engine with an unusual valve arrangement for a V-8 motor. Mr. Dye treated us to a complete tour of the floor under the museum, including the 4,000 oil can collection and almost 50 Native American Nation’s license plates. Few of us even knew that Native American Nations issued these tags. We then got the very special treat of touring his personal garage and saw the studio of Tang Dongbai, an artist transplanted from China who had airbrushed the mural on one of the courtesy cars we were driving.

Then it was lunch time followed by a stop in The Bakery for cookies, cupcakes and scones before continuing to the Route 66 museum. A very 60s V/W hippie exhibit supplemented organized cases of memorabilia. The former jail housed the spectacular exhibit of Route 66 photos made by Michael A. Campanelli. These were displayed over the three floors of the tiny spaces. A very similar exhibit was presented at the Art Institute of Chicago several years ago. If you missed the show at the Art Institute, be sure to see in Pontiac. A military commemoration is adjacent to the Route 66 museum and included a photo of the daughter of The Bakery’s owners who commands an Air Force refueling plane.

By then the snacks we had brought to consume on the train had to be eaten or discarded. We had what we could as snacks for our supper that night as we recounted the very pleasant experience of an Amtrak RoadTrip to Pontiac. Our evening was made brighter by the visit of Sheri Cedzidlo and John Magiera who drove from Morris to visit for a few hours.

~~Jake & Ann Snyder