This is such a good idea, I'm surprised it hasn't caught on in a more widespread fashion. Residents of the Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County in Illinois recently visited the Midwest Classics on 66 Museum in Wilmington that Mike Bell of Perth, Australia, and Jeff Hubrich of the Joliet and Wilmington area opened in … Continue reading Nursing-home residents go to Route 66 car museum
Tag: Wilmington
Illinois governor hits several Route 66 sites during motorcycle tour
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner led a parade Sunday of hundreds of motorcycles to four Route 66 sites to celebrate the state's bicentennial. According to the Herald-News in Joliet, Rauner and 300 to 500 other riders made stops at the Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac, … Continue reading Illinois governor hits several Route 66 sites during motorcycle tour
Classic-car museum opening soon in Wilmington
A new classic-car museum, called Midwest Classics on 66, will open along Route 66 in Wilmington, Illinois, on the weekend after the July 4 holiday. According to a story in The Herald-News, car enthusiasts Jeff Hubrich and Mike Bell bought the old Ben Franklin building in downtown Wilmington. Hubrich grew up in the Wilmington and Joliet … Continue reading Classic-car museum opening soon in Wilmington
A lot going on with Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor festival
Towns along a 90-mile stretch of Route 66 in northern Illinois offer a lot during Saturday's Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival, but Wilmington's seems especially enticing. Not only does that city's Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie offer the chance of seeing the famous Smokey Bear hot-air balloon and newborn bison, but the new owners of … Continue reading A lot going on with Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor festival
Launching Pad Drive-In may partially reopen in May
The couple that recently purchased the long-closed Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Illinois, said they likely would partly reopen the Route 66 restaurant in May, with a full reopening sometime in 2019. The restaurant is most famous for its one-of-a-kind 30-foot-tall Gemini Giant fiberglass statue. Holly Barker and Tully Garrett, who bought the Launching Pad … Continue reading Launching Pad Drive-In may partially reopen in May
Launching Pad’s new owners launch crowdfunding site
The new owners of the Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Illinois, hadn't planned it initially, but this week they launched a crowdfunding site to help reopen the Route 66 restaurant faster. According to the CBS-TV affiliate in Chicago: New co-owner Holly Barker said the GoFundMe page launched Monday because the Wilmington community was anxious to see the … Continue reading Launching Pad’s new owners launch crowdfunding site
Midewin removing one history in favor of another
Officials of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie near Wilmington, Illinois, are gradually removing storage bunkers that once were a part of the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant in favor of restoring the original prairie. The fascinating article in The Herald-News illustrates how preservation or restoration can come in direct conflict with another era of history in the … Continue reading Midewin removing one history in favor of another
Miles of Possibility news conference to introduce Launching Pad Drive-In’s new owners
On Tuesday, Tully Garrett and Holly Barker officially bought the long-closed Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Illinois, and its iconic Gemini Giant fiberglass statue. On Friday, the couple will be introduced as the Route 66 restaurant's new owners during a news conference at 9:30 a.m. at the Route 66 Miles of Possibility event in Joliet, … Continue reading Miles of Possibility news conference to introduce Launching Pad Drive-In’s new owners
Launching Pad Drive-In lands new owners
The Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Illinois -- best-known for its Gemini Giant fiberglass giant on a corner of the property -- has new owners who plan to reopen the Route 66 landmark in the late spring. The Free Press Newspapers reported Tully Garrett and Holly Barker will take possession Oct. 16 of the property, … Continue reading Launching Pad Drive-In lands new owners
Tourists affix dozens of stickers on Gemini Giant of Wilmington
While tourists continue to visit the Gemini Giant in Wilmington, Illinois, despite the closing of the Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant in 2013, one new twist recently emerged -- visitors slapping stickers on the iconic fiberglass figure. According to the Daily Journal, Wilmington Mayor Roy Strong and some residents don't have a problem with tourists affixing … Continue reading Tourists affix dozens of stickers on Gemini Giant of Wilmington