Going Down in Shawnee

Throughout the time I spent celebrating the Bicentennial of Illinois, I came to appreciate the vastness of what Illinois offers.  

With summertime at hand, I felt it was a good time for a vacation and soak in more of Illinois.  And with summertime a great time for going into the great outdoors, I decided to vacation in one of Illinois's great natural treasures: the Shawnee National Forest, in southern Illinois, which I drove through last summer during a weekend road trip that took me way down south in Illinois.

But rather than head straight down to Shawnee country, I went on a more circuitous route south, on one of Illinois's great cultural treasures: Historic US Route 66.

Typically, when I go to work, I drive on a short segment of US 66 along Odgen in southern Berwyn to Harlem and Joliet.  So when I headed out in Avila on the morning of Monday, August 10, 2020, it was very much like I was heading to work.

I meandered a little over to Lombard Avenue, the border between Berwyn and Cicero.  Around 10:34 AM CDT, I reached Ogden Avenue, and turned right, heading into a southwesterly direction to begin my Route 66 journey of the day.  (Just so you know, all times in this post are CDT.)  My aim was to see what it would be like to drive Route 66 through Illinois (except for the stretch in Chicago and Cicero) all the way to the Mississippi River.  I figured it would be a good test run for when I get the opportunity to drive the entire route from Chicago at Lake Michigan to Santa Monica at the Pacific Ocean.

A few years ago, I traveled on Route 66 to Pontiac with my parents on a day trip there, so I was familiar with about 100 miles, give or take, of the route.  Back then, I had turn-by-turn directions handy, yet it seemed that Dad effortlessly made the turns as we rode along.

I followed Route 66 from Odgen to Joliet Road, which eventually fed onto I-55 for a few miles, before getting off again.  Right after passing the White Fence Farm restaurant, I got on IL Route 53, and stayed on it for a while.

Here's signage in downtown Joliet on Ottawa Street, just north of the intersection with Jefferson Street, part of the alignment for the Lincoln Highway. The Will County Courthouse appears to the left in the photo.  All photos in the post are mine.

South of Joliet, I felt a stirring inside me to pull off and visit my Grandfather Martin at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, south of Elwood.

In the center of this photo appears my Grandfather's grave, right below the US flag I'm holding, the same US flag I took with me to World Youth Day 2019 in Panama.

It seemed especially fitting as we mark 75 years in 2020 since the conclusion of World War II in the Pacific Theater, where my Grandpa was in combat action while serving in the US Navy.

Continuing south, I stopped in Wilmington for photos at the Gemini Giant Launching Pad Drive-in.  The photo below shows the Gemini Giant.

Then, I came to Braidwood, and when I saw the Polk-a-Dot Drive-in--please see in the photo below--I figured it was a suitable spot for lunch in the 12:00 hour.  

I got a chicken sandwich there.  It was a fine, warm summer day sitting outside enjoying my lunch.

Heading south, I eventually came to the end of IL 53, and then started following frontage roads along I-55.  I drove on a Memory Lane section from the 1920's at Lexington, which is in the photo below.  

That town brought back memories of two years ago, when I stopped for lunch there at the Shake Shack.  

I also saw some Historic US 66 displays, including in Towanda, with signage at a section of the original pavement from the 1920's.

Above is the pavement at Towanda, and below is my feet standing on it.

Following Route 66 got more interesting when I arrived in the Bloomington-Normal area, but I was able to stay on course by following the brown signs as I navigated the city streets.

I stopped in Atlanta to get some photos, and go inside a gift shop.  

Above is a mural in Atlanta, marking it as the midpoint of Route 66 in Illinois.  Below is a mural showing all of Route 66, on the same block.

Since Atlanta is the midpoint of the Illinois section of Route 66, it seemed even more fitting to pause my journey there.  While inside, the hot summer day was interrupted by a significant derecho storm event.  As I saw the clouds cover the sky, the wind pick up, and then the rain fall, I got back in Avila and continued south.  Soon, a driving rain pelted down.  It lightened a bit by the time I reached Lincoln, and the rain was even lighter by the time I reached Springfield, around 5 PM.  I stopped for a photo by the Lincoln Presidential Museum, recalling a memorable visit there 15 years ago, a few months after it first opened.  Also in Springfield, I stopped at the Cozy Dog Drive-In on the south side and bought a couple of postcards.

