We ride Route 66 through the cities of Gardner and Dwight and arrive in Odell. Here we stop to visit the ‘Odell Station’ that has been restored to its former glory. Even though it no longer pumps gas, the Station is a fine reminder of the days when Route 66 was the livelihood of Odell.

Hall of Fame museum in Pontiac

A bit further down the road is Pontiac where the ‘Route 66 Hall of Fame’ is located, time allowing, it is also worth a visit.

Now we stray from Route 66, bypassing Normal/Bloomington and follow the I-55 for about an hour stopping to visit Funks Grove. The Funks family has been producing top quality maple syrup for generations. We have a taste and maybe even purchase some syrup and other souvenirs.

Funks Grove sign and maple syrup	Tapping the maples at Funks Grove

5 miles further on we pull in at Dixie Truckers Stop. Anytime you see a bunch of 18-wheelers parked outside a café, you know that the food is good and good value too - Dixie Truckers Stop is no exception!

From McLean we alternate following Route 66 and I-55 to our first day destination - Springfield, Illinois. We may choose to make a stop at the Cozy Dog before we arrive at the Route 66 Hotel, our accommodation for the night. Before we call it a day, we top up our tanks so that we are ready to hit the road bright and early in the morning.

This has been a day with new bikes and nerves on edge. There have been a multitude of impressions and high expectations. It feels good to relax poolside, and share our thoughts over refreshments. We are already starting to feel a comradeship forming - and start to realize what true adventure we have started to pursue!

Pancakes with syrup, Western omelet or bacon and eggs; its going to be an early breakfast. The earlier we hit the road the better; we plan to be on our way by 8am. We start off on I-55 for ten minutes, before turning east for a couple of minutes driving along the Southside of Lake Springfield. We make a sharp turn south towards Pawnee Junction before heading west to Auburn. In Auburn we make a left on I-4 and pass through the towns of Girard and Nilwood before arriving in Carlinville.

We take a break in Carlinville in the charming town square. The square is really a large roundabout in cobblestone with a lovely pavilion in the middle. The square is often lively with local residents, who really do appreciate the arrival of 20-30 Harleys!

The Macoupin County Courthouse in Carlinville	Henry's Rabbit Ranch

We continue our journey on Route 66 and pass through the small towns of Gillespie, Benld and Sawyerville before we reach Staunton. The whole day so far, has been a travel through corn fields - as far as the eye can see - its time to stop at Rich Henry’s Rabbit Farm in Staunton. Rich Henry has a little shop where we can purchase souvenirs and receive firsthand knowledge on breeding rabbits. Rich and his wife are very charming acquaintances and they really appreciate our visit.

So far, today, we have mainly kept to Route 66; on our next leg we follow I-55, cross the border into Missouri and drive though St. Louis.