Moving on to the Chicago area for a while. This giraffe bursts through the roof at a dental office in Aurora:

This frog sculpture is in a park in Batavia:

This sculpture in Chicago is from 1915. Most sources believe it’s a caveman but some believe it’s St. John the Baptist or Jesus :

The St. Charles Municipal Center:

A former Red Barn restaurant in Chicago:

This round building in Chicago Heights originally housed Fox Head Motors:

The oval-shaped former Jack Stewart Ford dealership in Chicago:

The Juniper Towers apartment building is in Park Forest:

The Hinds Laboratory is at the University of Chicago:

This long-vacant building in Calumet City originally housed Geno’s Drive-in:

This former Dari-Delite in Aurora. More about the chain at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/eateries/ddelite.html#613

The Boz Hot Dogs in Thornton:

This sign in South Holland originally had a star on top — my photo from 2008:

and now:

This skeleton (window) sign is at Custom Cleaners and Shoe Repair in Chicago. The projecting neon sign appears in the reflection here:

This sign is in Blue Island:

The former Fushing House restaurant sign is in Chicago:

This church sign is in Chicago:

This Chicago cleaners is long gone but the sign remains. “The Best” letters were lit with neon on one side and bulbs on the other:

The Miska’s Liquors sign in Blue Island has changed names a few times but at least the bottles on top and neon below are still there:

The long-closed Kiddie’s Fashions store in Chicago:

The long-closed Jean’s Bakery from 1948 is in Harvey. The “Jean’s” on the vertical panel has been covered up since at least 2007. There was a “Kiddie Cakes Our Specialty” skeleton sign in the window which I assume is gone now – but it could still be there under the plywood:

There are now nearly 100 Portillo’s Hot Dogs restaurants in 11 states with about half of them in the Chicago area. Most of them have a few vintage signs inside with other Americana type stuff. These two signs are at the Crestwood location:

This sign in Chicago originally advertised for the Mt. Greenwood Hardware store:

A former Foremost Liquors sign in Chicago:

This drive-in is in Chicago. Note the additional neon tubing for “Shakes” over “Hamburgers” which flash/flashed in sequence:

This sign is in Chicago Heights. I don’t think this was originally the Marnell Drive-in but despite my digging online I could not come up with an earlier name:

And finally, last photo for this post — this sign is in Chicago. There are actually two identical signs — one on each corner of the building:

Many more days of Illinois to go before moving on to Indiana. Be back soon with another post.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

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