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Friday Aug. 19 – Day 10 Hinsdale IL to Chicago
Posted on August 22nd, 2011 1 commentFriday was our last day on Route 66. We had 25 miles left to go to reach the official end of the road in down town Chicago. We departed Hinsdale shortly after 7 AM to avoid the heaviest commute traffic taking Ogden Avenue, the old Route 66 and following it to Cicero where we jogged over to Cermak Road to see if Pelikan’s Restaurant was still there. My grandfather started Pelikan’s Czech Restaurant in the 30′s and ran it till his death 30 years later. When I was in high school my family ofter went there for Sunday dinner. Jerilyn and I drove by in the 80′s when it was still in business as Pelikan’s. We introduced ourselves to the new owners who went nuts, offering us free dinner and showering us with questions. We felt like movie stars.
From Cicero to the Loop is an easy drive ending up on Jackson Blvd. which runs right into the lake. A Route 66 tradition is to start or end the trip at Lou Mitchell’s on Jackson across from Union Station so we felt obligated to have breakfast there which was a real treat – great food and a fun waitress.
After breakfast we spent a half an hour looking for the “Start of Route 66″ sign which everyone knew was somewhere around here but didn’t know exactly where. We finally found it at the corner of Adams and Michigan Avenue, snapped a picture and headed out of town thus ending our Route 66 adventure. Thanks for joining us. We hope you’ve enjoyed the trip.
On the way to Chicago we drove by the former site of my grandfather's restaurant on Cermak Road in Cicero, now a taqueria. It was originally called Pelikan's Restaurant and my grandfather had a little bull dog named Butch. When Butch died he had him stuffed and put him on display in the front window and got another bull dog and named him Butch Two. When Butch Two died, he too was stuffed and put in the window next to Butch One who by now was white with a covering of dust.
Hot donut holes comfort while you wait for a table.
All Lou Mitchell's female customers get Milk Duds. Guys get the bill.
Hard to believe that Elena has been a Lou Mitchell's waitress since they opened in 1923. Well preserved isn't she?
Accoording to the guide books, the corner of Jackson Blvd. and Michigan Ave. was the official beginning of Route 66 until Jackson was made a one way street Eastbound. Now it's one block north a.t the corner of Michigan Ave. and Adams.
The beginning for some, the end for us. What a fun time we've had. Thanks for riding along.
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Epilog – Final thoughts
Posted on August 24th, 2011 4 commentsWe’ve really enjoyed this trip. For us it was the people we met, Kevin and Nancy at the Blue Swallow in New Mexico, the father and son at the Elbow Inn in Missouri, the waitress at Lou Mitchell’s in Chicago to name a few. It was great visiting with Tim and Carol in Hinsdale IL. on Thursday night. The things we saw and experienced taking the road less traveled are what made this trip the most memorable and the contrasts like seeing the abandoned gas stations, restaurants, and motels in every state and then across the street someone had restored a motel or brought back some other old business to it’s original glory. We’d love to do it again some time and take it even slower next time.
Thanks for following along.
Bob, Jerilyn, and Anne