The rain had totally stopped as I continued south of Springfield.  Out in the wide open farm fields astride the frontage road along I-55, I could see distinct storm clouds on the horizon toward the west, which you can see in the two photos below.

Here's one of the famed Meramec Caverns ads along Route 66. This one is along the I-55 frontage road, most likely north of Litchfield.

By the time I reached Litchfield, it was raining heavily again, and it continued as I neared the St. Louis Metro East area.  I eventually deviated away from I-55, following IL Route 157 into Edwardsville.  Then I went on a short ride on I-270.  I got off track from Route 66 because of some confusion with the brown signs, but eventually, I got back to Route 66, and then reached the Illinois endpoint at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.  To get there, I had to cross over the Chain of Rocks Channel over a one-lane bridge onto Chouteau Island.  I had the satisfaction of achieving my goal for the day as I gazed at the bridge.  It had been quite a journey through big cities and small towns, through fields and a great dose of 20th Century US culture, on a "road less traveled", and yet still appreciated in a distinct way.

While Route 66 no longer officially exists, it is having quite an afterlife, and still provides so much to experience, as I opened myself to traveling off the Interstate roads and going at a leisurely pace taking the byway route, and uncovering so much about a significant part of US culture.

The Illinois side of the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

I then went back east to check into my hotel, the EconoLodge in Granite City.  By this point, the rain was over, and I could see sunset colors from my hotel room.  Then I got on I-270, and headed west over the New Chain of Rocks Bridge into Missouri.  To celebrate its statehood day, and its Bicentennial coming up on August 10, 2021, I went to get dinner at the Florissant location of the St. Louis Bread Company, which you can see in the photo below.  

(By the way, that's the name given to Panera locations in the St. Louis Metro Area, since the company is headquartered in a St. Louis suburb in Missouri).  Then I drove up north a little bit to cross over the Missouri River, and then, after much winding around, I got down south to see the nighttime St. Louis skyline.

The following morning, Tuesday, August 11, I had left the hotel by 10 AM.  I drove west to Chouteau Island.  I parked, and then walked across the Chain of Rocks Bridge to St. Louis, MO, and back, which was the first time I've ever walked across the Mississippi River, which seemed fitting to do on a historic landmark connected to the famed Route 66.  I'm pleased that the bridge still stands as an icon of the historic road at a geographical landmark, and can be used by pedestrians and bicyclists.  Below are some photos I took while on the bridge.

This photo is from near the Missouri edge of the bridge, looking east toward Illinois.  You can see the bend in the middle of the bridge.  That bend was constructed to make for safer boat navigation on this stretch of the Mississippi River.

Appearing faintly off in the distance to the south is the St. Louis skyline

Looking north, with the I-270 New Chain of Rocks Bridge off in the distance

At the bend in the bridge

I learned that the name "Chain of Rocks" is from a collection of rocks scattered in that part of the Mississippi River by glacial activity thousands of years ago.  They made it difficult for boats to navigate that stretch of the river, which was exacerbated by some water intake facilities built in the river, and eventually, a canal was built to bypass the spot, which created Chouteau Island.

I drove a little bit north to a spot near the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, located where they had temporary fortifications near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, where the famed expedition started and ended.  The spot I went to provided a view of the Missouri River's mouth.  It was great to reconnect with the same memorable trip from 15 years ago when I visited this place.

Beyond the boat, near the center of the photo, is the mouth of the Missouri River.

Next, I drove east, stopping on a whim at a farmer's stand to buy produce, before reaching Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where I walked around in their gardens, of which there are two photos below.

Japanese gardens

Here's a sort of circle gathering area.

My final stop in the Metro East Area was at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, where I spent time in prayer at Our Lady of Guadalupe Hill and the Annunciation Garden.  It was a quiet, prayerful place for some good spiritual refreshment.

The Annunciation Garden

At Our Lady of Guadalupe Hill

By 2:30, I was on I-64, headed east.  Then I headed south on I-57, and by the 4:00-5:00 hour, I had reached Marion, and checked in at the EconoLodge there.  After a little while, I headed west on IL State Route 13.  Passing through Carbondale, I thought about my cousin Greg and his family, who spent time here a few years ago as he pursued his doctoral degree.  I drove about an hour or so, attempting to reach a spot where I could get views of the Mississippi River.  I tried driving on a winding dirt road, and got some views from a bluff.  Then I wound my way to Grand Tower, IL, right along the banks of the river, where I caught some views of the sunset sky scene.

