Chi-town and RT 66May 22, 2012
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Amish in Indiana.
Gemini Giant
Another giant.
| RT 20 west of Cleveland is more highway-like than scenic. This was not a good driving day. I saw a small historical sign on RT 20 advertising "Amish Acres". I thought that this would be a working Amish farm open to the public so I jumped off the highway and started following signs. As I drove I saw dozens of people wearing black and riding bicycles, I could have been driving in Beijing! As I neared the town I began to see horse and buggy rigs trotting down the road. My signs disappeared and I drove through town looking for signs. Soon I was past town and well into the surrounding farmland. I knew I was lost and broke out the GPS. As I was following directions I found myself on a long dirt road. Eventually I regained blacktop I found myself reentering town from a third direction and exiting again in a fourth. At 10 AM I pulled into the deserted parking lot and started walking between buildings. No one was out and about. I imagine that Amish farmers start working at the crack of dawn and quit at sunset. This was obviously not the working farm I had hoped for and appeared to be more of a sideshow so back to RT 20. At some point on RT 20 I found myself reading a "Welcome to Michigan" sign. My route was supposed to steer well distant from Michigan. Panicking a second time in the day I broke out my trusty GPS. Following it I found myself on a major Michigan highway in a heavily populated and traveled area. What I found most striking about this stretch of road were the dozens of billboards for strip clubs and fireworks. I don't know these people but I want to party with them. I finally found myself in Chicago and because I had left my GPS on I had no problem finding the beginning of RT 66. And so the adventure begins! Illinois is flat with not as many trees as I'm used to. I found myself stopping at Funk Grove and buying a small bottle of the maple sirrup that they've been making there forever. I also spent a few hours in Pontiac where I checked out the RT 66 Museum, the Pontiac (car) Museum and the many murals painted in the downtown area. I REALLY liked Pontiac! |
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