Springfield Spring 2013: Wet Flooded Drive

APRIL 19TH

Pretty much every creek, stream and river we passed the whole way down was at flood stage, especially the Illinois River at Morris and the Vermilion River at Pontiac.  At one point outside of Woodstock, we even had to ford a stream.

Weather alternated between pellet hail, wind-driven snow, rain and those ever-threatening clouds.  And, it was mighty cold.  We like to froze at the Standard Oil station in Odell.  Plus, it was cold getting out of the car and taking short walks into the Old Log Cabin restaurant in Pontiac and the Dixie in McLean.

Once in Springfield, we went to the Lake Springfield Tavern on the Stevenson Road (Route 66 by-pass) where we saw that the second he-whose-name-must-not-be-mentioned suspect from Monday had been captured.

Saw a band at the Curve Inn and ended up back at the hotel's South Side Pub.

Some Spring we're having.

Neither Rain, Nor Snow....  --RoadDog

And, Don't Forget Record Store Day This Saturday

As in tomorrow.

After the SCV meeting, I'm going to Recycled Records in downtown Springfield, Illinois.  Might just buy a couple CDs.  Who knows.

Save Those Mom and Pop stores.

RoadDog

Time for Route 66, the Civil War and History

Springfield here we come.  SCV meeting tomorrow and all that good Mother Road cruising on the way down.

Hoping we don't encounter much in the way of flooding as we really got drenched the last two days.

Looking quite overcast and weather reports call for a possibility of rain or SNOW!!!  Yuck.  It won't be a great day for 66 cruising, but even a bad day on Route 66 is better than a good day at work.  Even if you don't work "no more."

Cozy Dog here I Come.  --RoadDog


TOO PUNNY:  Headlines--  Energizer Bunny Arrested!!  Charged with Battery!!!

JSS: 1969-- Land of $4+ Gas-- Them Storms-- 512.1 Miles-- VJ Day Video

JSS--  Just Some Stuff


1.  1969--  Bob Stroud does 1969 on his Ten at Ten show at 10 AM today on WDRV.  www.wdrv.com. I'll sure be listening.  Maybe record it on my cassette tape.


2.  LAND OF $4+ GAS--  You can always tell when you're getting near Chicago by the price of gas.  Once we got north of Morris, gas went over the $4 mark and was mostly at $4.20.  One BP station was $4.27!!!!  The GRBs got us good right now.  Gas in Springfield dropped from $3.84 to $3.80 Tuesday and was at $3.78 yesterday.  Gas in Pontiac was $3.70.  Of course, I get gas downstate whenever I can.


3.  THEM STORMS--  Was planning on cutting the grass and putting the boat in the water, but we've already had a big storm come through and others forecast until evening.  But, we sure need the rain.  We need more water in the Chain of Lakes, always a good thing for boats.  Ours has been out of the water for over a month as our channel is too shallow.


4.  512.1 MILES--  On our three day trip to Springfield, we put 512.1 miles on the '11 Malibu with 32.5 mpg average.


5.  VJ DAY VIDEO--  Well worth watching to commemorate Japan's surrender, 67 years ago to end World War II.  http://vimeo.com/5645171.

Come On Rain!!  --RoadDog

A Day to Hang Around Springfield

Springfield, Illinois, that is.  We had hoped to spend some time out by the pool at the TraveLodge, but, unfortunately, it was closed.

I had a delicious breakfast at the motel's restaurant, Abe's, and then drove west to Barnes and Nobles and Best Buy which has a great CD selection, rare anywhere any more.

Went to Norb Andy's and split a ponyshoe for lunch, then to George Rank's, the round bar on 66, and Capitol City for NTN and to meet J.J..

Dinner at the Cozy Dog for those great Cozy Dogs (like a corn dog on a stick).  Then to the Curve In  and ended up at the motel's South Side Pub where we taklked with a lot of folks in town to see the state fair.

A Great Day in a Great Town.  --RoadDog

Rain, a Fair and a Concert

Yesterday, we drove through intermittent rain to Springfield, Illinois, and went to the Illinois State Fair for the first time.  I've always wanted to go and figured we'd have done so way before now since we're both retired and have been these last six years.

Best of all, it was senior day and we got in for free and paid $7 to park.  The concerts were also free.

We found the fair really confusing with stuff all over the place and lots of walking.  Plenty of food though, including at least four places selling the famous Cozy Dogs, but these stands were not part of the Waldmire family.  Two were the Coleman's.

