Acquaviva Winery Trip

Fall 2021 Trip: Route 66, An American Icon! Joliet to Pontiac, IL

This trip is a collaboration between the Downers Grove Park District, Lombard Park District and Community Education Travel Day Trips

Trail blaze an American icon as we tour a portion of "America's mother road" Route 66! John Weiss, a renowned author of Route 66 books and expert guide, joins us in Joliet, IL to give us a fascinating narrated guided tour of the scenic byway and roadside attractions to Pontiac, IL. This stretch of the highway, near its Chicago origin, once stretched all the way to Santa Monica, CA. After a stop at the Route 66 Visitor Center in Joliet we begin our journey south to Wilmington to see such famous sights as the "Gemini Giant", the Eagle Hotel and the Milltown Market where we stop for coffee & rolls. In Gardner, IL we visit the 1906 two-cell jail and a historic streetcar diner. In Dwight, IL see the 1933 Ambler-Beckler Texaco gas station, once the longest operating station on the entire 2,448-mile stretch of Route 66. At the Old Route 66 Cafe our group enjoys lunch at this family-owned restaurant filled with nostalgic memorabilia. After lunch, it's on the road again to Odell, IL to tour the old Standard Oil Station, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In Pontiac, IL, one of the great small towns on the entire 66 route, we tour the Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum. Here we learn the story of the people and places that have been firmly entrenched as a part of Americana. One of the displays entitled, "Route 66-A photo journal" truly captures the spirit of 66 while others feature artifacts and antiques from the roads illustrious history. We'll also see the town's "Murals on Main St", a unique assortment of 20 outdoor murals, and the Pontiac-Oakland Auto Museum to get a nostalgic glimpse back at the autos that once traveled the highway. On our return journey north, stop for a special treat at the famed Polk-A-Dot Diner in Braidwood and to see the fiberglass statues of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and the Blues Brothers! Relive the freedom, passion and spirit Route 66 once gave America! Pick Up and Drop Off Location: Sunset Knoll Recreation Center 820 Finley Rd, Lombard, IL 60148.

Date: Wednesday, November 3, 2021 (Please register by October 3rd)

Time: 8:00am - 6:00pm

Fee: $120 DG Park District resident / $150 Non-resident

Program Activity Code: 4710M01-01