The Mississippi River from a bluff view

The Mississippi River from Grand Tower

The following day, Wednesday, August 12, I got some breakfast at Cracker Barrel.  Once finished, I headed west to visit the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, probably my first time visiting such a refuge.  I drove around and stopped a few times to admire the scenery.

Viewing area

View of the eastern area of Crab Orchard Lake

Then I drove north to Johnston City, IL, where I attended noon Mass at St. Paul's Church.  Following Mass, I got on I-57, and then on I-24, all the way to Paducah, where I had lunch at Bob Evan's, around 2 PM.  I had eaten at this same restaurant over 9 years ago when out on a field study trip in college.  It is across the street from a hotel where we stayed the first night of our 11-day trip.  I look forward to enjoying some tasty Bob Evan's food when on a road trip, and this time was no exception.

I gassed up in Paducah, and like in Missouri, prices there were much lower than in Illinois.  I then wound my way through Paducah on US Route 45, and then crossed a two-lane bridge back into Illinois, reaching the town of Brookport.

This is the view of the US 45 Bridge over the Ohio River from the side in Brookport, IL.

I then went to Metropolis, home of Superman, where I stopped for photos of scenic views along the Ohio River, which are in the two photos directly below.

Then I headed north up US 45, a route I drive during my commute to work, traveling through rural farm areas.  I then made my way back to I-57, and then to the Crab Orchard NWR.  I found a nice hiking trail by a fishing pond close to the visitors' center in the 6:00 hour.  The three photos directly below show views from my hike.

I had to cut my hike short since I was without a rain jacket as heavy rain started.  I decided it was a good time for dinner, so I went to Mackie's, a pizza place in Marion.  I ordered a cauliflower crust pizza, which had a distinct and delightful taste, as is shown in the photo below.

When I finished dinner, the rain had slowed.  I drove to take in the scenery at two viewing spots in the Crab Orchard NWR. At the second, I saw a spectacular sunset to the west, and a double rainbow in the opposite part of the sky, which are in the two photos directly below.

The subsequent day, Thursday, after breakfast, I headed west, and went to hike on a portion of the Little Grand Canyon Trail, to a place where I could take in scenic views.

The photos directly above and below show views from a scenic vantage point on the trail, looking in a westerly direction.

Directly above and below are photos of the Little Grand Canyon Trail.  Above shows a turn at the scenic viewing point: to the left is the arduous part of the trail leading to the river level below.

Then, around 1 PM, I went south to visit once again the Bald Knob Cross, which is in the photo below.  I delighted in returning to this place I had visited last summer to take in the amazing views and be in a prayerful, peaceful setting with stunning views of the surrounding area of southern Illinois.

Next, I went to the Inspiration Point Trail, which had views from atop bluffs, as is shown in the photo below.

I stopped in Alto Pass for a quick sandwich meal before continuing in an easterly direction.  After driving nearly an hour or so, I reached the Garden of the Gods, a spectacularly scenic area with distinct sandstone rock formations, including Camel Rock, which is shown in the photo directly below.  

Here are some rock formations as seen on the trail on the short walk from the sparkling lot to the spot where I saw the view in the other photo above. 

I didn't spend too long there because of wet conditions, but got some great views.  Then I drove a short distance east to High Point, up high on a hill, and got this great view of the sun heading toward its setting as it broke through rain clouds:

With that, I made my way back to Marion, arriving just after 7:30.  I stopped at Tequila's near my hotel to get dinner: carnitas.

View of the sunset looking west on Illinois State Route 13, between Marion and Harrisburg

After returning to the hotel and spending some time in the pool, at 9 PM, I joined my friend's Bible study gathering based in California via Zoom.

The next day, Friday, August 14, was my day of departure.  I stopped for some quick shopping at the nearby Kroger.  Then I drove north to Johnston City to get breakfast at Dairy Queen:  The pancakes and the biscuits with gravy were good.  I found a park to enjoy breakfast.  By 11 AM, I was on my way north on I-57.  I stopped in Effingham to visit the Cross at the Crossroads, which I had visited last summer.  Once again, I appreciated the opportunity to be in a prayerful place, with a soaring cross that is awe-inspiring.

The Cross is in the background, and in the foreground is the scene of the Nativity of Jesus Christ, with the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.

