Springfield, will hold its 6 th Annual Cruisin’ Route 66 Classic Car Festival in Litchfield June 26-27, 2009 (www.cityoflitchfieldil.com/news). The fest takes place along a stretch of the original highway. But for year-round pleasures on a smaller scale, you can’t beat our part of the road. For example: In Atlanta, Ill., 46 miles northeast of Springfield, old signs on brick buildings have been lovingly repainted. The J.H. Hawes wooden grain elevator, built in 1902 and restored in 1993, is open for tours and is the only one of its kind in Illinois. The eight-sided, pristinely maintained Carnegie library is a jewel that sparkles with the village’s rich history.

Towering over most of this is an 18-foot fiberglass statue of a “Muffler Man” holding a giant hot dog. This statue is an import from a hot-dog stand in Cicero.

In Williamsville, just north of Springfield, Frank Kohlrus takes time from his careers as a cemetery maintainer and guppy rancher to run Die Cast Auto Sales on Elm Street (a former 66 service station).

Kohlrus has one of the largest collections of rare die cast models around. Be sure to take in the Route 66 Dream Car Museum, a collection of vintage cars owned by Phil and Pat Hawley. During the summer, there are sock hops and cruises, too. This is a warm-weather destination.

A long-abandoned stretch of early 66 forms the eastern border of Carpenter Park, near Sherman. In 2002 it won a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Walk a hundred yards down this vintage curbed concrete and you’ll be in another era. As you continue south from Springfield towards Missouri, you’ll find more attractions along the way, such as another restored service station in Mt. Olive.

From there, cross into Missouri over the Mississippi River via Chain of Rocks Bridge. Although closed to automobiles, the beautiful 1.6 mile bridge is open to pedestrians and cyclists. It was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. Once in Missouri, you’ll find Route 66 State Park and many other beautiful attractions as you continue on to St. Louis — and perhaps all the way to Los Angeles. With a map in your pocket and old tunes on the stereo, travel back in time and make some new memories on an old piece of Americana.