Topic: RT 66/Pontiac Museum/Starved Rock Run - Aug 5-7, Cornfields in IL

[ihawk95]

OK, Kids...I have this up on the Big Boards, but not over here.  Doing this one for SA's benefit! 

Here is the list...info is below!

42 cars on the list!!!  And the Cool Kids are:

ihawk95 (1 confirmed)
crappa (1 confirmed)
chilisky (1 - confirmed)
BLK GXP (2 for Sat)
RMFNSKY (1 confirmed)
Hambone (1 confirmed?)
Cincat12 (2 confirmed)
fiziksgxp (2 confirmed)
LowLife1 (2 confirmed)
mikep77 (1 confirmed)
MountainKing (2 confirmed)
Cat'sMeanGXP (2 confirmed)
Bern39 (2 confirmed)
Sprfl-IL-Sky (2 confirmed)
Geezer (2 confirmed)
GeeTeeOh! (2 confirmed)
TomShadow (2 confirmed)
Toyman (2 confirmed)
Mark in Indiana (2 confirmed)
boomer (2 confirmed)
IllinoisMike
GoBoilers (1 maybe 2)
Solstice62
taxlaw (2)
solmio
Brian (GTO - 2 confirmed)
RickTinleyPark (2 confirmed)
XTC (???)
Sol Asylum (1 Confirmed)
Marta & Darek from Chi-Town
GXPinKC (2 confirmed)
1 LIL NDN (1)
Derwin (2 tentative)
SHEZZOOMM (2 confirmed)
LRuch (2 confirmed)
HoosierGXP (2 confirmed)
LSSol (2 confirmed)
Bluerazor (maybe - 2)
sly2 (2 confirmed)
Sky Geezer (2 confirmed)
airtoolmann (2 confirmed)
DeepBlueGXP (2 confirmed)

And the plan is:
Friday Night - Arrivals 5 ish.  The bus leaves at 7:00 pm for foods!
Saturday morning - 8:30 am- Meet at Starved Rock.  Do a shortened Starved Rock Run to Route 66.  Cruise Route 66 to Pontiac, IL
Lunch - RT 66 Cafe or Delongs, Pontiac
Saturday Afternoon - New Pontiac Museum/Route 66 Museum in Pontiac IL.  Mural Tour, Trolley Tour.
5:30 ish - Dinner at Bernardi's II in Pontiac
Saturday Night - Starved Rock on the Veranda ??
Sunday - 8:30 am The Real Starved Rock Run.
Lunch in Minooka/Channahon.

Hotel Info:
Holiday Inn Express
5253 Trompeter Rd
Peru, IL  61354
(815) 224-2500

Block is under Kappa Car Club.  Ended 7/22, but call and see if they will still honor the rate.
The rooms are $108/night with our discount and is refundable until 6 PM the day of arrival.  The rate is good for the nights of 8/5-8/6.

Saturday Night Dinner - Note the Menu has changed slightly
Salad, Chicken of my choosing (Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast), mosticolli, green beans, au gratin potatoes, coffee or tea.
$15/person.  Pay me before we eat!

[SIZE="3"]DON'T FORGET YOUR 2-WAY RADIOS!!!![/SIZE]


Should be a fun one!!!  I can't believe there are this many cars signed up!!!   

Saturday's Run Info:

Ok Kids...

Here is a link to the map for Saturday's Run to Pontiac.  Hope the link works!

