Cozy Dog: Home of the Route 66 Corn Dog

Connie Food & Drink, Illinois June 13, 2015July 3, 2017Cozy Dog, Cozy Dog Drive-In, cozy dog route 66, cozy dog springfield, diners on route 66, illinois route 66, restaurants Springfield Illinois, Route 66, Route 66 diners, route 66 road trip, Where to eat in Springfield Illinois 7 Comments

You’d be hard pressed to find a fair in the United States that doesn’t sell corn dogs. State fairs, county fairs, and local carnivals always include at least one vendor selling the hotdogs enrobed in cornmeal batter, deep fried to golden perfection and served on a stick. But did you know that corn dogs weren’t always served on a stick? Nor were they fried. Rather, they were baked and took quite a while to prepare. Ed Waldmire, Jr., who may have invented the corn dog, first served them at the Cozy Dog Drive-In over sixty years ago. Today, tourists continue to stop at Cozy Dog in Springfield, Illinois, for a taste of nostalgic Americana as they travel Route 66 .

Funks Grove: Pure Maple Sirup on Route 66

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois, Road Trips April 20, 2015June 28, 2016Funks Grove, funks grove il, funks grove illinois, funks grove maple syrup, Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirip, illinois route 66, Illiois Route 66, maple grove farms maple syrup, maple grove farms pure maple syrup, maple grove syrup, maple sirup. funks grove sirup, Rotue 66 attractions, Route 66, Route 66 Illinois, route 66 in illinois, sirup 5 Comments

Drop by drop sticky sweet sap falls into the metal bucket hanging on the spout inserted into the maple tree. On a good day a bucket fills in 10 to 12 hours. It takes 30 to 50 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple sirup, something the Funk family has been doing since the 1820s. They began selling it commercially in 1891, 35 years before Route 66 was commissioned. Located near the midpoint of Illinois’ portion of Route 66, you can visit the Funks Grove farm and pick up some sirup for yourself if your timing is right.