Windy City Road Warrior Gift Shop

ITEM NAME

PRICE

Route 66 in Chicago a new release from Arcadia Publishing -- Available July 16, 2007 -- Pre-order NOW! For more information and a look inside the book Click Here!

$19.99

Exploring Route 66 in Chicagoland: Journeys Through History on the Mother Road in Cook County, Illinois is the only Driving and Walking Guidebook dedicated to the beginning of the Mother Road. For more information and a look inside the book Click Here!

$19.95

Postmarked 25th Anniversary Commemorative Cover. This postmarked event cover from January 17, 2002 celebrates the return of Route 66 Shields to the beginning of the road, 25 years after they were first removed. For more information Click Here!

$5.50

Jackson Drive Skyline Postcard. View from 1937-1977 eastern terminus of U.S. 66, looking at the 1926-1937 eastern terminus. For more information Click Here!

$1.00

Buckingham Fountain Skyline Postcard. View from Buckingham Fountain, looking at the Chicago Route 66 Corridor. For more information Click Here!

$1.00

Lou Mitchell's Postcard. View of Lou Mitchell's Restaurant, a Route 66 icon in Chicago since before the Route was commissioned. For more information Click Here!

$1.00

Castle Car Wash Postcard. View of the Castle Car Wash building, which started life on Ogden Avenue and Route 66 as John J. Murphy's Filling Station in 1925. For more information Click Here!

$1.00

Begin Route 66 Postcard. View of the Begin Route 66 Sign on Adams Street, with the Sears Tower in the background. For more information Click Here!

$1.00

Postcard Set of 5. Set of All Five postcards: Jackson Drive Skyline, Buckingham Fountain Skyline, Lou Mitchell's, Castle Car Wash, and Begin Route 66. For more information Click Here!

$4.00

Buckingham Fountain Skyline 4x6 Glossy Photo Print. View from Buckingham Fountain, looking at the Chicago Route 66 Corridor. For more information Click Here!

$3.50

Jackson Drive Skyline 4x6 Glossy Photo Print. View from Jackson Drive, looking at the original eastern terminus of Route 66 in Chicago. For more information Click Here!

$3.50

Buckingham Fountain Skyline 8 1/2" x 11" Glossy Photo Print. View from Buckingham Fountain, looking at the Chicago Route 66 Corridor. For more information Click Here!

$7.00

Jackson Drive Skyline 8 1/2" x 11" Glossy Photo Print. View from Jackson Drive, looking at the original eastern terminus of Route 66 in Chicago. For more information Click Here!

$7.00

Route Center Skyline 8 1/2" x 11" Laminated Print. View from Jackson Drive, looking at the buildings at the Route Center. For more information Click Here!

$5.00

Begin Historic 66 8 1/2" x 11" Laminated Print. View looking west on Adams Street from Michigan Avenue, showing the misplaced Begin Historic 66 sign, with the Sears Tower behind. For more information Click Here!

$5.00

East Loop Walking Tour/Links of History CD. This data CD disk contains a printable walking tour of Route 66 through Chicago's East Loop, including the place where the road begins. It also includes a series of articles, "Links of History," which first appeared in print in 2002. For more information Click Here!

$5.50

West Loop Walking Tour/Driving 66 in Chicagoland CD. This data CD disk contains a printable walking tour of Route 66 through Chicago's West Loop, including Union Station and Lou Mitchell's. It also includes a series of articles, "Driving Route 66 in Chicagoland," which first appeared in print in 2004. For more information Click Here!

$5.50

SHIPPING: The Paypal Checkout process will automatically add USPS Media Mail shipping and handling fees to the order total. If you would prefer faster shipping via USPS PRIORITY MAIL, click the "Add to Cart" button to the left ONCE per order to add a $4.50 Priority Mail additional fee to the order total.

$4.50

Route 66 in Chicago -- NEW BOOK from Arcadia Publishing

From the Back Cover of Route 66 in Chicago:

"It winds from Chicago to L.A."--so says Nat "King" Cole's classic hit "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66." Beginning in 1926, Route 66 was the only U.S. highway providing a direct connection between the Windy City and the City of Angels; thus, it is no wonder that Route 66 would become the metaphor of the American journey. The crescent-shaped route from the shore of Lake Michigan to the southern Pacific Coast followed a corridor blazed by Native American footpaths, pioneer waterways, and transcontinental railroads. As the frontier moved across the Great Plains to the ocean, Chicago was the point of embarkation for people emigrating from the east, and it was the marketplace for the products harvested in the west. During the golden age of the car culture, Chicago was where people started their California trips as they took "the highway that's the best."