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=208876942268312491002.0004a92858419138e650e&msa=0&ll=41.370625,-88.761292&spn=0.896594,1.760559

Day:  Saturday August 6, 2011
Meeting Time:  8:30 am
Meeting Place: Starved Rock State Park Lower River Parking Area (Entrance off of Route 178)

Turn by Turn:
Left Through Starved Rock State Park
Left onto Rt 71 East
Right onto Fosse Road
Left onto Rt 23 North
Right onto E McKinley Road (Stoplight)
Veer slightly Left onto N 2553rd Road
Straight across 170 onto Dupont Road
Left onto Rt 47 North
Right onto Pine Bluff Road (Stoplight)
Left onto I-55 North
Across the river and take Exit 241 onto New River Road (This is the first exit)
Left onto New River Road
Right onto Route 53 (Route 66)
Follow Route 66 into Pontiac
Left onto Howard St (Stoplight)
Left into the City Hall Parking lot

Things may change when we get into Pontiac and we may go past Howard St. so we can come across the river bridge instead.  If that happens, we'll slow up and regroup so that we come in as one large group.  I'll update the directions and I'm planning on making handouts.

Sunday's Starved Rock Run Info:

Day: Sunday, August 7th, 2011
Meet Time: 8:30 am (We might get away with 9:00 am...meet time, if we don't stop.)
Meet Place: Starved Rock State Park Lower River Parking Area (Entrance off of Route 178)

Left Through Starved Rock State Park
Left onto Rt 71 East
Right onto Rt 23 (State St in Ottawa)
Left onto E McKinley Road
Left onto E 2350th Road
Right into Illini State Park
Quick left to head back under the bridge
Illini State Park Loop
Left back through the park - Bathroom break at the Snack Stand if necessary
Right onto E 2425th Road at The Trading Post
Left onto 2553rd Road
Straight across 170 onto Dupont Road
Through the twisties and turn around at the Park Bench. (or before in the middle of the road cause that was really muddy and torn up today)
Left onto Kinsman Road
Right onto W Indian Trail Road
Right onto E 30th Road
Left onto Dupont Road
Right onto 170 into Seneca
Right onto E Union St (becomes Old Stage Road)
Over the Rainbow Bridge!
Left onto Saratoga Road
Right onto Rt 6
Right onto Rt 47
Right onto Armstrong Street (becomes Cemetary Road)
Past the 1st Cemetary
Veer left onto E Hansel Road
Past Dollinger Farms (Pumpkin Patch)
Past the 2nd Cemetary at the edge of the Pumpkin Patch!
Left onto N. Ridge Road

We'll have lunch at Giordano's in Channahon/Minook. It will be on our left.

I-80 will be a few miles north past Giordano's for those wishing to get on the road, or for those getting on the road after lunch.

[Sol Asylum]

I'm not sure yet, I was just told last week I have a business trip to the UK but the dates of the trip haven't been finalized.  We'll see though.

[Gentleman Jack]

I'm in!

[ihawk95]

I'm not sure yet, I was just told last week I have a business trip to the UK but the dates of the trip haven't been finalized.  We'll see though.

Well that's why I put you down as ???.  I'll make you a maybe!

Hey...did you get the newsletter?  I sent one out today.  I'm thinking Bloomington in 2 weeks.  Might have a couple from Green Bay coming down.  You want in?  I'll start rounding up the troops and see if we can get at least a "handful"!  

[ihawk95]

I'm in!

Really??  Oh this should be good!  Now I feel pressured to perform!! 

[Sol Asylum]

I might be able to do Bloomington but again same story as previous post.  If I am in town and if the weather isn't calling for sunny skies with hail and tornadoes/thunderstorms then I'm in.

Be careful of believing GJ or else you may take the gullible title away from Arabas.

[ihawk95]

Yeah...same here.  Figure it's easy enough since the car will be clean from the night before!

And notice, GJ is not added to the list!

[Gentleman Jack]

I might be able to make it if I'm in England.

[Treeman]

How do you starve a rock?

[Critterman]

don't feed it.

[Sol Asylum]

How do you starve a rock?

It's about the closest thing we have to a mountain here in Hellinois.  Story goes that there was a bit of Indian on Indian hate crime/genocide that took place when one tribe surrounded the rock with another tribe stranded at the top.  The tribe on the top couldn't get any food and thus starved.

I wonder how all the PC people would react to this incident if they knew about it.

