocean.  1200 miles of flying, one night in the city,,,, strap it down! as Hawk would say.... here we go!
On westward, we took 66 through town, and already behind schedule - decided to hop on the highway to speed us along - and there will be a good amount of that - sorry to disappoint - but we are cramming as much as possible into a week long vacation, and the invention of the stoplight and freeway makes taking the "true old route" impossible in the case of the freeway, and for us impractical in the case of the stoplight, as we are crunched for time, and had a rehearsal and dinner to be at in St Louis at 6!!

Our first stop was Joliet, IL.  Many of you know Joliet and may say - what an odd place for a stop, but we had a reason!!  Both the Blues Brothers, Joliet Jake and Elwood, from the area, as well as the old joliet prison where they filmed one of my favorite shows in recent memory, well, at least the first two seasons before it got stupid and out of control, Prison Break.  And just like Link, we high tailed it out of there for greener pastures.  And Greener pastures we found....
It was the first of many Muffler Men on the route.  Muffler men are tall, fiberglass creatures that were molded in the 50's and 60's to promote roadside businesses.  Now, mostly removed from their original settings and in some cases even modified, they beckon to have their photos taken.  How Could I resist.  The first was the Gemini Muffler man - who now sits out front of  "The Launching Pad" Cafe.  And I must say, the muffler man out front was more hospitable than the workers at the cafe!!  We stopped in for lunch, and I had the - what else Route 66 burger, and was amazed at the lack of even what I felt was toleration for customers.  The girl at the counter was nothing short of pissed at the world.  I dont care that you caught your toothless husband with the girl from the A&W stand down the street, make me a burger damn it!!

One of the Gemini mans brother was a few miles down the way - Paul Bunyan.  Now,, Paul used to have in his hands what any self respecting paul bunyan statue would have - an ax.  Not this Paul Bunyan!!!!  The town decided that after he was damaged in a wind storm that he would look better with something a little more peaceful in his hands,  and what better than, you guessed it,,, a hot dog.  I will say - as weird as it was - at least they did it right - only mustard - no ketchup!  Thank God these people have some sense of sanity about them!!

It was then onward to Lincoln Illinois, where we stopped in to see Honest Abe.  Well at least a likeness, and a likeness that is in the Guinness Book or World Records!!!  This abe - studying law, while driving his horseless wagon, is the largest covered wagon in the World!!!!  Can you believe it??  Neither could Carrie, or at least that we would stop to take a picture of such a thing.  I tried to explain that this was history and that we were going to see his home in Springfield next, but she still seemed somewhat put off.  As if she had remembered that perhaps she ought to be studying instead of trying to navigate my oddly put together itinerary for our trip.

Springfield was the adult home of Abe Lincoln.  I say adult home as we spent a little while looking around for a one bedroom log cabin, as in where he was born......Still a cool part of History, and for my personal favorite President.  We also swung down to the old state capitol where he gave his famous "House Divided" speech, which is still a beautiful building in the center of town.

From Springfield we high tailed it to Lake St Louis for the Rehearsal dinner, that is after a final stop at the home of the Corn Dog, the Cozy Dog diner.  Now I dont have a personal affinity for corn dogs, just that it was, and still is the greatest thing ever eatten by one Rudi Prusa.  It was on a Cedar Point trip with Adam Idkowiak that I remember - where I was introduced to the Cedar Point corn dog.  Still tops out the food chain for me.  That said this was not nearly as, or even any kind of good.  The dog was squishy and the batter was rather, well, plain. 
On to Seans, the traffic was pretty bad - enough that we lost about 40 minutes, and that meant changing in the parking lot of the church and - yup - no shower.  The arch and chain of rocks bridge would have to wait till later in the weekend.  Like David Bowie said - Gets me to the Church on time!!!!
Needless to say - I didnt pack any nice shoes, so showed up looking a little- well a little ragged.  On time though was the best part - beautiful church - tasty dinner - and time to spare, even if it was only 2 minutes......
More to come as the Wedding is still to come!