Illinois Gas Stations

Many of the gas stations along the route have been transformed into gift shops and tourist centers. I made a stop at the one in Odell, Illinois (bottom photo) and found the young man working there to be quite helpful. He was born and raised there, and has met a lot of 66 travelers. Believe it or not, most are from Europe (I met a couple from Denmark as I was leaving.) They come here wanting to experience a bit of history they don't have access to in their culture...wanting to see real America.

But the best story there was a wedding! They have a newspaper article posted on the wall with photos and all. The couple were both real Route 66 afficionados and have traveled it often, so they wanted there wedding along the Route. What better place than in front of a gas station? It even had a built-in archway! Now that would be a story for a pastor to tell.