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County: Madison, IL
Route 66 between Edwardsville and the Mississippi River is not always the scenic drive that the highway offers for much of the Prairie State. Decay from the poorer economy of this portion of the Metro East coupled with the grime of the refineries and warehouses that dot the expressways will cause many a Mother Road traveler to show the gas pedal extra love, but there are a few highlights that stand out on this stretch, particularly around the unincorporated community of Mitchell.
The old highway follows Chain of Rocks Road from Edwardsville to the Chain of Rocks Bridge (or,before the bridge's construction, the sharp southern decent along the river towards downtown Saint Louis) and as the road decends out of the bluffs of Edwardsville and into the American Bottom the view is a fabulous one; it could be breathtaking if the scenery was not mostly comprised of urban transportation and industry. Several miles to the west the road travels just to the north of Interstate 270, and this is where we find Mitchell.
On the northwest side of the intersection of Illinois 111 (from this point south, briefly one of many minor Metro East alignments) and Chain of Rocks Road you'll find a stellar artifact: the remnants of the Bel-AirDrive-In. Constructed in the 1950s, this roadside theatre was in operation until 1987 and was demolished in mid 1990s. Originally a one-screen cinema, a second was later constructed as business peaked, but no remains of either 
structure are present. Still remaining is the classic sign along Route 66, though this too is in jeopardy as the area is under rapid commercial development with industrial parks popping up quickly all along I-270.
Further west from the Bel-Air is the Luna Cafe, 2004 inductee into the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame. Built in the late 20s, it originally operated as a grocery store and bed and breakfast, and later evolved into a restaurant supposedly so high class that many area residents could not afford to eat there - allegedly, though, having ties to the mob would help. Speaking of such association of ill refute, the roadhouse was also rumored to be home at times to gambling and prostitution, and (a probably false) rumor has it that Al Capone spent a night in the building. Today the Cafe still opens its doors each day and the ageless sign featuring a martini glass still hangs above it along the Mother Road, but the neon hasn't shone for years and the restauarant, stuck in a remote corner of the Metro East, relies on faithful local regulars and Route 66 tourists to help pay the bills.
Mitchell was not served by a four-lane alignment of Route 66, as Interstate 270 was constructed in the late 1960s and stole traffic away from the community as well as closing the Chain of Rocks Bridge. The two-lane alignment of the highway followed Chain of Rocks Road in a due west/east through the community linking Edwardsville with the Mississippi River crossing. After I-270 was constructed, the road's path was interrupted by the freeway and travelers must use an auxillary lane on the interstate to cross to the other side of the highway.
