Our Route 66 Adventures: Cozy Dog Drive In

Date of Visit: May 4, 2026

On our way home from the Route 66 Centennial Kick Off in Springfield, MO, we didn't originally plan to do any Route 66 things, but we ended up going home via Michigan and decided to get off the interstate to at least eat an early lunch at Cozy Dog Drive IL. We ended up also driving a bit of Route 66 through Springfield, IL and visited the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.

Cozy Dog Drive In is the home of the original hot dog on a stick, which they call a Cozy Dog.

I had Cheese on a Stick.

I also had a Road Side Route 66 Root Beer.

See full list of Our Route 66 Adventures here and Google map here.

Destination Info:

Cozy Dog Drive In

2935 S 6th St

Springfield, IL 62703

Our Route 66 Adventures: Wally's, Pontiac, IL

Date of Visit: May 4, 2026

Stopping at Wally's was a last minute decision. I had heard about it and did not put it on our Route 66 plan for the fall mainly because it is a little bit off of Route 66 and I already have a lot of things on our schedule for when we are going through Pontiac. Thus, when we saw it as we were traveling the Interstate through this time, I decided we should stop.

Wally's is a lot like a Buc-ee's, although it did not seem to have quite as much variety of things and was not anywhere as crazy as most Buc-ee's locations are.

From the fresh popcorn area, I got the Flavor of the Week, which was Street Corn.

We also found some good Route 66 souvenirs here including a pair of pajama pants for Mik and a Centennial Route 66 Cola for my Route 66 bottle collection.

See full list of Our Route 66 Adventures here and Google map here.

Destination Info:

Wally's

1 Holiday Road

Pontiac, Illinois 61764

Our Route 66 Adventures: Homestead Rest Area Northbound I-55

Date of Visit: May 4, 2026

While doing Route 66 we mostly plan to avoid the I-55, but when we were heading from Springfield, MO, to Indiana, we stuck to the fastest route other than doing some Route 66 in Springfield, IL. We stopped at the first rest area in Illinois (Homestead Rest Area) because we had heard there was an Illinois Route 66 passport and thought maybe we would find it here since it is also a Welcome Center.

The Welcome Center part wasn't open, but we did grab some of the Route 66 information they had available and found some Route 66 murals on the walls.

See full list of Our Route 66 Adventures here and Google map here.

Destination Info:

Homestead Rest Area Northbound I-55

5905 I-55

Edwardsville, IL 62025

Our Route 66 Adventures: Disney Pixar Cars at Gillioz Theatre

Date of Visit: May 3, 2026

The Gillioz Theatre does a free Sunday movie once a month. The May 2026 movie was Disney Pixar's Cars in honor of the Route 66 Centennial and the movie's 20th anniversary.

We got our free tickets when the box office opened at noon and then went to Big Whiskey's nearby to get some food while we waited for the doors to open.

The free movie also included a free bottled soda and a box of popcorn. There was also leftover boxes of popcorn you could grab on the way out and goodie bags that had little racing flags and Cars activty sheets.

Seeing Cars in a theater that has been on Route 66 for nearly 100 years was a fun activity to finish our weekend exploring Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri.

See full list of Our Route 66 Adventures here and Google map here.

Destination Info:

Gillioz Theatre

325 Park Central E

Springfield, MO 65806

Our Route 66 Adventures: Springfield 66 Centennial Sculpture Series

A Century Begins Here

Date of Visit: April 28-May 1, 2026

Over the course of several days while exploring Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri, we did the Springfield 66: Sculpture Series Route digital passport to find all 16 of the statues. Once you check into enough of the statues, you can redeem for one of three pins. We ended up getting all the pins by the end of our visit.

Weathered But Not Forgotten

Into the Sunset

Preserving the Passion

Night Riders of the Mother Road

The Frisco

The Frisco

Wings of Route 66

The Buzz of the Mother Road

The Cardinal Spirit

Intersecting Journeys

Hope the High Road

Quiet Currents & City Lights

Quiet Currents & City Lights

Rerouted: From Mother Road to Motherboard

Welcome to Springfield

Game On, Springfield

Pasture Raised on the Mother Road

Pasture Raised on the Mother Road

Springfield 66: Sculpture Series Route pins

See full list of Our Route 66 Adventures here and Google map here.

