Joliet, the “City of Steel and Stone,” has a rough reputation that doesn’t really reflect its welter of historic attractions. Route 66 through this once-mighty industrial enclave is a feast for fans of post-industrial scenery: Loads of old warehouses and commercial buildings line the route, while stalwart bridges cross the historic Illinois & Michigan Canal, which, beginning in the 1840s, connected Chicago with the Mississippi River.
South of Joliet, following old Route 66 (Hwy-53) across the I-80 superslab brings you past the massive Route 66 Raceway (815/722-5500), where NHRA drag races, NASCAR stock car races, and occasional pop music concerts are held. North of Joliet, Hwy-53 winds past the high-tech Argonne National Laboratory into the ever-expanding Chicagoland sprawl.
