TGART Day 3, Ann Arbor, MI to Springfield, IL

www.dennismook.com

Today was a very interesting day.  We left Vance's home in Ann Arbor, Michigan at 0800 and headed west on I-94.  The temperature was 38 F when we left and the rain started about 45 minutes into our journey.  The interesting thing about the rain was it was mixed with snow!  Snow!  It is not supposed to snow the third week in April.

As we neared Chicago, the rain stopped and the sun started to peek out.  In downtown Chicago, we ate a very filling lunch at Lou Mitchell's.  Lou Mitchell's has been on Route 66 in downtown Chicago for the past 82 years.  They boast they serve the best coffee in the world.  It was very good.  The restaurant had a lot of character and our lunch was a great experience.

From there we found the terminus of Route 66 at the intersection of Jackson and Michigan Avenue.  So, we now would be officially on Route 66 heading south and west.  Hooray!

We headed south on I-55 since neither of us had any interest winding our way through the streets of Chicago.  We exited I-55 at Odell, Illinois and drove "The Mother Road" herself, Historic Route 66.

Lou Mitchell's Restaurant, Chicago

In Pontiac, Illinois, we spent a considerable amount of time walking around the downtown area, which was peppered with many murals on buildings depicting different aspects of Route 66 history and how it related to the town.  We visited the Route 66 Museum and had a nice chat with the docents.  It was obvious that the citizens of Pontiac took great pride in their town as it was spotless with lots of viable business and vibrant paintings everywhere.

Afterward, we drove south on the old road.  Our next scheduled stop was Funk's Grove.  There are a couple of historic buildings there, but the reason we stopped is that they make the world's best maple sirup.  Yep sirup!  Not syrup.  I tasted a sample and, by golly, it was the best maple syrup I have ever tasted.  The taste started as you would imagine maple syrup would taste, then it just burst wide open with some incredible and subtle flavors.  Immediately, I purchased a pint to take home.  I love maple syrup on pancakes.

Who would have thought there would be maple syrup in Illinois?  According to the proprietor, the sugar maple groves in the Funk's Grove area are the farthest south and west in the U.S. 

Continuing south, we ended the day in Springfield, IL.  After a moderate dinner, we are relaxing in the room tonight and making plans for tomorrow.

Today, we drove through Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.

All in all it was a very interesting day.  Enjoy!

Thanks for looking.
Dennis Mook