Route 66 starts in Chicago and takes you through several Illinois cities and towns along The First Hundred Miles.  Experiences that will bring you through Joliet and Wilmington to Dwight and Pontiac with several stops in between. 

Start your journey by “fueling up” at Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket, which was featured on the TV Show “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”  Romeoville’s White Fence Farm, Joliet Route 66 Diner, Braidwood’s Polk-a-Dot Drive-In and Pontiac’s Edinger’s Filling Station will fill you with both nostalgia and great tasting food.  Looking for something a little grander?  Take in a meal at Joliet’s The Reserve Steakhouse or MyGrain Brewing. 

Joliet’s Rialto Square Theatre

For the history buff, take in the rich opulence of Joliet’s Rialto Square Theatre or the Old Joliet Prison.  The Rialto opened in 1926, and is still considered one of the most gorgeous theaters in the United States.  Bob Hope, Jerry Seinfeld, Carol Burnett, Gabriel Iglesias, Kenny G and Taylor Swift have all played at the Rialto.  The Old Joliet Prison, standing tall in its imposing limestone, operated from 1858 to 2002 – just recently reopened for tours.  The prison also was the scene of the opening of the movie The Blues Brothers and most of the first season of Fox’s Prison Break. 

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#Selfieson66    Complete your trip with a selfie or two.  Visit the Joliet Area Historical Museum to get a snapshot with Jake and Elwood, The Blues Brothers.  Stop at The Launching Pad and take a pic with the 30-foot tall Gemini Giant.  Drive a little further and get “locked up” at Gardner’s Two Cell Jail.  And, complete your trip down The First Hundred Miles with a photo in front of the nation’s largest outdoor Route 66 Shield in Pontiac.   

There’s much more to do and see along America’s Mother Road.  Get more information at www.TheFirstHundredMiles.com.