Destination Info:

Springfield 66: Centennial Sculpture Series

Springfield, MO

Our Route 66 Adventures: Springfield Route 66 Musical Road

Date of Visit: May 2, 2026

In honor of Route 66's Centennial and the United State's 250th, Springfield, Missouri, added some rumble strips on the edge of Saint Louis St a little bit past the Queen's Gate 66 sculpture.

If you drive it at a steady 30 MPH, it plays "America the Beautiful." It took Dad a few tries to stay on it for almost the whole part as the last part is not lined up straight with the rest.

See full list of Our Route 66 Adventures here and Google map here.

Destination Info:

Springfield Route 66 Musical Road 

1667 E Saint Louis St

Springfield, MO 65802

Our Route 66 Adventures: Missouri Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit at Gillioz Theatre

Date of Visit: May 1, 2026

The Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit has a Missouri and New Mexico version on display in their respective states at various locations this year. We saw it while it was on display at the Gillioz Theatre in Springfield.

The exhibit features info about Route 66 including sites to see and its history in Missouri.

The exhibit also gave us a chance to see inside the Gillioz Theatre, which is also celebrating its centennial this year. A few days later we saw Disney Pixar's Cars here.

See full list of Our Route 66 Adventures here and Google map here.

Destination Info:

Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit

Gillioz Theatre, Springfield, MO (Apr 30-May 2, 2026)

Crawford County Historical Society, Cuba, MO (May 3-Sep 15, 2026)

Red Cedar Inn Museum and Visitor Center, Pacific, MO (Sep 17-18. 2026)

Red Oak II, Carthage, MO (Sep 18-20, 2026)

Our Route 66 Adventures: Route 66 Birthplace Plaza

Date of Visit: May 1, 2026

The Route 66 Birthplace Plaza is one of the new things added to Springfield, Missouri for the Route 66 Centennial. The plaza is located where the Colonial Hotel once stood, which was where the telegram proposing the route be named 66 was sent. There is a plaque on the keys sculpture about the birth of Route 66.

The Plaza features "The Ghost of the Colonial Hotel" sculpture to represent the hotel that once stood at this location.

On the ground there is a mosaic map of Route 66.

The building behind the plaza has a mural.

The building across the street on Park Central E has a plaque that also commemorates the telegram that gave Route 66 its name. John T. Woodruff has an office on the 7th floor of the building. He was involved in selecting 66 as the name along with Cyrus Avery and was also the first president of the U.S. Highway 66 Association.

Across the street on Jefferson Ave is a Route 66 shield sculpture.

See full list of Our Route 66 Adventures here and Google map here.

Destination Info:

Route 66 Birthplace Plaza

205 S Jefferson Ave

Springfield, MO 65806

Our Route 66 Adventures: Queen's Gate 66

Date of Visit: April 28 & May 1, 2026

Queen's Gate 66 is a new sculpture in Springfield, Missouri, that was dedicated as part of the Route 66 Centennial Kick Off weekend. We first saw it on April 28 when we were staying at the nearby Best Western Rail Haven. At the time it was not quite completed, so we made sure to visit again after it was dedicated a few days later.

While there were still some finishing touches to be done when we first saw it, it was already lit up, so we got an idea of how it looks at night.

When we visited it after it was finished, we were able to walk up to it and through it.

Under the middle of the sculpture are murals with some about on Springfield, Missouri, as the Birthplace of Route 66 and featuring some of the various landmarks of Route 66. One side focuses on Missouri and the other side features some highlights of the other states Route 66 goes through.

See full list of Our Route 66 Adventures here and Google map here.

Destination Info:

Queen's Gate 66

1701 E Saint Louis St

Springfield, MO 65802