Finally we got a rental car and started looking for the Blues Brothers filming locations after visiting my daughters girl friend in Lake Forest, where we went to the beach of the really cold and windy Lake Michigan.
First Spot was the Joliet Correctional Center, which is now open to public. The place where Elwood picked up Jake looks still the same.
From here I drove a few miles on the legendary Route 66 to Elwood, a small town Elwood Blues was named after. South of Elwood I took a short walk through the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie nature reserve. A great place to relax, although I didn’t find the bisons which are living somewhere in this area.
South of Chicago there are a couple of BB locations in a small area.
Starting with the East 95th Street Bridge over the Calumet River at Calumet Harbor I visited also the Triple Rock Church, the Curl Up And Dye beauty salon, the Palace Hotel and the “Saint Helen of the Blessed Shroud” orphanage.
I didn’t stop at the shopping mall, because it was completely demolished a few years ago.
Only one shot from Ray’s Music Exchange out of the car, I couldn’t find a place to park. It was already closed in 2019 and burned down in May 31, 2020, all that remained was a dirt field surrounded by a chain link fence. The iconic mural from the dance scene is gone forever.
Back to Lincolnwood I enjoyed the skyline of Chicago and the American way of drive – relaxed cruising even on the highways.
Ten Days in Chicago starting page – Day 4
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