Go big and stay home! Why Illinois loves its roadside monsters
The city of Wilmington was able to purchase the Gemini Giant, a 30-feet-tall fiberglass statue that stood outside the Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington since 1965, in a recent auction. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
From the Chicago Tribune: Megafauna.
No, wait: MEGAFAUNA. Better. A perfect word, and fun to say.
In fact, “megafauna” is not even a scientific term. It just sounds like one. It’s something we say to refer to, in a quasi-professional way, the largest beasts in the world, the biggest of the big. Your blue whales. Your African bush elephants. But since it’s not formal, why not broaden the definition: “Megafauna” could also refer to your fiberglass Bob’s Big Boys and your gargantuan Muffler Men — anything awe-inspiringly outsized that traditionally exists outside, in the wild. Like the Trojan Horse-size Radio Flyer wagon on the front lawn of the toy company’s Elmwood Park headquarters.
Mayfair Diner, 93-Year-Old Holmesburg Staple, Goes Up for Sale
Mayfair Diner, a popular dining spot in Holmesburg for 93 years, has put up for sale by its current owner, Wolf Commercial Real Estate. Image via Google
From Philadelphia Today: Mayfair Diner, which has served customers affordable and delicious food for nearly a century, was recently put up for sale, writes Alana Beltran for NBC10 Philadelphia.
Opened in 1932, Mayfair Diner in Holmesburg is known for its classic 1950s-style dining for the whole family.
Established Before You Were Born: Over a Century of Christie’s
A vintage postcard shows Christie’s at a former location. The restaurant has occupied its current building since the 1960s. Marie Christie
From the National Trust: The slogan at Christie’s Seafood & Steaks is “established before you were born,” and it is not an exaggeration. As the oldest restaurant in Houston, Texas, Christie’s has been serving its famous fish sandwiches and fried shrimp for well over a century, since 1917.
Christie’s is a third-generation, family-owned and operated establishment, and today, General Manager Maria Christie navigates the ship (the 1960s blue-and-white building that Christie’s has occupied for more than six decades has a nautical appearance and is topped with a mock lighthouse).
In 2024, Christie’s was selected to receive a grant through Backing Historic Small Restaurants, a program run in partnership between American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The funding allowed Christie’s to make some much-needed repairs and improvements, which are already bringing new business through the restaurant’s front doors.
Route 66: Illinois ties to the devil’s rope, an infamous gap and a Texas-sized challenge in the Panhandle
Ruts in the notorious “Jericho Gap,” an unpaved early stretch of Route 66 that runs through the now ghost town of Jericho where early motorists often got stuck, on Friday, June 13, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
From the Chicago Tribune: AMARILLO, Texas — Two other men had come before him that Thursday night in June. Both failed.
But 37-year-old Clint Gee of Lawton, Oklahoma, was confident heading into The Big Texan Steak Ranch’s 72-ounce steak challenge.
Contestants in this six-decade-long culinary quest are seated at a rectangular table on a stage in front of the restaurant’s open kitchen, with its grill covered in sizzling meat. Above them, a digital clock is set to 60 minutes, the deadline for consuming a 72-ounce (4.5 pounds) steak and shrimp cocktail and a baked potato and a salad and a roll.
5 Delicious and Historic Pit Stops Along Route 66
Photo By: Rhys Martin
From the National Trust: When coasting down the most iconic highway in America, Route 66, you’ll want to plan your pit stops carefully. Here are a few historic diners along the route that should be on your list. They were all recent grantees of Backing Historic Small Restaurants, a grant program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in partnership with American Express.
Minneapolis man’s house project uncovers historic Gold Medal Flour sign