I made some brief stops along the way while driving on I-57 and arrived back in Oak Park around 4 PM.

In the midst of these abnormal times, going out on a journey conjured up so much excitement.  And going into nature was so refreshing as I hiked aroudn and gazed at the splendor of the natural landscapes.  And once again, I had a great opportunity during this week to appreciate what Illinois has to offer with culture and nature, by going at a different pace to be present in it.  There is indeed so much to appreciate in the land.  A trip that took me into southern Illinois last summer gave me a good taste of the Shawnee National Forest area, and so I was glad for the chance to soak in more of it.  It's amazing to think that all these wonderful sites are so close to home, and I feel it is as much a part of my sense of Illinois as the places in Oak Park and Chicagoland.  I was also able to connect in so many ways with other people I know and experiences of the past, and add to them my own new experiences that I had during this weeklong trip.

Like all trips I've had, I got a new lease on life going out for a week, to put myself into new places in a new light to receive what they have to offer me, even a greater appreciation for a sort of simplicity in life.

Memories of Down South

Summer often brings vacations, and I recall this year the anniversary of summer vacations that were down south.

10 years ago this past May, in 2010, my parents and I went on a weeklong trip to the Smokies region.  We stayed at a hotel-resort in Sevierville, TN (pronounced Severe-vill).  From the parking lot, we had a great view of the Smokies, except for the morning we left when it was cloudy.

We visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park twice:  First, we did the Cades Cove Loop.  I recall being nervous as I drove around on narrow roads, wondering if a bear would pop out, as there was plenty of notice in signage to watch out for bears--this was a few months before I got my driver's license for the first time.  On another day, we drove the main road through the park from Tennessee into North Carolina, crossing the border at Newfound Gap, and ended up in the Cherokee Reservation bordering the park on the NC side.  There was a lot of great scenery as we went up and down the mountains, and wound around on twisting roads among forests, and coming close along mountain rivers, like the Oconaluftee.

Above, Mom or Dad photographed me by the sign at the entrance.

A fellow tourist got this photo of the three of us, somewhere at a stop on the Cades Cove Loop Road.

View along the Newfound Gap Road

Mom or Dad photographed me posing by the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

Dad photographed Mom and me posing at Newfound Gap on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee.  Mom is standing in North Carolina, and I'm in Tennessee.

Dad or Mom got this photo of me wading into the Oconoluftee River.  I'm wearing a coonskin-style cap I had just bought at a gift shop in the Cherokee Reservation.

We also spent time visiting Knoxville, including some of the historic sites like a Sectional War battlefield.  I had just concluded my first year at ValpU earlier that month, and one of the classes I had focused on the American Civil War and memory.  Fresh in that mindset, I found a Sectional War driving tour for Knoxville, which was the impetus for my request to visit there, and guided some of our sightseeing there. We also visited the James White Fort, which hearkens back to the settlers of the 18th Century there.

Dad photographed Mom and me posing by a piece of artwork in downtown Knoxville along Gay Street.

Here's a view of the Tennessee River from the downtown Knoxville area.  I probably took this photo.

This photo shows the James White Fort--a photo I probably took.

Dad or Mom photographed me posing by a cannon at Fort Dickerson, just outside of downtown Knoxville.

We also spent time in Gatlinburg, visiting shops along the Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Trail.  One attraction I enjoyed was Christ in the Smokies Museum and Garden.  In the museum, we walked from room to room, following the life of Christ as depicted in several scenes with life-size wax figures.  That seemed a particularly fitting way to spend Pentecost Sunday, after attending Mass at a church in Pigeon Forge:  It started somewhat subdued, but then the priest, Father Jay, went into "spit-fire" mode in his homily.  The choir concluded Mass with a spirited singing of "Amen" based on the song in the movie Lilies of the Field.

The resort we stayed at was nice, too.  It had a waterpark.  (You can see in the photo below the view from the balcony of our condo-unit.  I probably took it.)  I recall that much of mid-May 2010 was a somewhat cooler than average month.  The day we arrived in Sevierville felt so summer-like, and going into the outdoor water park really helped get me in summer mode.

Notably, unlike many of our other family vacations in previous years, this one happened in May, during the week right before Memorial Day weekend, from May 21-29.  After Memorial Day, it gets particularly crowded there, and so I felt like we were there at just the right time to enjoy visiting the area.  Mom's birthday fell on the Wednesday of our trip, and we had a nice time celebrating.