Historian David G. Clark has collected images symbolizing and interpreting the city and highway's shared past. The postcards, vintage and modern photographs, and periodical illustrations in Route 66 in Chicago lead to an inescapable conclusion: there could be no Route 66 without Chicago, and Chicago would be a far different place without the "Mother Road."

The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all.

Book Details

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Softcover: 128 Pages, 6 1/2" wide x 9 3/16" tall, 195 photos & illustrations

ISBN: 0-7385-5138-4

$19.99 plus shipping.

To take a closer look at Route 66 in Chicago, and to look at some pages from the book, Click Here.

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NEW BOOK -- Exploring Route 66 in Chicagoland: Journeys through History on the Mother Road in Cook County, Illinois

For most people who think about such things, Route 66 BEGINS in Chicago and ENDS in Los Angeles, although you of course can start driving anywhere upon its length and travel in either direction from any point. Access is not limited, nor is there any limitation to the depth of a 66 experience.

But why did 66 START in Chicago? And in Chicago and the rest of Cook County, why was it placed upon Jackson Boulevard, Adams Street, Ogden Avenue, and Joliet Road? Why did it go on those streets, and not others, as it made its way out west on that California quest?

The answers to these questions and more can be found in this book. As towns along the 66 corridor from Tulsa to Albuquerque and from Odell to Barstow have found ways to preserve and celebrate their highway history, Chicago, where the road BEGINS, has done next to nothing to develp its Route 66 heritage. This often leaves visitors frustrated at the very beginning of their California Trip. With Exploring Route 66 in Chicagoland, the tourist can finally learn the history that shaped U.S. 66 in the Windy City, and in all of Cook County.

Whether you are an armchair tourist, taking a Virtual Tour through the written word...

Whether you are driving through Chicago, wishing to have a better understanding of the historical context about the sights along the highway...

or Whether you are wishing to explore Route 66 in Chicago's Loop on foot...

Exploring Route 66 in Chicagoland will help you get the most out of your adventure. So, settle in to your recliner, fasten your seat belt, or tighten your shoelaces--no matter how you take the journey, it starts right now. 66 BEGINS here, my fellow Road Warriors, in a city named Chicago. Let's GET OUR KICKS on ROUTE 66!!

Book Details

Publisher: Windy City Road Warrior.com

Softcover: Comb Binding (lay flat), 150 Pages, 9" wide x 11.5" tall, 309 photos & illustrations, 31 driving and walking tour maps

ISBN: 0-9786067-0-1

$19.95 plus shipping.

To take a closer look at Exploring Route 66 in Chicagoland, and to look at some pages from the book, Click Here.

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Postmarked 25th Anniversary Commemorative Cover

On January 17, 2002, the Route 66 shield once again appeared in Chicago's Grant Park on Jackson Drive, where it had not been seen in 25 years. This postmarked cover commemorates that event.

The official 66 signs were taken down in Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois, the Eastern Terminus of the famous "Mother Road" on January 17, 1977. For decades, these signs let travellers know that they had gone as far east as possible on 66. A Chicago Sun-Times photographer captured the moment when Department of Transportation workers took down these signs as route 66 was decertified, replaced by the interstates. These had been the last remaining signs along the route in Illinois.

The purpose of the "End of Route 66" sign seen in this photo was simply to alert the traveler that they had reached the eastern terminus of this US highway. To travel further on the highway system, the driver must turn left or right for north or south US 41 at Lake Shore Drive. But as this photo was taken, "End of Route 66" took on a whole new and sad meaning. Was this the beginning of the end for the "Mother Road," not just as a commissioned highway, but as a cultural icon, as a part of the American Identity? At this moment in time, 66 was truncated to 5 of its original 8 states. In 1985, as Williams, Arizona was bypassed, 66 ceased to exist as an official US Highway.

But was this truly the "End of Route 66?" Travelers from around the world came searching for 66, looking to recapture the nostalgia of the open road from a different era. As hundreds of diners, gas stations, and motels closed due to lack of business, those remaining dug in and stayed the course, hoping for a better day.

