You position your group today in Chicago, the starting point of Route 66.

After check in a comfortable hotel for the night, enjoy dinner at Buddy Guy’s Legends, it’s the world’s premier Blues Club owned and operated by this Grammy Award Winner and a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.  Enjoy Louisiana-style Cajun and Soul food, served while a Blues band makes a little music. (D)

Start on down, start on down, the Road.  First stop is Pontiac, IL, where Route 66 history dates back to the earliest days of the “Mother Road.”  Visit the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame where you will see thousands of pieces of historic memorabilia.  This museum is filled with images and stories about life in America when Route 66 was the most important highway in our nation.

You will have free time in downtown Pontiac for lunch.  There are more than 20 hand-painted murals gracing the walls of the downtown buildings.

The afternoon features some of Illinois’ best roadside relics along this stretch of the Mother Road.  In Atlanta, IL stop for a photo with the 19-ft. Paul Bunyon clutching a giant hot dog.  One of Route 66’s mythic roadside attractions, several of these giants still proudly grace the Mother Road.

Next, a little way down the road in Lincoln, IL, catch a glimpse of the World’s Largest Covered Wagon, complete with a very large – and very studious – Abraham Lincoln statue.  The Railsplitter Covered Wagon is officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest covered wagon in the world, standing a towering 24 feet tall.

End the day in Springfield, IL for a night at a local hotel.  Dinner is included at a local restaurant.  Following dinner, head to the Illinois State Fairgrounds for the Route 66 Experience.  This educational exhibit is open 365 days a year inside Gate 2 on the corner of Route 66 & Sangamon Avenue.  The Experience, a self-guided tour, highlights businesses in 92 communities along Route 66 in Illinois beginning in Chicago and ending at the Chain of Rocks Bridge in Madison, Illinois.  Vintage billboards, a drive-in movie theatre, Legends Neon Sign Park and tribute to muffler men along Illinois Route 66 make up a large part of the Experience.  (B,D)

In Springfield, IL, two American icons intersect in the heart of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area: Abraham Lincoln and America’s mother road Route 66.  Traversing the state of Illinois from Chicago to St. Louis, Route 66 winds its way through communities where Lincoln worked, gave stump speeches, and lived.  From North to South, the communities of Pontiac, Bloomington, Atlanta, Lincoln, Elkhart, and Springfield tell the stories of Lincoln’s life and times and historic Route 66.

Start the day with a tour of the Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum.  Dedicated to the life and legacy of our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, the Presidential Library and Museum brings together the world’s largest collection of documentary material related to the life of Lincoln.

You’ll be entertained, educated and mesmerized by this one-of-a-kind, world-class facility, blending 21st century technology to transport you back to the 19th century world of Abraham Lincoln.

Next, enjoy a tour of the Ace Sign Museum with a collection of over 85 historic signs from Springfield and Route 66.  The collection is constantly growing and transforming as they strive to maintain some of the most memorable and iconic signs in the area.  Come experience the ambiance and character of the neon glow under wood-barreled ceilings alongside the state-of-the-art modern sign manufacturing facility.

Departing Springfield this afternoon, travel continues to St. Louis, MO.  On the way, see one last Route 66 attractions in Collinsville, IL – World’s Largest Catsup Bottle!  Looming over Collinsville, this is an internationally known roadside attraction stands proudly next to Route 159, just south of downtown Collinsville, Illinois.  This unique 170 ft. tall water tower was built in 1949 by the W.E. Caldwell Company for the G.S. Suppiger catsup bottling plant – bottlers of Brooks old original rich & tangy catsup.

Arriving in St. Louis, MO, enjoy the night at a Drury Inn.  Tonight, from under the shadow of the Gateway Arch’s you set sail on a Riverboat Dinner Cruise with prime rib, live jazz music and captivating views of the St. Louis skyline. (B,D)

Westward this morning you visit Cuba, MO.  One of 9 American Cities named after that Island country, it is known as the “Route 66 Mural City.”  There are 12 large outdoor murals depicting scenes from local and national history.  These include images of Harry S. Truman, Amelia Earhart and Bette Davis.  Plus, you will see the Wagon Wheel Motel and the World’s 2nd Largest Rocking Chair.

Continuing to Springfield, MO tour the Route 66 Car Museum filled with classic and one-of-a-kind cars that span history.  You’ll find cars that have been a part of American Pop Culture and automobiles been driven by historical figures.  There are also famous vehicles that have starred in blockbusters like Batman, Grapes of Wrath and Back to the Future.  

Overnight at Drury Inn, Joplin, MO, where you see another Route 66 Mural Park.  There are two large tile murals: “Cruisin’ into Joplin” and “The American Ribbon.” Plus, a mock 1964 Red Corvette that makes a whimsical backdrop for selfies.

Dinner is included this evening at Wilder’s Steak House.  One massive neon sign garnishes the entrance to this classic cocktail and steak restaurant.  Couched inside a Joplin historic building, it has been in business since the crash of 1929.  T-bone steaks, Pacific King Salmon and other surf-and-turf pairings spearhead a menu that includes vegetarian sautés and Colorado lamb chops in its ranks. (B,D)

After breakfast, depart for home. (B)