back roads rout 64 (north avenue) illinois

8/14/2019 Back Roads Rout 64 (North Avenue) Illinois

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By Dan Bowers

For years I drove an eighteenwheeleracross North America and was fortunateto see the country if only from the interstate and main routes Smaller roadsescaped me because they werent practicalfor a vehicle that big

No longer bound by the big truck my

Chaparral Student Magazine/College of DuPage

B A C K

A former trucker gets anew perspective on travel

by taking Illinois Route 64

The Savanna-Subula Bridge stretches across the Mississippi River in Savanna, IL.


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wife and I rekindled the spirit of small town America on

Illinois Route one of the closest and best roads for areturn to nostalgia Heres a sampling from our road tripdiary

As the sun rises over Lake Michigan I wiggle my barefeet in the cool sand at the waters edge What a beautifulmorning to begin my short adventure of less than miles across the State of Illinois I plan to take North

Avenue from its inception at Lake Shore Drive through

Chicago and the western suburbs all the way to theMississippi River

My trip takes me down this route in Illinois to small forgotten towns towns that have grown into thrivingmetropolises and towns that are losing their fight withtime

Summer 2008

R O A D S


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NORTH AVENUE BEACHLAKE MICHIGAN

North Avenue Beach boasts one of the most interesting beach houses worth preserving The building lookslike a sleek ocean liner floating in the sands of the beachDedicated in May of thisbeach house replaces a previous shiplooking structure standing since thes

The old ship had deteriorated andbecome outdated but the newbuilding maintains the timelessbeach feel with amenities such ashot dogs at the concession stand

chair rentals for sunbathing and bikerentals to ride the trails along LakeMichigan

North Avenue Beach is locatedalong the Chicago Gold Coast nearother attractions such as the LincolnPark Conservatory and Lincoln ParkZoo leading one to believe thatthere is more than enough to doover a day without leaving the areaYou even could take a quick bus ridedowntown to shop along MichiganAvenue or sniff out some Chicagostyle pizza Take another short ride

north a few blocks to catch a Cubsgame

A full array of planned activitiesfrom junior lifeguard training to volleyball competition awaits kids of all ages For a weekend at the beach check out the web page atwwwchicagoparkdistrictcom

Early risers will find one of the most spectacular sunrises as another day dawns in sweet home Chicago

KIDDIELAND

The granddaddy of Chicago amusement parksKiddieland started in and continues to offer familyentertainment rather than the more expensive higher

end thrill rides of Great AmericaAdmission for the season is for guests age six and older and for ages three to five and oversixty As if the single admission ticket isnt enough guests can drinkfree Pepsi all day from any of theselfserve soda fountains Kiddielandis located at W North Avenue

in Melrose ParkI still love the old miniature steam

engine train that snakes its wayaround the park The oldfashionedfeel of this very walkable park hasstayed over the years and landing a softball in a bushel basketwithout a bounceback is still appealing

For thrills and spills you also canride The Pipeline a water coasterthat dives almost forty feet in darkness into a spray of water

Bring a picnic and eat in the

picnic area or enjoy the carnivalfood available throughout the parkAdmission is reasonable for a day offamily entertainment Check out

Kiddieland at wwwkiddielandcom

SALERNOS ON THE FOX

I still remember days out in Kane County with my par


The entrance to Kiddieland in MelrosePark,IL is very inviting and nostalgic.

An ocean liner was converted and dedicated as a beach house in May 2000 at North Avenue Beach in

Chicago. It replaced an older liner from the 1930s that was deteriorating.


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ents shopping for antiques in the local shops or themonthly fairground antique shows While antique shopping was not the most exciting thing in the world theday trip always ended at Salernos N nd Street onthe Fox in St Charles

The Fox River runs through the middle of this wellpreserved and updated town that sports a beautiful riverwalk to enjoy throughout the day and especially in theearly evening when the air is cool

The northwest bank of the river is home to one of thebest thin crust pizzas in Chicagoland and a great diningsite on the Fox River

`Open daily for lunch and dinner Salernos servesauthentic Italian dishes made from family recipesHomemade sauces complement their wide variety ofpasta dishes

The wine list adds additional pizzazz to the dinnerdelights

The area behind the bar sinks into the floor so the baritself is no taller then a table giving a great view foreveryone to enjoy the weekend entertainment

Summer 2008

The Campton Town Hall (above) was built in

1874 and is still the townships meeting area.


