Day 1 - The Stars at Night

Snap your first picture with the Gemini Giant at the now-closed Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, IL. He’s one of many muffler man giants made back in the day, and he pays homage to the Gemini space program, complete with rocket in hand.

Illinois’s Route 66 is dotted with old service stations, many of which have been beautifully restored and are being used for various purposes. Your first stop at one is in Dwight, IL at the Ambler's Texaco Gas Station. Operating till near the end of the century, it was one of the longest running gas stations on the Mother Road. Today it serves as a visitors center for the town.

Your next encounter with a giant “muffler man” happens further down the road in Atlanta, IL where Bunyon With a Hotdog greats you. Sure does make you want one of those Cozy Dogs, doesn’t it?

Nearby the Railsplitter Covered Wagon has also been a roadside icon for years, but recent reports say it is currently under renovation. Check it out and report back to us!

Check out an original brick stretch of the Mother Road outside Auburn, IL (Historic Brick Road).

Henry's Rabbit Ranch is part roadside attraction with its VW Rabbits buried in the dirt, part Route 66 visitor center, and part actual rabbit ranch. The place is so quirky it’s well worth a quick visit.

Originally built in 1949, the bottle is an excellent example of roadside Americana, and thanks to the Catsup Bottle Preservation Group, it stands tall and beautiful as it did in the olden days. If you’re really lucky you’ll swing through in July when they host the Catsup Bottle Festival or one of the other numerous festivals and parties held near here at the local American Legion.