Pontiac's Walldogs

Walldogs. Have you heard of them? They are a group of sign and mural artists from around the world who are transforming the walls of buildings on America's Main Street into amazing works of public art. We've already seen their eye-catching work along The Route from afar, but here in Pontiac we get to take a much closer look at these amazing murals. Pontiac is the home of Chief City Walldogs, a local group of sign and mural artists who have painted some awesome public art on the buildings around town. Our first stop today is to visit these remarkable "Murals on Main Street."

But before I tell you more about this extraordinary public art project, let me say a word or two about our overnight stay. As I have noted previously, Pontiac does not have a lot of lodging options--and none on Route 66 in our estimation--so we were happy to find the Best Western Pontiac Inn for our first night's stay on The Route. Conveniently located near the Mother Road, this older property has benefited from a recent remodel. The front-desk staff was friendly and helpful. Our room was clean, quiet, and comfy.  The price was right, especially with the free hot breakfast. Until the Fiesta and Palamar motels on Route 66 are renovated, we will stay here the next time we are in town.

Now let's go see some murals!

As we approach downtown, we are astonished by the number of murals on the buildings in downtown Pontiac. This touching tribute to Bob Waldmire, noted Route 66 cartographer and traveling artist, is also a lovely homage to the Mother Road.

Other murals, like this vibrant Coca-Cola advertisement, recall the old-fashioned commercial wall murals before the advent of billboards. These "Ghost Signs" are still visible on old buildings in many towns and cities today. Have you seen them around town where you live?

The mural painters of yore were often called Walldogs--a nickname that has been adopted by today's mural artists. In addition to their name, contemporary Walldogs have also espoused other traditions and techniques from the past, such as the use of vibrant colors

distinctive design styles

and themes imbued with nostalgia and historic significance.

Pretty nifty, huh?

Plus, Pontiac holds a significant place in the Walldog movement, which began in Allerton, Iowa, where the first official Walldog meet was held in 1993. Event host Nancy Bennett invited dozens of sign artists for the occasion, who convened in Allerton to paint large historic wall advertisements on several downtown buildings. The Walldog movement has continued to grow since then, hosting events around the country and transforming America's towns and cities with eye-popping wall art. The Walldogs' growing list of accomplishments are being chronicled by the International Walldog Mural and Sign Art Museum, which is located right here in Pontiac.

The Walldog movement arrived in Pontiac when its resident Walldogs hosted the Chief City Runs with the Dogs meet in 2009. Pontiac's Mayor, Bob Russell, describes the positive impact that the event had on the city:

Walldogs from around the world occupied our City for 4 days in June of 2009.  Even before they arrived in Pontiac, I could sense the anticipation and excitement growing in the hundreds of volunteers who had been planning for the event.  During those 4 days, the laughter and smiles on people’s faces was something that hadn’t been seen in the City of Pontiac for the past couple of years. When I walked around on that Sunday evening at the end of the event, and looked at all the murals, I still couldn’t believe what I had just seen happen. The many buildings that just a few months before where looking old and tired, now looked new and alive.  A long time City resident came up to me and said, “This City hasn’t looked this good in 40 years”.  I agreed with him.  Since that weekend, thousands of local residents, and untold numbers of visitors from around the world, have been able to enjoy the beauty of the murals as well as learn more about the history of Pontiac.  It is a pleasure to be downtown and see people strolling along the streets, taking pictures, or just enjoying everything that the murals have brought to our City. The City of Pontiac sends a big “Thank You” to all the Walldogs that made this happen.

The murals created during the celebration continue to draw the eye of tourists like us from around the nation and the world.

The Walldogs are certainly making their mark in communities across the country, playing an especially important role in the revitalization and beautification of small-town America.

We didn't expect to find so much great public art on Route 66. What other delightful surprises will we find along the Mother Road?

