Route 66 - Getting There
Friday, April 10, 2026
Before we can drive Route 66, first we need to get to Chicago. Our first stop after leaving Rochester was Cedar Falls. This is Main Street in downtown Cedar Falls.
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There will be plenty of vintage service stations along Route 66. But even before we get to the route Cedar Falls has one.
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In keeping with Traynor’s eclectic choices of tourist attractions, we couldn’t pass up this gem! You never know who you will run into on a cross country trek.
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We have been here before, but who could bypass this piece of Americana?
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From ChatGPT:
Iowa 80 Truckstop, located along Interstate 80 in eastern Iowa, is widely known as the world’s largest truck stop. Opened in 1964, it spans over 200 acres and serves thousands daily, offering extensive amenities including multiple restaurants, a trucking museum, showers, and service centers—functioning as a small city for truckers and travelers alike.
Even the I-80 Truckstop gets in on the vintage service station vibe - and we’re not even close to Route 66 yet!
The highlight for today was a self-guided tour of the Old Joliet Prison in Joliet, IL.
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From ChatGPT:
Old Joliet Prison is a historic correctional facility that operated from 1858 to 2002 in Joliet. Built in a castellated Gothic style, it once housed thousands of inmates, including notorious criminals like John Wayne Gacy. The prison gained national recognition as a filming location for movies such as The Blues Brothers and The Shawshank Redemption. Known for harsh conditions and overcrowding during its peak years, it became a symbol of the evolution of the American penal system. After its closure, the site fell into disrepair but has since been partially restored and reopened for tours, events, and educational programs, preserving its legacy as both a historical landmark and cultural icon.
The entire complex is quite extensive. This image captures how large the grounds are - and this is only part of the total footprint.
This cell block was for solitary confinement. The floor above was death row!
“IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND”
This is etched on the floor of the solitary confinement and death row cell block.
Solitary confinement cell.
Another solitary confinement cell.
Entry gate to solitary confinement cell block.
This is the solitary confinement and death row cell block. The second story, with the small window, was where the death row inmates awaited execution. The area which is undergoing turf restoration in front of the building was once the site of another small building which contained the electric chair.
Fantastic architecture from the mid-1800s.
These next images are from the main cell blocks where thousands of inmates were held - TWO men per cell!!!
With the bunk beds in place, you can really appreciate how limited the space was for TWO men in these cells!
On this side of the cell block the cells did not have even a sliver of an outside window and the doors were solid steel instead of bars. Claustrophobia anyone?!?!
Slot in the steel door for the meal tray to be passed in and out.
This is the central core that runs down the two sides of each row of cells. This is where the plumbing and electricity ran. It was into a core like this that inmates chiseled their way in infamous prison breaks such as Alcatraz and Dannemora, NY.
The original grounds had a baseball field and this very nice field is being constructed where the original once stood. We were told this field will be used by the Joliet Slammers - an independent minor league team in the Frontier League - for a few games this summer.
The shower room.
Recreation yard below the guard tower.