The rain fell a little, but then held off for the concerts.  We saw the band we'd seen yesterday in Johnsburg, New Odyssey who kicked off the show and the 3,000 or so folks there really had a good time.  I'd say they made a few converts.

The main act was the Million Dollar Quartet who are playing at a theater in Chicago.  This show recreates the session at Sun Studio in Memphis back in the 50s when Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis got together.  Great show as well.

Went to Capital City and the Curve Inn on the way back to the motel.

Great Time, But Man Are My Feet Sore!!!  --RoadDog

Thinking About the Fair

Came across the Illinois State Fair running August 9-19th in Springfield.  I've always wanted to go to it.  Then saw that one of our favorite groups, New Odyssey (which we will be seeing at Parishfest at St. John's Church in Johnsburg, Illinois, tomorrow), will be playing there Monday. 

Even better, Monday is Senior Day; folks 60 and over get in FREE!!  Plus, Million Dollar Quartet will also be playing that day.  Priceline has rooms in Springfield as well.

Sounds like a plan to me.  And, we can do a Route 66 thing there and back.

Tis a Fair, Fair Better Thing I Do.  --RoadDog

Going Back to the Cold: More Good Eatin'-- Curvin' It-- Home

JANUARY 21ST-- SATURDAY

Woke up to the cold here in northern Mississippi and the long pants and sweatshirt I was hoping to put on in St. Louis came on early. Drove I-55 to Memphis, crossed into Arkansas and then did the foot of Missouri north to Sikeston.

Bypassed Lambert's and went to Dexter BBQ, which I had heard about and written about in my RoadLog. Every bit as good as I'd heard. And definitely you need to try their wine and cheese dressing. Some of the best ever.

Through St. Louis by the Arch and into Illinois. Had to stop for our taco fix at the Jack in the Box in Litchfield, a must stop even though we weren't real hungry. Checked into the TraveLodge in Springfield and then went on to the Curve Inn for drinks and partying. Real "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights."


JANUARY 22ND-- SUNDAY

Stopped at the Bonanza Sirloin Pit in Lincoln where their rolls are too good to be thrown, hear that Lambert's!!? And their pass around rolls and chocolate chip cookies are something else.

Foggy and icy driving most all of today. Not much fun.

But got home at 5 pm after 19 days on the road.

Good to Be Home. --RoadDog

Mizzou-Rah Trip 2011-- Part 7: Back in Illinois

SEPTEMBER 12TH, MONDAY

Met Lulu and Barb at Charlie Parker's for breakfast. Barb had never been there before and was amazed at the amount of food. They left.

We went shopping. Bought three CDs at Best Buy.

Went looking for Route 66, where it entered and exited Lake Springfield south of town. Found the north side, but not south. Did enjoy Cotton Hill Park, though. Beautiful drive on south side.

NTN at Capital City and met JJ and even his wife. Norb Andy's and Scooters closed.

Cozy Dog fix. Drinking at the Curve Inn and Southside Pub (at the TraveLodge).

A Good Time on 66. --RoadDog


UNIVERSAL TRUTH: Ever try to find your car keys in your pocket (for you guys)? Everything else in that pocket will be on top of it. How does something that big always world its way down to the bottom?

Civil War in Illinois-- Part 4: A Cozy-- Mr. Lincoln-- Norb's-- A Curve-- Southside

MAY 2ND, MONDAY

Lunch at the Cozy Dog and had the usual, four Cozies, large fries and two drinks ($8.95). Found a new Acadia book on Springfield, Illinois for sale, but didn't buy it. As usual, enjoyed reading the Route 66 magazines.

Not sure if we like the Cozy Dogs or fries best. What's the best way to eat a Cozy Dog. I have mine with mustard and raw onions. Met two girls from Poland and a guy from Mongolia who were driving the length of Route 66. Just left Chicago this morning.

Spent the afternoon researching Illinois Civil War regiments from along Route 66 counties at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.

Liz and I later went to Norb Andy's on Capitol Avenue which is finally open again. Sure glad to get back in the place where we had our first horseshoe sandwiches. It's been closed for several years.

Then to Curve Inn and Southside Pub at the TraveLodge where we were staying.

Another Great Day in Mr. Lincoln's Hometown. --RoadDog

Civil War in Illinois 2011-- Part 3: Mr. Lincoln-- Bars-- Grazing

MAY 1ST-- SUNDAY


We spent the afternoon at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. We hadn't been to the museum since it opened six years ago. It now costs $12 for adults and is worth every bit of it.

We walked and walked and walked. Looked and looked.

Love the Ghosts in the Library and Lincoln's Eyes shows. Also the walk through Abe's pre-presidential life and the Civil War. You've got to see the Civil War in Four Minutes.

