Route 66 : Chicago and beyond

By admin, September 16th, 2011 | America | 0 Comments

Billy Connolly has done a series on Route 66 which started last night on ITV4. Rider and Him Indoors have just returned from the same journey - I hope to show a picture of the Corn Cob building in Chicago – missed by Billy – if Piggynap can show me what to do!  This was viewed by boat sailing up the river which runs through the city. I should suppose Chicago is a fine city but the brief stay and not being a townie meant we didn’t see it in great detail. Onwards, like Billy, to Pontiac. This little town, one of the ones the old 66 used to go through, was full of interest. Pontiacs were not made there, it’s named after a Native American Chief of the same name, as is the car which had an Indian head mascot equally as impressive as the Rolls Royce mascot. The Mayor greeted us – he didn’t greet Billy – and we saw the fine little museum of 66 memorabilia, another museum of several beautifully preserved cars including a modern fire-engine-red Pontiac Trans Am which Him Indoors was all for packing up and having shipped. (Daren’t tell the Blue Streak when I got back). Many buildings were covered in great murals painted by artist friends and admirers of the chap who lived and travelled 66 in his bus.  The converted bus itself was crammed with the detritus of a life well lived and parked up and open for visitors to see. What a great travelling life the guy had. The temperature went up to around 100 where it stayed for the rest of our trip. Like Billy we went on to Springfield, Illinois but to the Lincoln Museum – not his house. There were exquisite dresses of Mrs L. who was looked down on by some of the grande dammes of Washington Society as being something of a yokel. She had a ‘ladies maid/close trusted servant/seamstress/confidante’ who was black. The Lincolns had a small son who died whilst he was in office and Mrs L was never the same after that. Not all of Lincoln’s cabinet supported him on anti-slavery – one wanted all blacks to be shipped off somewhere if they were freed! Lincoln never wanted the Civil War and wrote some truly great stuff – although time separates us I have a fancy that he resembled Obama in his lawlerly considered manner. How shocked and gratified would Lincoln have been to see Obama in the White House. I hope Obama’s fate is better than Lincoln’s and he too has a war to contend with.  Billy will be travelling on to St Louis – so did Rider …. more follows.