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CAMPTON TOWN HALL

Camptons beginnings can be traced back to when a group of land prospectors found this area in Kane

County to be bountifulwith wood and water Theclaim was made andCampton Township wasborn

Still standing today the town hall at NTown Hall Road StCharles is a monument tothe progress of this areaThis oneroom buildinggave the people of the areaa place to meet for churchon Sunday and room for

township meetingsCampton Township still

operates out of this building which has been updated and placed a more permanent foundation to allow running water and bathroomsOverall this building remains in wonderful shape andlooks to have many years in its future I remember walking into a similar old oneroom school my dad attendedin rural Kansas until the seventh grade

Route is home to many of these smaller prairiestructures but this is the only one that is still in use as atown hall Another one further west in Oregon Illinoishas been set up as a museum for Chana Township The

town hall in Chana Townshipis a rarer tworoom style

VIRGIL IL

The Great WesternRailroad once came throughVirgil on its way in and outof Chicago With a population of people Virgil hasnot changed much in thelast years The railroad isgone replaced with a bicyclepath The railroad station is

now a vetinary clinic andthere is no reason to shipcrops into Chicago any

longer for distribution so the crop storage is gone alsoThe main street in town is missing a lot of what once

made Virgil look like a town The general store gas station and repair shop have been converted to apartmentsand homes for the residents of Virgil The signs stilladvertise the businesses that once occupied the space


Virgil is evidence to our nations

passion to explore, even prior to air

travel and big amusement parks.

The small town Virgil converted its main street from a downtown area to a residential area.


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alerting troubled and needy travelers to assistanceVirgil is evidence to our nations passion to explore

even prior to air travel andbig amusement parksGetting from one point toanother required all those

little places in between for ameal a snack a tire repairand some fuel or a place torest your head for the night

Now that we do a lot ofour travel in the air changehas been forced on thesesmall little rest stops Virgilis now just a bedroom community for the small townsand surrounding cities

DOWNTOWN SYCAMORE

Sycamore Illinois wasincorporated as a village in and by had been organized as a city The mainbusiness district runs along Route in Sycamore Route takes on the name State St as it runs through townSycamore is the county seat for Dekalb County and just miles north of Dekalb IL home of Northern IllinoisUniversity

Downtown Sycamore has been kept up very well

through the years and still has alot of charm left Take a walkdown main street and notice thewell kept courthouse enjoy allthe little shops boutiques andrestaurants that the town has tooffer and if you smell fresh popcorn while walking throughtown follow your nose to thepopcorn vendor right in the middle of downtown with its organgrinder music playing across thepublic address system in thedowntown area The StateTheater still plays first runmovies and the neon marqueeand the theater have been beautifully restored

Take a walk over to the library

and notice its unique architecture Opened in the librarywas built with fine red stone andmodeled after The PaxtonCarnegie Library that was built in The library has gonethrough many changes since itoriginal construction and has survived the building destruction of

a few additions In a new addition was built thatmirrors a modern version ofthe original building Thelibrary also houses a historymuseum called the Joiner

Room Located on the second floor history materialsinclude handwritten documents and county recordsdating back to the beginning of the county; alsooriginal Civil War papersplat maps and poll booksThe collection includes earlynewspapers photographscemetery records and miscellaneous family files

Take a stroll around theimmediate area and notice

the enormous old homesmost under different stages

of restoration This community has become a bedroomcommunity for staff at NIU in Dekalb

Downtown Sycamore has been able to maintain itsidentity while keeping the charm that most small townshave lost through years of progress without plan Thereare lots of things to see here so take your time and enjoyState Street Sycamore

Summer 2008

Downtown Sycamore has been

able to maintain its identity while

keeping the charm that most small

towns have lost through years of

progress without plan.

A popcorn stand sells the popular snack in downtown Sycamore, IL.


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Pete (right) takes an order from an employee as he cooks steak on a charcoal grill. Pete and his brother

John co-own the Blackhawk Steak Pit in Oregon, IL.


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ILLINOIS PRARIE PATH

The Great Western Railroad ran from Chicago westtowards the Pacific Ocean Part of the Illinois line wasabandoned during railroad deregulation Companies

abandoned lines that ran near redundant lines of othercompanies since there was no longer any reason for multiple lines going to the same place to stay in operationCompanies began to buy time on each others tracks Theabsence of the Great Western line left a ft wide voidsome miles long from St Charles IL to just beforeSycamore IL In St Charles going east the prairie pathconnects to the former electric railway the ChicagoAurora and Elgin Interurban The Illinois Prairie Path is miles long from Chicago to St Charles This is a multiusetrail in Cook DuPage and Kane Counties following theold rightofway that suspended all operations in and abandoned the line in Once connected to theGreat Western line it

increases the distance to justover miles east to west

The original idea for theIllinois Prairie Path was proposed by a teacher and naturalist in in a letter tothe Chicago Tribune TheIllinois Prairie PathCorporation was formed in and acquired the first miles of the Prairie Path oneyear later It took years todevelop the first milesSince the completion of the

first segment many othersegments have been added The neatest thing about thePrairie Path is you can start anywhere you want alongthe trail It incorporates many bridges over large roadsand rivers so it is easy to navigate and has great stopsalong the route for food entertainment and history TheIllinois Prairie Path has become a model nationally forcommunities and state and national governments todevelop abandoned railroad lines and famous trails west

