Early Saturday morning, September 20th, a happy group of Classic Car owners (50’s and 60’s cars) met at Wendy’s in Morris. This group represented members of the Morris Wendy’s Monday night cruisers called – One-Eyed Jacks!!! Their goal was to travel Route 66 from Joliet to Pontiac. This mini-tour’s first destination was the Route 66 Welcome Center in Joliet. They then proceeded through various towns and villages. In Gardner many were photographed in the two cell jail. While in Dwight - stopped for lunch at the Old Route 66 Family Restaurant, toured the Becker-Ambler Station and had photo opts and coffee at the Java Junction.

Onward to the Route 66 Association Museum and Hall of Fame in Pontiac with a stop at the Odell Station. While there, a group of tourists from London, England on Motorcycles were happy to be greeted by the Morris group in their classic cars. Another picture opt!!! Finally arriving at the Museum, which is loaded with artifacts and a new photo exhibit of Route 66 on the upper floor, for all to view. Many also visited the War Museum next door and viewed the tallest Route 66 mural on the entire route which is on the rear of the building.

Since we were their tour leaders we tried, at each stop, to explain the history and importance of each town along the way. Also, the contributions of it’s inhabitants when it opened in 1926 and connected the Chicago area to the west coast – ending in Santa Monica, CA. It is sometimes alarming, quoted many of the participants, that American people know so little about the road now but thousands of foreign travelers know all about it and think of this road and the people on it as the “Real America”. Their schools stress the importance of this road in the history of America.

About 20 people participated in the cruise and seemed to over-whelmingly enjoy this piece of history so close to Morris.

Submitted by Marty & Geri Bilecki