Route 66: Normal, IL, to Lebanon, MO (4-of-20)

Yesterday, I drove from Normal, IL, to Lebanon, MO. I got lost trying to get out of Normal and made a few wrong turns. This set me back a bit so late in the afternoon, I realized that if I was going to get to my hotel before dark, I’d better use my GPS. For the last couple of hours I drove on the I-44 and my GPS took me right to the hotel.

Between Rolla, IL, and Lebanon, IL, the northbound traffic on I-44 was backed up for miles because of construction. I was glad I wasn’t going north.

By the way, there’s not much of a shoulder on Route 66 so it’s difficult to stop and take pictures. I also can’t look at scenery too much or I’ll go off the road!

Note: Antique malls seem to be popular in southern Illinois.

 

My Reboot: Solo Route 66

1. Route 66: Day One

2. Route 66: Erie, PA, to Elkhart, IN

3. Route 66: Elkhart, IN, to Normal, IL

4. Route 66: Lebanon, MO, to Chandler, OK

5. Route 66: Chandler, OK, to Amarillo, TX

6. Route 66: Amarillo, TX, to Santa Rosa, NM

7. Route 66: Santa Rosa, NM, to Gallup, NM

8. Route 66: Gallup, NM, to Williams, AZ

9. Route 66: Williams, AZ, to Barstow, CA

10. Route 66: Barstow, CA, to Santa Monica, CA!!!!

11. Route 66: Santa Monica Pier

12. Route 66: Stars’ Homes Tour

13. Route 66: Live taping of Jeopardy!

14. Route 66: Taping of Chelsea Lately Show and a Taste of Traffic

15. Route 66: Arcadia, CA, to Flagstaff, AZ

16. Route 66: Meteor Crater!

17. Route 66: Amarillo, TX, to Tulsa, OK

18. Route 66: Tulsa, OK, to Terre Haute, IN

19. Route 66: Terre Haute, IN, to HOME!

Here’s a gallery of photos from the trip.

A Couple of Articles Written for Suite 101:

Traveling Route 66 Solo By Car

A Nine-Day Guide to Driving Route 66

Ann Silverthorn (Twitter: @annsilverthorn) is a versatile blogger who’s written about a wide variety of topics in a vast number of genres. She’s a proven writer on technology topics, in addition to travel, creative, and grant writing. Ann is currently working on a biography on the life of William E. Dimorier (1871-1951), the nearly forgotten poet and assistant principal of Academy High School in Erie, PA, who dedicated his life to the betterment of young people. Dimorier’s story will demonstrate how this man of humble beginnings positively influenced many lives around the world.