Route 66, Atlanta, Illinois

Route 66.  I wonder if anyone under the age of 20 even knows this highway much less the cultural impact it had on our country.  I know there are many of us 60 and older who travelled sections of this highway, saw the TV show, and enjoy the song.  And of those, there are some who continue to seek out the stretches of the original highway that still exist and visit various sites along the way.  One stretch we recently travelled is found in Illinois.  The pictures below are of Atlanta, Illinois, a small village off the interstate but once a stopover for those travelling Route 66.

 The library is significant because it is responsible for some of the restoration that has taken place in the city, especially the Palms Grill Cafe.

 We like to stop here to eat, if our time is right.  It opens a bit later than we like for breakfast and closes earlier than we like for dinner but the food, especially the pies, are worth eating off our regular schedule.  You won't find any billboards on the highway advertising its existence.  In fact, you might be tempted to stop at the restaurant you pass as you drive into Atlanta.  Don't.  While I'm sure the food there is good, the Palms has to be better and the ambience is pure Route 66.

 The town is small, as I said above, but they've done a nice job of recreating the painted signs on the side of their buildings.  They are worth seeing.

So, if you are on your way to Chicago and you see the turnoff for Atlanta.  Take a break.  Drive into the town.  Enjoy a step back in history and a great piece of pie!