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Lexington, IL |
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Located in the heart of the Bloomington-to-Joliet run that is perhaps the best stretch of the Mother Road in Illinois, the small town of Lexington continues to embrace its place along the highway. Though its cute downtown is located several blocks east of Route 66, as the road attempted to bypass the village to the west, there are still a few attractions visable to the traveler thanks to the excellent preservation efforts of the community.
The entire southbound lanes of the old bypass have been converted into a 2.2 mile walking/cycling path called the Lexington Parkway that takes you from the south border of the town all the way to Memory Lane in the north. While the trip would not exactly be considered scenic, it's still an excellent use of the old, abandoned lanes. Rather than just keeping the old pavement open for the public, a new blacktop trail was constructed over one of the lanes, allowing a smooth journey for your feet or tires over the entirety of the trail. The rest of the retired pavement remains as a relic of the old road.
At the south end of town you find the remains of a classic McLean County landmark: the Oasis Drive-In. Serving hungry travelers for decades, the restaurant was wedged between the original two-lane alignment of Route 66 (Grove Street) and the four-lane bypass to the west. It operated until after Interstate 55 opened and stole most all of the highway's traffic, and today sits in ruins, its sign crumbling and the car port rusting away as abandoned vehicles commiserate underneath. The former business and its owners Arline and Elmo Winterland were inducted into the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame in 1998 and hopefully the structure can be at least partially restored in the years to come; certainly, if nothing else, that classic sign could once again greet travelers with a fresh coat of paint and a smile.
While the business district lies to the east of the bypass, Lexington isn't content to let you leave ignorant to this fact. Midway through the loop around the town is a classic bright red neon arrow pointing to the east, directing traffic to find the heart of the village rather than just speeding by. The sign was erected in 1949 and restoration efforts int he early 2000's returned it to its original glory; catch the sign at night to see the neon glowing, at least on the south half. Across Route 66 to the east of the sign is a small park with an informational kiosk providing travelers with news about Lexington's businesses and upcoming festivals. A historic marker sits close to the kiosk, 
commemorating Lexington's contribution to US Highway 66.
The north part of Lexington plays home to its most attractive feature: Memory Lane. While most of the old two-lane alignment through town is open to vehicle traffic, the very north part is closed to all but pedestrians and cyclists, and unlike the southbound lanes of the bypass this mile stretch is unaltered from its days as a US highway. The city has built a small park at the north end of the alignment, and billboards celebrating classic and current businesses join the trees that line the pavement into town as well as a custom made set of Burma Shave signs as you close in on the village. Each September the town holds its Taste of County Fair festival on Memory Lane, a tremendous use of this awesome remnant of the Mother Road.
The original two-lane route follows the four-lane bypass towards the south of town, then takes Grove Street to the east just south of the Oasis Drive-In. Grove curves to the north, then sharply to the east to become Wall Street. From there the alignment curved again to the north, heading out of town towards Chenoa. The last portion of this two-lane alignment after it curves to the north is closed to vehicle traffic and serves as Lexington's Memory Lane monument.
With the two-lane already skirting most of the town to the west, the four-lane bypass is only a block west of the old alignment - and sometimes even less than that. The four-lane glides around the village before curving east to rejoin the original two-lane's northeast path.
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<- Southbound |
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Northbound -> |
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Lexington, IL |
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8 miles |
8 miles |
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County: McLean, IL
The entire southbound lanes of the old bypass have been converted into a 2.2 mile walking/cycling path called the Lexington Parkway that takes you from the south border of the town all the way to Memory Lane in the north. While the trip would not exactly be considered scenic, it's still an excellent use of the old, abandoned lanes. Rather than just keeping the old pavement open for the public, a new blacktop trail was constructed over one of the lanes, allowing a smooth journey for your feet or tires over the entirety of the trail. The rest of the retired pavement remains as a relic of the old road.
At the south end of town you find the remains of a classic McLean County landmark: the Oasis Drive-In. Serving hungry travelers for decades, the restaurant was wedged between the original two-lane alignment of Route 66 (Grove Street) and the four-lane bypass to the west. It operated until after Interstate 55 opened and stole most all of the highway's traffic, and today sits in ruins, its sign crumbling and the car port rusting away as abandoned vehicles commiserate underneath. The former business and its owners Arline and Elmo Winterland were inducted into the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame in 1998 and hopefully the structure can be at least partially restored in the years to come; certainly, if nothing else, that classic sign could once again greet travelers with a fresh coat of paint and a smile.
commemorating Lexington's contribution to US Highway 66.