[ihawk95]

Acually SA, have you been up around Galena?  The roads there are better, but it's a bit of a haul for you.  You can go past the highest point in Hellinois!!

But yeah...at least Route 71 is pretty decent for running.  I put together as many decent roads as I could over a 2 hr period.  Had to go through 2 State Parks to make it happen.

The PC people would probably be on suicide watch!

[Sol Asylum]

I have been to Galena a few times for skiing and drove the stage coach route from Rockford over once. Your right it's a long drive from my place over to there.

[ihawk95]

Oh you totally missed BlackJack Road and Scenic Ridge Road!  Great view of the Mississippi and BlackJack Road is fun!  A blind rise or two, some nice twisties...good road...one cop spot though!

Anyway, back to business.

I was able to get a block of rooms for this at a new hotel for a decent rate.  Gets expensive around Starved Rock in the summer.  Just awaiting the email from the hotel before I post.

Also, I contacted the Pontiac Tourism board to see what they might come up with...if anything.  And I am getting Route 66 info and some route help from another Kappa who is a big Route 66 enthusiast!  So, this is finally coming together!

[ihawk95]

Hotel:  Info to come shortly.  I'm waiting for the confirmation email with the booking information

Now for the really good stuff.  I contacted the City of Pontiac...we will be getting this from 11 am to 4 pm...possibly later:


To see these:




And this:


The trolley will make a 30 minute loop around Pontiac, so you can jump on and tour the murals and the swinging bridges (No idea they had swinging bridges!).  You can get on and off the trolley at either museum or wherever you would like.  And if you'd rather walk, you can follow the red footsteps around town from mural to mural.  Or it's only a 5 minute walk between museums!

And this is all free!  The drivers are volunteers.  Feel free to tip them or make a donation to the museums.

We will have the parking lot across from the Route 66 Museum available to us.

Lunch will be at the Route 66 Cafe.  It's small, but we can split up into 2 groups since there will be plenty to see in town.  I'll get that worked out.

More details to follow! 

[baconbits]

Hi Di.. Put Kris and myself as a possible maybe..depending on train and ship traffic at work.. looks like about 14 hours..or so ..

[ihawk95]

Awesome! Would love to see you both again! Hope you are doing great to the north!

[baconbits]

Stupid me went back to work....stupid stupid me...

[ihawk95]

That's ridiculous! Why would you go and do a crazy thing like that?

[baconbits]

Don't really know.. I answered the phone on the wrong day...

[ihawk95]

Adding 2 more to the list!  That makes 37!!  Yikers!!!  

[ChopTop]

Official Pontiac tourism video (Pontiac Museum featured @ 2:33-3:09)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSlWGLrP178

[ihawk95]

Thanks ChopTalk!  That video was really cool!  I live right there and didn't realize the Wall Dog Mueseum was there or the 3 swinging bridges were across the river!

I'll post the video on the other forum!  Much appreciated!

[GXPinKC]

Wow, thanks ihawk95 just found this thread.  Carol and I have been to Champaign, Illinois to visit a college buddie that lives there... but somehow missed the Pontiac Museum and Starved Rock Run in or near Pontiac, Illinois.  Sounds like a blast for sure!

I am at the University of Kansas Medical Center today where I volunteer and glad I had time to check the forum and find this thread.  The RT 66 Pontiac Museum and Starved Rock Run in Pontiac, Illinois sounds like a real good time.  Will check with my wife to see if she can get off work here at KU.  As I remember it is about a 7 hour drive from Olathe, Kansas.  Would love to make this one! Will let you know if it's a GO!!

[1LILNDN]

 ihawk95  ; This will be cutting it close. You can put me down as Maybe. So far nothing planned until the 16th going to Reno. Si/Fi World Conv.Robert A Heinlein Society Member.  This Guy had a Red head in Space and all of his Books. B-4 you was Born (LOL) So  add me as         maybe