Leg 11: Pontiac to The End of the Road!
From the Murals of Pontiac to the End of the Road
GS II - Leg Eleven
The Grand Shamrock Tour II
“We never set our sights on a section, we set our sights on it all!”
Lincoln to Pontiac can best be described as a sea of green. Corn and soybeans cover the prairie, Pontiac however, is awash with color. Murals adorn every corner of this small town. Pride in it’s connection to 66 is best presented in the downtown square. 4 floors of history in the form of photography, art, collectables, and antiques are on display here. We explore each floor with the enthusiasm of a devoted fan, "The Route” has been our life for months… however, a GIANT awaits!
We follow an amazing section of original road from Dwight to Wilmington. Jake and Elwood Blues encourage us to press on at the Polka Dot Cafe. They know our objective… GARY! The Gemini Giant, Sovereign King of the Mother Road.
Gary was named by the creators of KYD, Marc and Trish, and that name has landed. So much so that the owner of the Launching Pad mentioned that sales of bobblehead “Gary” have gone up 300% and he is out of stock. Ours will have to be shipped to us at a future location. See what I did... Future... GARY is a spaceman from the future. (I’m so sorry everyone!) 😂 We arrive in Joliet tonight preparing to complete the final 47 miles…
The Gemini Giant… or better known as “Gary!!!”
… it is a picturesque Sunday morning, the perfect setting for any happy ending. Triumph and melancholy pulse through every fiber of our being.
John: “Is this really happening?”
“Caroline: Did we really do this “thing?”
John: “Is this about to be over?”
Caroline: “Yes! Yes! And, Yes!”
The two GS’s are now pointed toward the Windy City of Chicago, to the corner of Jackson and Michigan, the END for travelers East. We pass the BEGIN sign on Adam’s Street and see smiling neophytes as they pose for the obligatory first photo, for us this will our last. 📸
Round the corner we see it: “End of the Route.” Fearing no man or authority, we ride directly onto the sidewalk underneath the sign. John and I taken many long rides, we are often met by the same emotion.You have put trust into each other, the navigation, and your steed (motorcycle), but this is different. This journey of 2,448 miles has tested us like no other and has rewarded us too!
Now with my hands raised in Victory I shout:
“We made it!” 💪😃
Anyone who knows me has heard this from me before. John and I hug, we kiss, and we exhale. At 10:03 on the 26th of June of 2022, we are finished. Finished, but not done: Cloudsgate, The Magnificent Mile, The Riverwalk, and a Chicago Dog at Portillo’s is our trophy.
We are certain to have missed a few things on this "Mother of all Roads" but...
“We never set our sights on a section, we set our sights on it all!”
Please join us by reading our final chapter “Leg 12” where we discuss what we experienced and learned from an old road that spans an ever changing landscape, a metaphor for life. We will be looking forward to your comments.
Until then...
Travel safe and we will see you on the road.
Caroline and John 🍀
We made it!
