Come early, stay late!  Make your trip to Route 66 Jets a family affair!   Illinois welcomes you with family friendly places to visit and interesting things to do.  Litchfield, IL, the site of Route 66 Jets, is on the original Mother Road.  You can have a meal at the Ariston Café, still located on Route 66.  

	For more history and fun, visit Springfield, IL, just 30 miles north of Litchfield.  Visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library and prepared to be moved by his life.  For more ideas, check out http://www.visit-springfieldillinois.com/ .  No stay in Springfield would be complete without a trip to Lincoln’s restored neighborhood and a tour of the only home he ever owned; or visit Lincoln’s New Salem State Park and picture Mr. Lincoln as he first arrived in Illinois.  If you enjoy architecture, the Dana-Thomas House is sure to please.  It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and is lovingly maintained.

	St. Louis, MO is just south of Litchfield, and is home to the Gateway Arch, commemorating the gateway to the west.  Check out the St. Louis Zoo, the Children’s Museum, or visit the St. Louis Science Museum.  For a change of pace you can tour the Budweiser Brewery or watch a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game.  (http://www.explorestlouis.com/)

	Of course, 245 miles north on I-55, the City of Chicago is waiting to be explored.  The highway will take you right into the heart of the city, where you will find the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium.  Take a day and visit the Museum of Science and Industry or ride to the top of the Sears Tower and admire the skyline.  (http://www.choosechicago.com/)  There are so many things to do in Chicago that everyone in the family will be able to find their favorites.