On the (Mother) Road with Jack Kerouac

Our first day on Route 66 reminds me of the movie On the Road (2012). On so many stretches of The Route, the scenery was so cinematic, unwinding like a film reel on the screen of the windshield while T and I watched with wonder. The film lacks the continuity and poetic rhythm of Jack Kerouac's novel, but it is well worth watching just to enjoy the beautiful cinematography of the road trips.

I can see a bit of myself in Sal Paradise, the main character of the story, who takes to the road as a kind of therapy. Sal seeks to distance himself from the life he leaves in the rear-view mirror; the greater the distance, the better he feels. And so do I. Like Sal, I am searching for answers to Life's questions. For me, this Route 66 road trip is as much a spiritual journey--a homing quest for authentic self--as it is the fulfillment of a long-cherished dream.

The film is based on Jack Kerouac's autobiographical novel On the Road, which chronicles the travels of a young writer across America between 1947 and 1950, beginning with his first long road trip that starts on Lincoln Highway and continues on parts of Route 66, among other highways and byways throughout the country. Like Sal, Kerouac embarked on a journey to find America and the inherent goodness in "American man." His quest for meaning, truth, and authentic experience was shared by other members of the Beat Generation (William Burroughs, Neal Cassady, Allen Ginsberg)--and this Blissful Vagabond. To me, there's no better place to begin this quest than on America's Main Street.

The book is a great read, as a novel and a travelogue. In fact, The Modern Library, The New York Times, and Time magazine ranked On the Road as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. As a milestone in American literature, On the Road continues to inspire new generations of poets, writers, actors, musicians, and filmmakers--and travelers like me.

Perhaps even better than the novel itself is the Audible audio edition of On the Road, superbly narrated by Will Patton. (Matt Dillon's reading is notable, too, but Patton's masterful renditions of the characters make the story come alive.) This 11-CD 50th Anniverary Edition is well worth the listen--especially if you've got an 11-hour road trip ahead of you. The narration expresses Kerouac's notion of language as jazz, "somewhere between its Charlie Parker Ornithology period and another period that began with Miles Davis." The story of Sal's road adventures with Dean Moriarty flows with a jazzy, colloquial, improvisational fluidity. I wonder if Kerouac's cross-country road trips introduced him to the pulsating rhythm of the pavement and the liberating promise of the open road, leading him to associate the "beat" of the Beat Generation with the musical term of "being on the beat" and the spiritual state of being "blissful."

I am certainly beat from spending ten hours on the road, but more than mere weariness, I am still feeling the syncopated beat of tires striking control joints in the pavement, still sensing the forward momentum of all that road going, as I receive the benediction of the evening star and the blessing of blissful sleep.

So in America when the sun goes down and I sit on the old broken-down river pier watching the long, long skies over New Jersey and sense all that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast, and all that road going, and all the people dreaming in the immensity of it, and in Iowa I know by now the children must be crying in the land where they let the children cry, and tonight the stars'll be out, and don't you know that God is Pooh Bear? the evening star must be drooping and shedding her sparkler dims on the prairie, which is just before the coming of complete night that blesses the earth, darkens all the rivers, cups the peaks and folds the final shore in, and nobody, nobody knows what's going to happen to anybody besides the forlorn rags of growing old, I think of Dean Moriarty, I even think of Old Dean Moriarty the father we never found, I think of Dean Moriarty.

--Jack Kerouac, On the Road

Route 66 Day 1: Top Five Experiences

Because we have had so many peak experiences on our first day of driving Route 66, picking my Top Five experiences is a challenge. But here goes:

1. Clifford, the Travel Angel (aka, Ambassador of the Route 66 sign on Adams and Wabash) Meeting interesting people on the Mother Road--especially people I would never meet otherwise--is by far the peak experience of our first day on The Route. I'm still feelin' the love!

2. Lou Mitchell's Restaurant & Bakery 

Breakfast here was one of the best meals I've ever had. This place is definitely one of the Great American Diners and deserves its excellent ratings on Yelp! and TripAdvisor.

