Travel

Route 66:Day 10 - Off the Beaten Path

By JamesW on May 21, 2008 in Travel, Travel Blog

We crossed the line into Illinois on this day, and pushed as far North as possible. We decided to leave the comfort and safety of the interstate, and branched off onto route 54 at Springfield, IL and headed towards a little state campgrounds on Lake Clinton. Our luck was with us, and this little campsite gem turned out to be one of the nicest so far.

After a number of hours going through small farm towns, and mile after mile of newly planted fields, we arrived at Lake Clinton. They have “camp hosts” here to advise, take your money, etc. They were pleasant enough, but I guess “alcohol” is a big no-no, so we were asked if we had any on board. I said “I thought we might have a bottle of wine or two”. The camp host kinda winked and said to keep it under wraps. Judging from here demeanor, I think she welcomed any travelers that would/could leave her a bottle or two.

We had a lovely isolated spot on just up from the lake, with a path leading down to a small beach. In the morning, we made Maggie’s day by taking a short hike along the lake before departing for Chicago.

     

In Chicago, we looked up the birth place of Abby THe Design Goddess’s mother, Miriam. It was in Argo-Summit, IL, just southeast of downtown Chicago. Things have evidently changed since she grew up here, as it the area was pretty grubby. The grocery store that here family owned, with living upstairs, was now a TV repair shop, and by all appearances, a crack house up stairs. The whole area had a peculiar odor, kind of like slightly fermented tomato sauce. Anyway, we took many pictures for RV Mama’s Mama, and will report the sad news about her old digs.

  

We decided to do a quick loop through Chicago, so headed straight East and hopped on the famous Shore LIne Drive. Chicago is another one of those places we wished we could explore more - a beautiful looking downtown, art museums, etc., but it’s not easy parking a 35 foot RV towing a jeep in a busy, crowded, metropolitan area! Again, maybe “next time”.