Afterwards, we walked across the street to the library and looked at the Boys in Blue exhibit about Illinois' Civil War soldiers. Quite interesting as well. Ran into a retired couple from Dekalb, who had worked for the university and had a nice long talk.


BARS AND GRAZING

Next stop was Scooter's on 5th Street, next to the car wash with the great old neon sign. It used to be a favorite watering hole of ours when it was called George Ranks', but it had been closed for several years until opening last year.

Ran into some motorcyclists in town from near St. Louis. They had to go back, something I took pity on them because it had turned very cold and rain started. Talk about a miserable ride.

Then on to a huge crowd at the Golden Corral for that steak and baby back ribs.

Last stop was at Route 66's Curve Inn for a nightcap. This is where we heard about Bin Laden's death.

Got a room at the TraveLodge.

Always a Great Time in Springfield. --RoadDog

Just Got Back-- Part 2

Drove into Round Lake and picked up Terri, a teacher I taught with for over twenty years, an we went to the IEA headquarters in Libertyville, where we caught a motor coach to Springfield, taking the Tri-State to I-355 to I-55 where we then paralled Route 66 to Springfield.

There were eleven teachers from Round Lake, including one from the high school and Ellis that I knew and another teacher from Magee Middle School where Terri still teaches and I taught for 31 years before we moved to another building.

We stopped at an excellent rest area south of Pontiac with views of a creek and picnic tables. I just might get off 66 someday and pack a picnic lunch to eat here. Definitely an enjoyable spot. I enjoyed looking at various signs for Route 66 along I-55 as I am usually doing the driving and we are running on 66 anyway.

We arrived at the state capitol building at 11 am after a four hour ride.

A R-e-e-a-a-l-l-y Big Rally Next. --RoadDog


1955 Comment: I see that some married women have to work outside the home to make ends meet.

Just Got Back

I took a bus trip today from Libertyville, Illinois, to the state capital in Springfield as part of a 15,000+ rally to encourage the General Assembly to pass House Bill 274 which would raise needed taxes for Illinois schools, almost all of which are facing such huge deficits that 26,000 teachers received pink slips. In accordance, the Illinois Education Association wore pink items.

It was a long day, with me having to get up at 4:30 after losing an additional hour's sleep due to a smoke detector battery. Great timing for that. However, I am happy to report that I still know how to set my alarm clock. You know us retarred folk don't usually have to worry about getting up real early. I usually wake up when I wake up and sometimes go right back to sleep.

Great Teacher's Ghost!! --RoadDog


1955 Comment: It seems like every new movie has swear words like "hell' or "damn" in them.

No "F-ing way!!"

Some More Springfield

We certainly enjoyed the pool area here at the Route 66 Hotel, but didn't go in as it was way too cold. At least they didn't drain it over Labor Day as many motels do.

Watched the Bears fiasco Sunday night at the Curve Inn, across the street from the hotel (behind McDonald's). At least this is a Bears bar as some here in town are Rams bars.

Monday night, we had dinner at Bennigan's by the Hilton Hotel downtown. We split that great Monte Cristo of theirs. I know of NO better Monte Cristo, anywhere. One of these is enough to feed two. It's good to get a chance to eat at a Bennigan's again after the company meltdown.

And, this one just recently got NTN. At one time, most Bennigan's had it, but many had dropped it before they closed. Probably the reason why they closed.


BACK AT CAPITAL CITY

We went to Capital City Bar and Grill twice. Once Monday after leaving Bennigan's and played NTN where Liz had a #4 national individual game (I ended up #14). Yesterday, we met JJ there. We've been playing NTN many years with him when we're down for a visit.

Great Town, This Springfield. --RoadDog

Homeward Bound

We've been enjoying Springfield, Illinois since Sunday night, but it's time to get home to take care of the yard and house and get some boating in before the winter winds arrive. We've been on the road since last Monday.

We did the complete Route 66 thing here, going to the Cozy Dog twice and Bill Shea's once. He is always the character and has run the gas station business for the last fifty years. A real 66er.

We had those great Cozy Dogs Monday for lunch and last night for dinner. Met up with the Australian couple from the Missouri Route 66 Motor Tour and the artist of Route 66 and inspiration for Fillmore in the movie "Cars," Bob Waldemire. Always a pleasure to get to talk with him.

We also drove one of the Route 66 alignments through town. Sad to see that the round orange bar, George Ranks, is still closed. Ninth Street is torn up north of town. We also drove on the Route 66 bypass which is Dirksen and Stevenson parkways.

