We were happy to see the corn dragon in anticipation of the end of the cornfield. However, the real reason was that we had bought some beer and steak for camping tonight. A fire-breathing dragon. A dragon is a carnivore so it should know how tasty steak is. And maybe it will blow a warm firey breath to make our steak more delicious. And a cold beer on top of that! A true happiness! We ate sandwiches during the day to save cooking time for the last three days. This evening, we were going to enter the campground early and relax a bit with some wine we brought from home. In our calculation, we will be entering Route 66 tomorrow morning, so it is perfect time to celebrate our journey.
Sumi found this campground in Litchfield, Illinois, located near Lake Lou Yaeger. She said there are fish that eat men's testicles. This fish is from the Amazon but must've gotten loose in this lake somehow. Pacu fish killed two men in Papua New Guinea by biting off the testicles. This is from the internet so whether it's true or not, the lake has a story and Sumi excitedly headed us toward the lake. She seemed to want to catch the fish with me as bait. I'm not sure if my testicles would stay intact until I bring the fish up.
After driving winding country road for some time, we found the lake Lou Yeager. It was large and had many facilities for water sports. The campground… was not so great. Campground for tent was so-called 'primitive' site, which means there're no amenities like water or even barbecue grill. The fee was $12, but it was dirty. There was no shower, not to mention even a water faucet. People had left remnants of campfire here and there. Normally, there are sites with shower and sink even if a section of campground is primitive. Primitive camping can be fun but not for tonight. We needed some water and barbecue grill. The decisive moment was when we found cockroaches crawling all over the bathroom stalls. Sumi yelled 'Pass!' and instead looking for another campground, we decided to get on Route 66 right away. Yes, let's go! But, how about barbecue….?
Left turn, right turn, after thirty minutes or so of driving, we reached a road end with brightly setting sun almost blinding us.
"After a left turn on that corner, it is Route 66!" I said after checking on the map.
Then, Sumi said, "It feels strange."
The road to Route 66 was shining so brightly, we couldn't even make out where the end was. Like Sumi said, strange lights seemed to wave at us from the end.
Advancing toward the end of light, we passed an old railroad track. We already knew what this meant. This railroad track, running almost parallel to Route 66, is part of America's great old railway system that stretches across the country, transporting goods between the East and the West, solemnly and quietly, hidden behind the automobile culture of America. If there's a railroad track, there would be Route 66. Then, as we made the left turn, the shining light moved to our right, and in front, there was a brand new road, wide and clear. It was Route 66. There was something moving about this. "This is an important moment!" Sumi shouted. I also cheered on. We yelled together, "Wow!, Yeah!, Whoo-hoo! Route 66! We've arrived!" We even clenched fists and threw our arms up in the air. But the road was really, very incredibly empty and quiet. No other cars on the route, if any, no one was shouting as we were. They all looked as though the sky would fall. We must be the only ones excited about Route 66 in ten miles radius. "This is disappointing," I said. "Why? it's great!" Sumi replied. So we shouted again some more. We give the road a meaning to travel. "Whaoo! Yahoo! Eeek, eek!" I took pictures of anything and everything that said 'Route 66'. Sumi yelled, "Oh, there's really Route 66 sign on the street!" Unfortunately, I missed that while looking at other signs on the road.
Entering Route 66
Litchfield, Illinois
August, 29th, 4:30 PM
Picture above is the official signage for Route 66 in Illinois. 1930-1940 means it was Route 66 during those years. Route 66 is a very old road that connected Chicago to LA passing through eight different states(built in 1926). Therefore, according to each states' plan, some sections were rerouted or combined with other roads. In other words, this sign reconnects the old Route 66, giving pointers in the entire route's history. If you made a turn at a fork and don't see this sign again in 10 miles or so, you can safely assume that you've made a wrong turn.
The pictures below are the road signs and store signs of the Old Route 66 in Litchfield.
After driving some more on the Route 66, we did find out we were not the only ones yelling and shouting about the route. The ones that are still driving on this road which is still as empty and quiet as we first got on, and going slower than the speed limit, then they are probably Route 66 travelers. If the back of the car was filled with stuff, then definitely Route 66 travelers. It may not appear as so on the surface, but all traveling on this road, whether living in America or not, are filled with modern American nostalgia and shouting about it.
The gas station with above pump was opened in 1926- the same year Route 66 opened. The last day the pump was working, gas price was $5.74 per 8.88 gallons. Looking at the old gas pump, I thought about everything that modern life had thrown out for the last 100 years. The things that were trendy at the time but outdated by two to three generations. Things that are simply forgotten. Roads that were just put aside with all these things still on them. So it naturally became the symbol of nostalgic memories of last 100 years of modern history. It felt like the beginning of our Route 66.
Pictures below are landscapes between Litchfield and Hamel in Illinois.
After excitedly driving on Route 66 for some time, we got to a motel called Inkeeper in Hamel. We looked for lodgings and campgrounds for a while and found this motel right by the road. It was run by a nice Indian family and it even had a barbecue grill for the guests in the back.
8:30 PM. Inkeeper motel was like a beach on a resort. The surface of a small lake outside the window was wavering in warm breeze. Soothing moon light, the kind Indian family, and their children's laughter made me feel very relaxed. While barbecuing the steak, I didn't feel like we were right by a highway, but at a peaceful beach somewhere in the Maldives.
Steak and beer.
I normally don't drink Miller, but today, I'm drinking this, because of the design on the can. Reminds me of the slogan, "Live to Ride, Ride to Live." Perfectly fitting to celebrate our entering Route 66. From tomorrow, it's the actual beginning of our history museum tour of the route. Cheers! Route 66!
Jingoogk's original blog is in Korean. You can read it here:
http://blog.naver.com/hwangjinkook/220139772008
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