route 66 towanda

Towanda - a small town of less than 500 residents this town punches way above its weight when it comes to Route 66 attractions.When we first entered the town the gnarly remains of an old retro 60’s gas (petrol) station greeted us. It was plainly obvious that the original business had given up the ghost when the Interstate bypassed this small town. But the old gas (petrol) station still lives on accommodating a makeshift tavern called Kick's Route 66 Bar and Grill.Finally directly opposite Kick's Route 66 Bar and Grill is a remarkable piece of living history called Route 66 Road Side Attraction - A Geographic Journey. Volunteers, students and teachers from the local high school preserved a 2 ½ mile stretch of the 1954 and the 1927 alignments. A full back story of each of the State the old road travels though is professionally and graphically presented.

If you find yourself on I-55 between Chicago and St. Louis, are at all interested in the old Route 66 (the Mother Road), and need a break from the highway, I have a great stop for you. Take the Towanda exit off I-55 (Towanda is a little town about 100 miles southwest of Chicago), park in the lot of the Fast Stop service station, walk to the east end of the lot and you will see a small garden with a quaint wooden bridge. Cross that bridge and you will find a peaceful, charming, well-preserved piece of Americana. Specifically, the people of the little town of Towanda have established a linear park on and along the roughly 3 miles of the old Route 66 that passed through their town. Not only can you walk on the actual Route 66 pavement, but along the way the park offers eight spots where you can take a pamphlet describing historical and geographical features of each of the eight states through which the "Mother Road" passed. If you are old enough, you might actually remember the famous Burma Shave signs that appeared on Route 66. Well, those signs are also here along this original stretch of 66. Flower gardens, memorial trees, shrubs, benches, and split-rail fences complete the experience. If you just need a bit of a break from the road, and especially if you are at all interested in Route 66, this is a wonderful, interesting, and free stop.