It normally takes Ted and me about nine hours to go from Kiel to our house, but there was so much road construction along the way, that the trip was longer this time.  Driving I-55 from Chicago to St. Louis includes Route 66 travel. 

We had a happy adventure on our way home when we stopped for gas at Wally’s in Pontiac, IL. 

I’ll let a screenshot from Wally’s website describe what you’’ll find at Wally’s.

I took some pictures in the store.  It’s so big, that it’s hard to show it in a photo, but try to look all the way across the store in the picture below.  It’s not Wall Drug (South Dakota), but Wally’s takes the gas station convenience store to a whole new level!

There’s an entire room offering a huge variety of ice-cold beer.  (For people who are going to drive?)

The wall art at the entrances to the restrooms is impressive.  That’s a 1955 Plymouth Belvedere towing a vintage Shasta trailer, in case you’re wondering.

Buy a t-shirt and express the joy of Wally’s.  Wallelujah to all!

A vintage Winnebago motor home is parked in the store.  It’s a perfect backdrop for the camping gear you can buy at Wally’s.

Wally’s mascot bear is “driving” the Winnebago.

After this stop, Ted and I were refreshed and ready to hit the road for the last stretch to our house.  It was a wonderful nine days, and we loved seeing our friends and family members in person again.  There were so many laughs and so many good memories to be shared at every stop, that we are still feeling the joy of the fun we had with everyone.  Long live the American Road Trip!