BLACKHAWK STEAK PIT Oregon IL

The name the basic appearance of the building andthe location they all make you wonder what you might

be getting into Fear not get out of the car and try it outOnce you walk inside you realize you have just walkedinto a one of a kind dining experience Pete will greet youas an awaited guest and welcome you to what he considers his house well it is Pete is the owner along withhis brother John and they will make you feel like a guestin their home

The servers are delightfully helpful The Bar is wellstocked with your favorite beverages The atmosphere is

perfect for a romantic candlelight dinner and Pete isready to cook you the best steak you have ever hadCooked over a charcoal pit in the middle of the diningroom theres nothing to hide here Get out of your seatand watch Pete lay your steak to the coals

No lie this is one of the best steak houses inChicagoland Its just an hour drive west but worth everypenny of the drive You wont be sorry The steaks are sogood you can eat them without adding any steak sauceIn fact I recommend it Take a bite first before you add asingle thing it just might surprise you Along with yourmeal you will be treated to a very nice salad bar and ifyou like potato salad the potato salad at The Steak Pitmay spoil you for any one elses A taste all its own it willcall you to come back for more To finish this perfectnight off ask about the desserts White ChocolateRaspberry Cheesecake Key Lime Pie Baklava andSpumoni Ice Cream just to name a few

Pete and brother

John moved to this area inthe late s after sellingtheir donut shop on OgdenAve Downers Grove acrossfrom Omega Pete felt heneeded a bigger challengeand he and his brotherwent out to find that perfect spot to put a nightcluband restaurant They foundthat spot in Oregon Illinoison the west side of theRock River just north oftown in the shadow of The

Blackhawk Indian Statue In they opened Maxons Restaurant on the shores ofthe Rock River and across the parking lot they opened anightclub Two years later Pete was tired of the nightclubbusiness and converted the club to The Blackhawk SteakPit The brothers sold Maxons about years ago tospend their time on The Steak Pit Blackhawk Steak Pit isnot open for lunch Operating seven days a week theyopen for dinner at pm and serve until pm The barstays open as long as people are around to drink

WHITE PINES STATE PARK

This is one of Illinois bestkept secrets Once I started

to research this state park I realized this is a real diamondin the ruff Its about four miles south and three mileswest of Oregon IL White Pines State Park is perfectlylocated to enjoy the Oregon and Mount Carroll areasThere is also no shortage of activities for one to find atthe Park itself from simple activities like walking themiles of welldeveloped trails throughout the park tofishing

This park is not only enjoyable but also educational

Summer 2008

The steaks are so good you can

eat them without adding any steak

sauce. In fact, I recommend it.


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When you first enter the park you will find a grove oftrees that are purposely planted with trees foundthroughout the park This will help you or your kids identify the different types of vegetation found throughoutthe park and while hiking the trails

Great amenities await you all around the park fromgreat campsites to wonderful log cabins to rent by thenight or even the week A choice in cabins is even available from cozy oneroom cabins that can sleep up tofour to two and four room cabins that can sleep largergroups The prices are reasonable too

Wake up and walk over to the main building Built inthe early s under the Conservation Act helping putpeople to work during the Depression while preserving

some of our great natural resources The main lodgehouses a great gift shop and a wonderful restaurant thatserves three meals a day and an operating dinner theaterPrices are very reasonable and there is something forevery taste

Every Sunday the Lodge at White Pines has an outstanding Sunday Brunch This Brunch is the talk of thearea If youre around on Sunday dont miss it OnWednesday and Thursday each weak the lodge hosts adinner theater With one show each day seating beginsat :am and lunch is served buffet style at noon

The buffet consists of no less than three meats vegetables and other side items served alongside a great saladbar Over the next three hours guests will enjoy a great


White Pines State Park is home to many log cabins. Two cabins are handicapped accessible.