3. Berwyn's Toys & Trains 

This little treasure chest was the biggest surprise of the day. We thoroughly enjoyed our excursion to the happy days of childhood. So glad we stopped here on a whim.

4. Joliet's Route 66 Experience

This museum provided the best introduction to the history and cultural importance of the Mother Road. I loved the interactive exhibits, the faboo merch in the gift shop, and the free literature on The Route's coming attractions. Funks Grove and Devils Elbow, here we come!

5. Dwight 

What a charming whistle-stop on The Route! I loved the historical architecture--especially Ambler's Texaco--and the tranquil vibe of this quintessentially Midwestern village, the epitome of small-town America.

Pontiac at Last!

Twilight, again. Another ending. No matter how perfect the day is, it always has to end.

--Stephanie Meyer, Twilight

First advertisement for Meramec Caverns on Route 66

Look! The sign on that old barn is the first of many advertisements for Meramec Caverns, one of the most famous attractions on The Route, which is still 285 miles down the road. The barn billboard itself is a 66 Roadside Attraction, as indicated by the small blue sign to the left of the fence.

A few miles farther, we see the Old Log Cabin Restaurant at the junction of Historic Route 66 and Aurora Street, which signals the turnoff to Pontiac. The last dregs of light fade from the horizon, and the streets blacken as we finally arrive in town.

But the day is not done until we find a place to stay for the night.

Our lodging choices on The Route do not look promising as we cruise through town on Historic Route 66.

Even in the gathering darkness, the Fiesta Motel looks like it has seen better days. Plus, the TripAdvisor reviews are mixed at best. One reviewer claims that “the hotel appears to be the long-term lodging for several families, which give the motel an especially sketchy vibe.” We agree—and keep driving.

As we continue along The Route, we see The Palamar Motel south of downtown near the access road to I-55. What a disappointment to see the place looking so shabby—and scary. The Palamar was once a thriving establishment, its huge neon sign beckoning countless weary travelers like us driving the Mother Road. In the motel’s heyday, Saturday night crowds packed the adjacent supper club, swinging to the sound of the big bands. The bar was also a popular half-way watering-hole for politicians who commuted between Springfield and Chicago on Route 66. Not anymore. Somebody needs to dream big to bring this place back to life.

No wonder the National Trust for Historic Preservation has collectively placed classic Route 66 lodgings like The Palamar Motel on the list of America’s most endangered historic places. Too many of these national treasures are succumbing to poor maintenance; plus, demolishing and redeveloping ramshackle properties is often cheaper than renovating.  In addition, most are independently owned and simply cannot compete with hotel chains, which offer more amenities and loyalty-program benefits.

Tonight, however, we are left to pick from the hotel chains. Super8? No way—might as well head back to the Fiesta. Comfort Inn? Mixed reviews, so no thanks. The Best Western will have to do. Hope I can stay awake long enough to write my postcards!

Dwight's "Star" Attraction

Ever poised on that cusp between past and future, we tie memories to souvenirs like string to trees along life's path, marking the trail in case we lose ourselves around a bend of tomorrow's road.

--Susan Lendroth

As we approach the Village of Dwight, I-55 bends gracefully away from Route 66 to the west. Meanwhile, we've made three awkward turns--a right and two lefts--just to stay on The Route.

Although Route 66 bypasses Dwight's downtown, this quaint village is "not just another bump in the road"--and it is certainly not to be missed. Even the highway itself pays homage to delightful Dwight, curving around this quintessentially Midwestern town rather than careering through its center. Here, "the touch of dreams/is over all," as Carl Sandburg describes the ideal of the American small town with its picturesque streets, handsome homes, and historic buildings. Even Prince Albert found this town fit for a future king's visit. No wonder Dwight became "the most famous village of its size in America."