We'll be taking Route 66 home, of course.

Nothing Like a Drive on the Mother Road. --RoadDog

Did Our Route 66 Thing-- Part 2

More on our 66 trip through Illinois

SPRINGFIELD-- Went to one of our favorite 66 eating places, the Cozy Dog. This is where corn dogs were invented and they only cook 'em up when you order. Not sure if I like the fresh made fries or corn dog better. My PROPER way to eat a Cozy Dog is with mustard and raw onions. Liz eats them plain.

Right down the road, they have built a Golden Corral, so we will be conflicted next visit.

I-55-- Superslabbed it to Litchfield. Not a whole lot of old 66 between Springfield and Litchfield. And those that are still there can be seen from 55.

LITCHFIELD-- Checked into the America's Best Value Inn which was a Best Western on Rt 66 where Liz and her parents stayed on their trips to KC.

Last summer, while attending the Route 66 Festival in Litchfield, we met up with a lot of fellow fanatics at Shaw's Bar and returned. It dates from the 1920s and the owners weren't into 66 until they were "discovered."

They now have a Route 66 sign out front and have been "bitten" by the bug. They have had some big groups of foreigners come by. Talked with the owner for quite awhile, who said she knew about 66 and the nearby Ariston Restaurant, but didn't think much about it until last summer.

I go into a lot more detail at http://roaddogsroadlog.blogspot.com.

On the Road to the Chain of Rocks. --RoadDog

Barhopping in Springfield, Illinois-- Celtic Mist, Recycled Records, Alamo, and Norb Andy's

This past April 19th, Liz and I went to Springfield for the Sons of Confederate Veterans Illinois Division meeting at the Hilton.

After the convention, I joined Liz and Missy, wife of Camp Douglas Camp 1507 commander John, and did a little bit of bar hopping around the city.

Met them at Celtic Mist, an Irish bar across the street from the Abraham Lincoln Hotel. I then walked around the corner to one of the fast disappearing mom and pop record stores, Recycled Records where I bought used CDs by Peter Frampton, a Mexican mariachi band, and Carole King's "Tapestry" CD, all for $10. They even had a three piece band playing by the front window with music piped into the street.

Next, walked over to the Alamo, on the site of Lincoln's first law office, well, actually the outdoor garden is. Normally, it is closed on Saturdays until evening, but was open for a breast cancer walk. Met the owner who was bar tending. Very friendly person.

NORB ANDY's

Found out he also owns Norb Andy's, a historic Springfield place (building dating to the 1840s and restaurant to around 1904) located about two blocks from the capitol building. It closed about two years ago, much to our regret. This was a great place to eat (we had our first horseshoes here) and definitely enjoyed the $1 taps and live music on the weekends. John, a lobbyist, was always there and provided his own entertainment.

In the past, many of Illinois' movers and shakers were customers.

Asked the owner why he closed it and was told that the city had torn up the street in front of it for six months causing business to really drop off. He is trying to sell it and says it is in go-condition inside. Everything is ready to be used if someone buys it.

Sure hope someone does.

More to Come. --RoadDog

April 19th-- A Day in Springfield, Illinois

At 9, Liz drove me over to the Hilton in downtown Springfield for the Illinois Division meeting of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV). I must say that Springfield really has a lot of stop lights. And...I don't think I missed a single one on the way over.

Twenty-four SCV members showed up and we did he business first. There are 159 members in Illinois, spread around six camps. The largest is my camp, Camp Douglas, named after the infamous Civil War prison in which over 6000 Confederates died in 18 months.

Incidentally, this was on the same day back in 1861 when Lincoln declared a blockade on all seceded Confederate states. Springfield is also the home of Abraham Lincoln.

When officers and Division positions were being filled, I raised my hand to ask exactly what the historian had to do. This became my job for the next year. Next time, remind me not to ask.

After lunch, the Lt. Cmdr. of the SCV, Ron Casteel, gave us an inspiring talk on the role the press, of which he retired from, in the problems facing southern heritage organizations such as ours face.

BAR HOPPING

Met up with Liz and Missy and took a walk around downtown Springfield to visit local establishments.

Met them at the Celtic Mist (an Irish place) by the hotel. Then walked over to the Alamo, a favorite watering hole for us. Usually they are not open Saturday afternoon, but had today because of a breast cancer march. Saw pictures of the march which featured many men hilariously trying to cope walking along in high heels. Now, That WAS REALLY FUNNY.

To Be Continued...

SCV and Springfield. Good Combination. --RoadDog