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show with dessert served during the intermission Showschange every weeks Dont just show up these showsare popular Call and make reservations or find out information atwwwwhitepinesinncom

Cabins at the park likestaying in a piece ofAmerican History Eachcabin stands by itself Theyall include a fireplace to cozyup close during cold nightsEach cabin has its own fullbathroom Looking for a

romantic weekend reservethe Sweetheart Cabin Thiscabin is specially designedfor those special weekendgetaways Need special services like handicap accessibility? There are two cabins that have been outfitted tobe fully wheelchair accessible And of course the largercabins are for families or bigger groups

Open year round this is an all seasons state park Besure to inquire about the different activities the park hasto offer for the time of year you will be visiting Go onceand you will be back year after year

MOUNT CARROLL MOTEL

The Mount Carroll Motel is definitely not a recommendation at least at its current state In fact thereprobably isnt anybody around to take your reservationor check you in This old motel stands as testament tochange in the way we travel Once a busy motel thiscomplex consists of over rooms A pool restaurantand a lot of guest parking shows this was once a favorite

stop for travelers This property has suffered the fate thatmany properties like it throughout North America havealso suffered

The sad ending to the lifeof this property is direct evidence to the change in theway we travel and wherewe travel Destinations andproperties such as restaurants and lodging have tobe constantly reinventingthemselves to keep visitorscoming back year after

year This can have a directchange in the economy ofan area that was built withits dependencies on travelto and through the areaOnce an area falls too far

into the financial hole it is almost impossible for it torecover Thus economic and poverty issues are soon tofollow

SAVANNA IL THE BRIDGE & THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Welcome to Savanna the sign says As I am welcomedinto the last town in Illinois I notice to both sides of me

obvious decay in the basic appearance of my surroundings Sad yes but its unavoidable for a river town Oncethe towns main reason for existence the MississippiRiver has failed to produce an environment for a town toprosper on

This town had it all once as evidenced by the lengthybusiness district and the architectural beauty of the existing buildings Struggling to survive the change in itseconomy this town has dealt with changes in the river

Summer 2008

The sad ending to the life of this

property is direct evidence to the

change in the way we travel and

where we travel.

The Mount Carroll Motel still stands even though it has been out of business for years.


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changes with the railroad and changes in travel habitsThe sidewalks and streetlamps are new but the businessis definitely all about nightlife bars and bikes

Dont give up on this town totally There is a river theMississippi so if you like tofish try to see what you cancatch You can schedule ariverboat ride eat dinner onthe Mississippi at The BoatRestaurant check out theTrain Museum located in an

old train car or explore oldmill park along theMississippi If you rode yourHarley you may want tograb a room at one of theMotels or Bed & Breakfastsin town and check out some of the local Saloons andWatering Holes around town Maybe its a new tattooyoure looking for Tattoo parlors are located up anddown the business district All in all this might be aninteresting town to spend the night

As we drive through town the road turns north Inthe short distance I see it standing like an erector set overwater The SavannaSubula Bridge definitely not made

for big traffic this bridge has been long since replaced bya more modern cement structure with four lanes Thisbridge is a classic just wide enough for two cars going inopposite directions to safely pass each other while crossing the Mississippi

The speed limit is only miles per hour while crossingthe bridge but no hurry Take it in and enjoy this classicpiece of history The road surface is made of metal gratesand you can see straight through them to the river

below The surface vibrates the vehicle as you moveacross it making the funny humming sound All I canthink is how they dont build bridges this way anymore Ipicture Model Ts or a Ford Coupe crossing this road

back in the day when thiswas the favorite way totravel I think to myselfwhat a great way to end anadventure

Travel has changed

in North America Currentlypeople are looking for thebest way to get in the mostdistance in the shortestamount of time As Inoticed the hurry in my

own life and the desire to find bigger better excitement Icouldnt help to step back and take a look at what otheroptions there where closer to home What I found wasanother way to take a trip Enjoyable in its own way thishas been eye opening and mind enhancing This wasmore relaxing than any super vacation could have beenThe pressure that a super vacation creates is exactly whatwe are trying to escape when we plan to take a vacation

This was an enlightening & educational trip for meWell this might not be the route you are interested intaking try finding a route that peaks you curiosity Myadvice do a little research and find a trip that peaks yourcuriosities and fits into your time frame and budget Notsure where to start? Give this little trip a try over a day weekend this just may get you thinking about howto plan your own adventure Explore America its herefor the exploring Happy Traveling!

Summer 2008

A train is running along the Mississippi River in the morning through the town of Savana, IL.

All I can think is how they dont build

bridges this way anymore.

back roads rout 64 (north avenue) illinois

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