And after my first year of college, and making it through long stretches of time away from home and feeling homesick, it was wonderful to spend time with Mom and Dad, especially in nature recreation.

I had a pretty nice time relaxing, too, as you can see in this photo Mom or Dad took of me after our lunch at the Apple Barn on Pentecost Sunday.

That trip was my second time in that area, as I went on a family vacation there 5 years prior.  Indeed, it was 15 years ago in August that our family foursome joined with relatives from our extended family for a few days at a Fairfield hotel-resort near Lake Lure, NC.

It was a wonderful time visiting together, enjoying some recreation in nature and fun times, with games like canasta and Apples to Apples.  Circumstances got pretty interesting when the power went out twice, but we still managed to jovially enjoy each other's company.  (My Uncle Bernie even mentioned how I comported myself during a power outage in a letter he wrote recommending me for Confirmation, which happened two months after that trip.)

Above is a view of the landscape from near our lodgings unit.  (I'm not sure who took this photo.)

Our lodging unit had a loft, which was fun. (I'm not sure who took this photo, but perhaps it was me because I was kind of enthralled by it.)

Here's our family foursome: Mom, me, Eric, Dad.  Probably my Uncle Bernie or Grandma Dottie took this photo the morning we left.

The summer of 2005 was memorable, just as the entire calendar year was marked by significant events in my life.  One other great memory I have of summer 2005 happened at the end of July, when my parents and I went on a short trip to central and southern Illinois, over the course of an extended weekend of sorts, from July 28 to 30.  Our primary destination was the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, which had just opened on April 19 of that year.  The Chicago Tribune had a special section on the museum, which I carried with me as we visited.  (I kind of like to think that this trip was an 8th grade graduation present from my parents.)

It was a great opportunity to reconnect with history that was brought alive in a whole new way, with scenes from his life and era featuring life-size figures, 1860 campaign ads with commentary by Tim Russert, and animations.  I also enjoyed seeing the two shows, the Ghosts of the Library, and another on Mr. Lincoln's life, focusing on a portrait of him that is featured at the entrance to that show.  I couldn't help but notice that in the museum, signage would note where certain events happened, some of which were almost 800 miles away in Washington, D.C., and some just blocks away.  We looked around at sites in Springfield after our visit to the museum, which was shortly after it opened in the morning until late afternoon.  One place we stopped was the Chase Bank in downtown Springfield that had an exhibit on Mr. Lincoln's finances, because that bank building was once the Springfield Marine Bank, where he kept his money.  We also walked down by the Lincoln Home historic area, which we had visited several years earlier.

A fellow visitor got this photo of us posing with the Lincoln Family in the Plaza area of the museum.  Mom and Dad are to the left, over by Robert Lincoln.  I appear to the right, by Abraham and one of his younger sons, Willie or Tad, and I'm not sure who's who of the two.

Visiting Springfield was on Friday, July 29.  The following day, July 30, we drove south to the Metro East Area of St. Louis to visit the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site in Hartford, IL.  It is the site where the Lewis and Clark Expedition set out on May 14, 1804.  It was particularly meaningful to visit that site in the midst of the expedition's bicentennial, which was an event of great interest to me as I delved more deeply into learning about the earlier years of the United States.  It was quite an adventure they embarked upon into the vast stretches of North America for discovery of the land and encounters with the indigenous Americans, and it all started in Illinois.  We looked around in the museum, and then looked at the reconstruction of Camp River DuBois.  We also went to a spot where we could view the confluence of the Missouri River into the Mississippi River, where the expedition set out up the Missouri River.

I took this photo of the keelboat replica inside the Interpretive Center.

There was a map inside the center that had a icon marking where the expedition was 200 years ago, on July 30, 1805.  It appears there were somewhere in present-day Montana.

I took the above photo showing the reconstruction of the temporary fortifications where the expeditions stayed before embarking on May 14, 1804.  Below, Dad or Mom photographed me by one of the buildings within the fortifications.

Indeed, I have great memories of trips to recall, because of the opportunities to connect with new places and what they offer, particularly windows to times past, to illuminate US history, and scenic views of the beautiful nature the USA offers.  And it was wonderful to be present with family and share experiences together of sightseeing and spending quality time together.