Road Trip! Photos From a Quick Illinois Road Trip

ROAD TRIP! Over the weekend I took a quick Illinois road trip and drove around to a few roadside attractions near Chicago to check out a few of the best Illinois roadside attractions. I’ve already seen all of these oddities on previous road trips, but they were all worth a second look. It was a short day-long excursion, proving you don’t have to go far… or even leave your state… if you want to hit the pavement! Here’s a little sneak peek at my trip…

ROAD TRIP Light painting

Time for an Illinois road trip!

I wanted to get in the road trip spirit with a little light painting. To get this lighting effect, you need to set your camera up on a tripod (to eliminate any shake and because you’ll be needed in the frame), set it to a slow shutter speed, and then use a flashlight to “paint” the words (backwards) across the frame. Read a tutorial here.

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

Coffee in my car on a road trip.

But first: coffee.

Every jaunt starts with a big cup of coffee in the cup holder. It’s really a road trip essential. Don’t you agree?

Leaning Tower of Niles in Niles, Illinois

Leaning Tower of Niles

The Leaning Tower of Niles is a half-size replica of the famous Italian landmark: the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Pisa, Italy. It was constructed in 1934 by industrialist Robert Ilg as part of a recreation park for employees of the Ilg Hot Air Electric Ventilating Company of Chicago.

Gemini Giant muffler man at the Launching Pad in Wilmington, Illinois

Gemini Giant at the Launching Pad

The Gemini Giant is a 28-foot tall muffler man who stands on Route 66 outside the Launching Pad restaurant in Wilmington, Illinois.

Agricultural Crash Monument in Norway, Illinois

Agricultural Crash Monument

The Agricultural Crash Monument in Norway, Illinois is a small, two-prop passenger plane that stands partially smashed into the ground to serve as a monument to the agricultural crash of the 1980s.

Plan Your Road Trip

Valerie Bromann

Founder & ROad Trip Expert

Valerie Bromann is a a website manager, content creator, and writer from Chicago, Illinois (currently living in Dallas, Texas). As an avid road tripper who has visited hundreds of roadside attractions, Val always pull over for a world’s largest thing. Founder of Silly America and author of The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book, she visits, photographs, and writes about all the weird tourist destinations she visits and offers road trip planning advice and inspiration based on her own travels so you can hit the road for yourself.

World's Largest Mailbox in Casey, Illinois roadside attraction

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Last modified: March 26, 2024
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The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

BY Valerie Bromann

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

The road trip you’ve been dreaming of starts here! Journal about your stops and get to know your fellow passengers with activities and exercises designed to pass the time and bring you closer together. Instead of “Are we there yet?” you’ll find yourself asking, “We’re there already?”. Complete with prompts you can turn to while driving between locations, this journal will one day be a memento of your life-changing trip.