State and National Associations were formed by people interested in preserving and prolonging the legacy of the old road. In 1996, thanks to these efforts, the Illinois Department of Transportation adopted the white-and-brown "Historic Route 66" signs already displayed in other states and placed them along the old alignment throughout the state. But they decided to post the "End 66" sign at Jackson and Michigan Avenue, and the "Begin 66" sign at Adams and Michigan, even though Lake Shore and Jackson on the western edge of Grant Park had been the eastern terminus for at least 40 years (1937-1977).

So, since the route had run through Grant Park for over 40 years, and since the famous photo had been taken in the park 25 years before, I decided that maybe it was time to let 66 visit it's old Grant Park home. So I set out on January 17th, 2002, the 25th anniversary of the removal of the signs, and put the signs back up.

"End of Route 66?" NO WAY! Route 66 lives on as long as Tom Teague (Searching for 66), Michael Wallis (Route 66: The Mother Road), and many others continue writing about it; as long as the Associations in the eight 66 States keep active; and as long as the National Historic Route 66 Federation and all of the businesses and people along the route continue to preserve and promote it. And as long as people like you and me continue to discover it, 66 will never end.

If you reach THIS end of 66, left, briefy showing it's black and white shield to all who passed on January 17, 2002, there is still no true "end" in sight. Every ending is a beginning, and Jackson Boulevard through Grant Park is still a two-way street. So just turn around, and BEGIN AGAIN!!

The Commemorative Cover features a postage stamp of California (the OTHER end of 66) and an official USPS postmark of January 17, 2002. Therefore, once all of the limited edition are sold, no more can be made. The covers are $5.50, plus shipping.

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Jackson Drive Skyline Postcard

View looking west from the 1937-1977 eastern terminus of Route 66 in Chicago's Grant Park. The buildings that dominate the view mark the original 1926-1937 Route 66 starting point.

Click here for larger view of the front and back of all of the postcards and full text of the caption on the back of the card.

The postcards are 5 1/2" by 4 1/4" on glossy card stock, matte back. The postcards are $1.00 or the set of all five for $4.00, plus shipping.

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Buckingham Fountain Skyline Postcard

View looking west towards the Route 66 corridor from Buckingham Fountain in Chicago's Grant Park.

Click here for larger view of the front and back of all of the postcards and full text of the caption on the back of the card.

The postcards are 5 1/2" by 4 1/4" on glossy card stock, matte back. The postcards are $1.00 or the set of all five for $4.00, plus shipping.

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Lou Mitchell's Restaurant Postcard

View of Lou Mitchell's Restaurant, which has satisfied travelers on Jackson Boulevard since 1923.

Click here for larger view of the front and back of all of the postcards and full text of the caption on the back of the card.

The postcards are 5 1/2" by 4 1/4" on glossy card stock, matte back. The postcards are $1.00 or the set of all five for $4.00, plus shipping.

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Castle Car Wash Postcard

View of the Castle Car Wash, which served travelers on Ogden Avenue starting in 1925 as the John J. Murphy Filling Station.

Click here for larger view of the front and back of all of the postcards and full text of the caption on the back of the card.

The postcards are 5 1/2" by 4 1/4" on glossy card stock, matte back. The postcards are $1.00 or the set of all five for $4.00, plus shipping.

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Begin Historic 66 Postcard

View looking west from Michigan Avenue and Adams Street, with Sears Tower in the background

Click here for larger view of the front and back of all of the postcards and full text of the caption on the back of the card.

The postcards are 5 1/2" by 4 1/4" on glossy card stock, matte back. The postcards are $1.00 or the set of all five for $4.00, plus shipping.

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Buckingham Fountain Skyline 4 x 6 Glossy Photo Print

View looking west towards the Route 66 corridor from Buckingham Fountain in Chicago's Grant Park.

Click here for larger view of both of our 4" by 6" Glossy Photo Prints and full text of the caption on the back of the prints.

The Prints are made with high-quality glossy photo paper and are $3.50 each plus shipping.

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Jackson Drive Skyline 4 x 6 Glossy Photo Print

View looking west from the 1937-1977 eastern terminus of Route 66 in Chicago's Grant Park. The buildings that dominate the view mark the original 1926-1937 Route 66 starting point.

