Leaving the small towns along Route 66, so rich in Mother Road culture, we were shocked driving into Chicago with its noise and traffic and hordes of people..and very little in the way of Route 66!  Leaving the trailer in a campground in Utica, some 95 miles away, we drove the car straight to Navy Pier.  Hopping on a river boat we loved the architecture tour led by a most knowledgable guide.  The buildings and the stories behind them are amazing.  I never expected to love Chicago, but love it I did!

                     THE END OF NAVY PIER…NO ROUTE 66 SIGN TO BE FOUND.

 

 

 

 

 

 

        THE RIVER TRIP ALLOWED AWESOME VIEWS OF THE CITY’S BUILDINGS

              AND YOU COULD ENJOY THE VIEW WITH A BLOODY MARY IN HAND

After a quick hike to the Pier’s end we hopped onto the Oddessy just as it was taking off for a lunch cruise on Lake Michigan.  The view was great, and you could take it all in while eating lunch and sipping a gin ‘n tonic!

 

 

 

The fun had just begun.  We checked into THE CONGRESS PLAZA HOTEL, which in itself is a Route 66 icon although there were no hints of that fact anywhere except my guide book.  Our room overlooked the Buckingham Fountain and the Lake and we enjoyed the space after living in an 18 foot trailer for a month.

We loved the hotel but were horrified when we left for dinner that night.  Sorry boss, we had no idea!

I was told that the picketing had been going on for six years.

That night we had a wonderful dinner on the 96th floor of the Hancock Tower.  First we watched the sun set over Chicago from the cocktail lounge.  It was very crowded.

 

The next day we had arranged to meet Dave Clark for a personal walking tour.  He was an excellent guide, very knowledgable.  Dave has authored a book on Chicagoland and its Route 66 history.  He is actively wroking with the City to promote Route 66 ‘s history since this windy city is the Route’s beginning, or end, depending which way you are traveling.  We learned alot about the history of Chicago, its architecture, the trains, and on and on.  Dave’s tour was one of the highlights of our trip…a fitting way to end our Route 66 trek.

One Route 66 icon we saw was Miller’s Pub where it is rumored Frank Sinatra sang My Kind of Town-Chicago Is.

 

                       

                                DAVE AND I UNDER THE ROUTE 66 END SIGN 

Under the Route 66 End sign, Alan and I said goodbye to our Mother Road Adventure and got ready for our next adventure…getting home.  We still have lots to see so stay with us for the Badlands of South Dakota, Yellowstone, Washington, Oregon and finally, a stay in Happy Camp.