For Route 66 enthusiasts, the "star" attraction is the Ambler-Becker service station at the crossroads of Historic 66 and Old 66 on the south edge of town. Built in 1933, Ambler’s Texaco Gas Station, also known as Vernon’s Texaco Station and Becker’s Marathon Gas Station, was one of the first to service travelers on The Route. When it closed in 1999, Ambler's Texaco became the longest continuously operated service station to pump gas on Historic Route 66, serving customers for 66 years, naturally. We saw several old gas pumps in Joliet, but seeing these original antiques standing in front of this beautifully restored roadside attraction is truly impressive.

We park in the lot and get out to admire the station’s design; according to the guidebook, its cottage look with white clapboard siding was purposely styled to be homey and inviting to customers in the 1930s, many of whom were leaving the comforts of home for the first time to explore the country on the new highway. We peek through the door to the main office, remembering the old Coke machines of our past when a dime would buy an ice-cold bottle of Dr. Pepper (my favorite) or Pepsi (T's preference). Of course, when we were kids, everything was a lot less expensive. In those days, there was no such thing as "self-serve," and gasoline cost just 33 cents per gallon!

We also peer into the paned windows of the service bay, a simple circa-1940 concrete block addition to the north side of the original building. The Ford firetruck on the lift looks like it is just as roadworthy as it was in the 1930s. The garage is chock full of vintage antiques, such as the old-fashioned tire pump and gas can on the workbench. The drawings of fancy cars of the 1930s and '40s stenciled on the work cabinet certainly look much more stylish than our 2014 Ford Focus. However, we can hardly imagine driving a vehicle without power steering and brakes, trying to negotiate the twists and turns of the Mother Road. The Route earned its reputation for "Dead Man's" curves.

Like so many of the buildings we have seen so far on Route 66, the Ambler-Becker service station has been given a new life after finally closing up shop in 2002. With the help of a matching grant from the National Park Service’s Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, the station now serves as a visitor’s center for the Village of Dwight. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. As a harbinger of the future, the EV charging station on the north side of the parking lot promises that the Ambler-Becker station will continue to serve Route 66 travelers for decades to come.

As we prepare to leave, the Old Route 66 Family Restaurant sign across the street beckons us to "follow the Mother Road to good food." TripAdvisor reviews confirm their claim, and we're tempted to find out whether they have a home-cooked antidote for the chicken dinner we suffered at the Polk-A-Dot in Braidwood. But the allure of downtown is too strong, so we decide to discover a bit more about delightful Dwight before the sun goes down. We take a left on Old Route 66, which becomes West Mazon Avenue as we approach the center of town. We admire the large homes, old and new, which line the tree-draped streets. We pass the former C&A Railroad Depot, a splendid example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture built in 1891. Across the street from the depot sits the former Frank L. Smith Bank, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905. As we circle around town to the south, we drive by the stately John R. Oughton House (now a restaurant) with its lovely carriage house (now the public library) and Don Quixote-esque windmill built in 1891  by Dwight physician Dr. Leslie Keeley, founder of the world-famous Keeley Institute. The village still has the feel of the therapeutic community it was for the hundreds of thousands of alcoholics who came to Dwight to take the Keeley Cure. Who knew that such a little town could hold so many treasures?

We are reluctant to leave Dwight in the rear-view mirror, but we must press on to Odell. We return to the Ambler-Becker station for one last look before heading southwest on Historic Route 66. As the sun sets, I notice a wind farm to the east; on the western horizon, the ruin of old barns fade into the lengthening shadows. The two images seem poised on the cusp of the past and future.

As we enter Odell, a sign reads "Small town with a big heart where everybody is somebody." The tiny town probably lives up to its great motto, but the streets are deserted as we drive through. We are looking for the old Mobil Station (long closed) with its galloping red-winged horse sign and the historic Odell Standard Oil Station. After spending so much time admiring the Ambler-Beck station, we are less impressed with these remnants of the past: the one with only the sign and a couple of classic cars to keep it from fading into oblivion; and the other in need of another restoration. The ravages of time and weather render the upkeep of these and so many other historic buildings a Sisyphean task.

Yet without such heroic efforts, what would become of the Mother Road?