RT66 Leg 1: Chicago to St. Louis

The Illinois stretch of Route 66 is home to some pretty good eats, especially if you like classic American cuisine. Before you hit the road, visit Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket, just outside Chicago, for some of the best fried chicken you'll ever have. They've been serving the home-cooked goodness since 1946. (PHOTOS - Tatiana)

Snap a 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. (PHOTOS - Tatiana)

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. (PHOTOS - Tatiana)

For those of you with a sweet tooth, Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup in Shirley, IL produces over 1,800 gallons of maple syrup using old-fashioned techniques, and it's all bottled in beautiful, vintage-looking bottles. Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup. So you’re not going to “eat” per-say, but you’re going to walk away with some of the best maple syrup or “sirup” as they call it. Funks Grove Maple Sirup still produces over 1,800 gallons of that sweet, sticky goodness using old-fashioned techniques and bottled in beautiful vintage-looking bottles. Channel your inner Buddy-the-Elf and have all the syrup you can handle!

While you're in Atlanta, which is a ridiculously charming little town in Illinois, visit the Route 66 Arcade Museum: it's a fantastic hidden gem that features tons of vintage arcade machines you can play. (PHOTOS - Tatiana)

The Illinois stretch of Route 66 is also home to loads of great roadside attractions, but none shout "retro-kitsch" louder than the massive muffler men statues! The Gemini Giant in Wilmington and Bunyon With a Hotdog in Atlanta, IL are two of the best for photo-ops of this iconic vestige of Americana.

A quick stop in Lincoln, IL also yields a couple interesting photo-ops, the first of which is the Watermelon Lincoln Monument, made to commemorate when Lincoln christened the new railroad in town with a slice of watermelon. (PHOTOS - Tatiana)

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! (PHOTOS - Tatiana)

Illinois is also great for history buffs, as it's home to loads of Abraham Lincoln-inspired attractions, and since the establishment of Route 66, big 'ole statues of "Honest Abe" have been delighting road travelers over the years. For the full Lincoln experience, spend the night at the Pasfield House Inn in Springfield, and just down the road there's the Watermelon Lincoln Monument, and the Railsplitter Covered Wagon in Lincoln. (PHOTOS - Tatiana)

While the corn dog may have already been invented, it was the folks at Cozy Dog Drive-In that put it on a stick! Their “Cozy Dog,” is the grandfather of all corn dogs you have been devouring at every county and state fair since you were a kid. Stop by to have a taste of the original! (PHOTOS - Tatiana)

“The Firebrand Chilli Challenge at Joe Roger’s Chilli Parlour involves eating as many bowls of extra-spicy Firebrand chilli as possible. Anyone who ties with (or breaks!) the current record of an incredible five bowls will join the Wall of Fame. It’s no mean feat though – those chillies are almost too hot to handle.”

Litchfield, IL at the Ariston Cafe. Thought to be one of the first, if not THE first restaurant on Route 66, the Ariston Cafe is a Route 66 icon. The Adams family has been running the place for years, and the food is just as good as the great history behind the cafe. Save room for dessert! (PHOTOS - Tatiana)

Just in case you haven’t taken a thousand photos of your car at old filling stations, your last stop is the Soulsby Service Station. The place has been beautifully restored, and you get that feeling you’re a traveler back in the 1950s.