Click here for larger view of both of our 4" by 6" Glossy Photo Prints and full text of the caption on the back of the prints.

The Prints are made with high-quality glossy photo paper and are $3.50 each plus shipping.

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Buckingham Fountain Skyline 8 1/2" by 11" Glossy Photo Print

View looking west towards the Route 66 corridor from Buckingham Fountain in Chicago's Grant Park.

Click here for larger view of both of our 8 1/2" x 11" Glossy Photo Prints and full text of the caption on the back of the prints.

The Prints are made with high-quality glossy photo paper and are $7.00 each plus shipping.

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Jackson Drive Skyline 8 1/2" by 11" Glossy Photo Print

View looking west from the 1937-1977 eastern terminus of Route 66 in Chicago's Grant Park. The buildings that dominate the view mark the original 1926-1937 Route 66 starting point.

Click here for larger view of both of our 8 1/2" by 11" Glossy Photo Prints and full text of the caption on the back of the prints.

The Prints are made with high-quality glossy photo paper and are $7.00 each plus shipping.

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Route Center Skyline 8 1/2" by 11" Laminated Print

View from Jackson Drive, looking at the buildings at the Route Center.

Click here for larger view of both of our 8 1/2" x 11" Laminated Prints and full text of the caption on the back of the prints.

The Prints are made with high-quality paper, laminated in a 3 mil 9" by 11 1/2" pouch and are $5.00 each plus shipping.

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Begin Historic 66 8 1/2" by 11" Laminated Print

View looking west on Adams Street from Michigan Avenue, showing the misplaced Begin Historic 66 sign, with the Sears Tower behind.

Click here for larger view of both of our 8 1/2" by 11" Laminated Prints and full text of the caption on the back of the prints.

The Prints are made with high-quality paper, laminated in a 3 mil 9" by 11 1/2" pouch and are $5.00 each plus shipping.

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East Loop Walking Tour/Links of History CD

This CD contains a walking tour guide to Chicago's 66 through the east Loop, as well as the Links of History article series and dozens of high-resolution color images. Guide and articles are in MS Word format. Most images are 300 dpi or greater and are 2 megapixel or larger.

CD includes:

A printable guide to a walking tour of the history and sites of 66 on Jackson Boulevard and Adams Street between Columbus Drive and LaSalle Street. The tour is written with the Art Institute of Chicago as the starting point, but of course the tour can be started at any point along the circular path.

The Links of History article series, originally published in the Federation News, the quarterly publication of the National Historic Route 66 Federation. The articles are identical to the published versions, but the illustrations are in color on the CD.

Links of History parts 1-4 trace the parallels between the 66 travel and commerce corridor and the precursor transporation modes (waterways, railroads, and early auto rutes) and also interprets the sad story of how the urban expressways of Chicago changed the city in unforeseen ways.

To see a sample page from the East Loop Walking Tour, Click Here (Adobe Acrobat Reader required. For free download, Click here ).

The East Loop Walking Tour/Links of History CD is $5.50, plus shipping.

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West Loop Walking Tour/Driving 66 in Chicagoland CD

This CD contains a printable walking tour guide to Chicago's 66 through the West Loop, as well as the Driving 66 in Chicagoland article series. Guide and articles are in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format.

CD includes:

A printable guide to a walking tour of the history and sites of 66 on Jackson Boulevard and Adams Street between LaSalle and Clinton streets. The tour is a circular path including the Sears Tower, the double-bascule bridges over the Chicago River, Union Station, Wacker Drive, and more.

The Driving 66 in Chicagoland article series, originally published in the Federation News, the quarterly publication of the National Historic Route 66 Federation. The articles are identical to the published versions.

Driving 66 in Chicagoland parts 1-5 are printable guides to the sites seen while driving 66 in Chicago, Cicero, and Berwyn. The series discusses the highlights of a drive east on Jackson from Ogden Avenue to Lake Shore Drive, then west on Adams from Michigan Avenue back to Ogden, and finally Ogden Avenue through Chicago and the near suburbs.

To see a sample page from the West Loop Walking Tour, Click Here. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required. For free download, Click here ).

The West Loop Walking Tour/Driving 66 in Chicagoland CD is $5.50, plus shipping.

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