Route 66: Dixie Diner

While at the County History Museum earlier today I learned in a display that the first truck stop in the nation was the Dixie Diner located along the historic Route 66 that runs through Central Illinois.  The owners realized the potential of a new kind of business that would cater to the long distance truck drivers that were beginning to use the highway as a means of cross-country travel.  Envisioning a place where the truck drivers could not only fuel up but also eat a hot meal, take a shower and even have a bunk to sleep in for the night was cutting edge.  The Dixie Diner is just south of town, so we decided that it would be a fun place to venture to for dinner to continue our discovery of local history.

What we discovered was a really big truck stop with a mediocre buffet, lots of flies, and not a whole lot more.

Lesson learned.