Day 20 & 21: Double Dose of Illinois

Day 20 was interrupted by much rain and then heavy gray-ness. So, I did laundry, cleaning and organizing inside the van, and napping. I’m combining some of the limited shooting from that day with some shots from the following day.

Casey is a fun stop if you are into giant things which are scattered all over downtown (“Big Things in a Small Town”). Here are just three examples. The bird cage where you can go inside and sit on the swinging perch:

A giant mail box that you can climb the stairs and stand inside — plus, mail a letter and the red flag on the side goes up:

A giant truck key:

This giant beer can is at a bar in Altamont:

Olney is famous for its white squirrels — hence this little tribute statue:

A few stops just over the border in Indiana — this Uncle Sam (at an All-American Car Wash) is in Vincennes. For more about these statues, see my website: https://www.roadarch.com/giants/uncles.html

This 14-foot-tall Giant Man is at the Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston. For more about these statues, see my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/giants/if14men.html

Also at the Pink Elephant in Livingston, this Futuro awaits restoration. I liked the previous green paintjob better. More about these fiberglass buildings at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/modarch/futuro.html

A detail from the Pantheon Theatre in Vincennes, IN:

Moving on to some signs. Walton’s Hardware & Furniture in Jacksonville:

The downfall of this sign in Pittsfield is so sad — but not unrecoverable damage for you sign optimists out there (what a different some paint and, more unlikely, neon would make):

Also in Pittsfield – this sign was repainted around 2012 but 12 years later could use some touching-up.

This GE sign is in Highland:

This sign in Vincennes, IN is at the Cutter’s Way bar:

This Odd Fellows sign is in Winchester:

This one is in Pocahontas:

This Elks sign is in Jacksonville:

Also in Jacksonville:

This sign is in Olney:

This sign is in Effingham. Around 2020, the sign fell to the ground. Installing a sign pole in a frequently-water garden planter is a bad idea. Eventually, the pole rusts enough that it gives way and many a sign disaster has resulted. Anyhow, this time a small but mighty miracle resulted. Instead of replacing the sign with a boring backlit plastic box which is usually what happens, Double D Signs replicated the original sign with aluminum panels and new neon later that year: