Joliet to Gardner

Leaving Joliet I continued south to Manhattan along the Wauponsee Glacial Trail. 

I had a great asphalt trail to ride until several miles later it turned to the same gravel/clay that I'd ridden on previously. Still, I made good time as the trails had a couple of days without rain to dry up.

This trail was also had signage for the Illinois Route 66 Bicycle Trail.

I arrived at the Midewin National Grasslands preservation area where I once again wilderness camped.

You can see in the above picture, that standing still I still had a fair breeze going on. It would only get worse.

You can see the remains of the ammunition bunkers of the Joliet Ammo Depot which was an important provider of munitions during World War II. Route 66 was heavily used by trucks and the train system that still runs beside it.

I camped not far from this spot. The entrance that I'd used had many “don't”, but camping wasn't one of them. I learned the next day at another main entrance that I wasn't supposed to have camped there.

The next morning I made my way to Dwight. Riding through Wilmington I got to see the Gemini Giant and the Launching Pad Drive-In.

Unfortunately, the Launching Pad has been closed since last fall and there is a For Sale sign out front. Hopefully it will be purchased soon and reopened.

Passing through Braidwood, I found the Polk-A-Dot Drive In.

With life-sized Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Betty Boop...

I've always been a sucker for Betty Boop.

Braidwood also had this somewhat odd display...

I was surprised to see a nuclear power plant just south of the town... Obviously, the ONLY photo I took was this one.

From Braidwood it was on to Godley and Braceville.  Braceville had the Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area which looked to be a nice place to visit.

\

I arrived in Gardner. A nice small town with Route 66 shields painted on the street guiding you through town.

One spot to visit in town is the old jail.

And yes, they really did have this sign hanging in the jail.

Not a lot of comfort in the jail back then.

They also had an old horse-drawn lunch wagon.

I hit my first piece of real Old Route 66 just south of Gardner. If you look at the flag on my trailer you can see I had a stiff wind. What it doesn't show, is right before this the wind blew the bike over.