Blake Shelton’s ‘God’s Country’ plays on the radio as bolts of lightning tear through the dark clouds, pounding into the corn fields of the Midwest below.

‘Slow down’, demands mum, fiddling with the volume, ‘Are you sure we’re going the right way?’

I’m driving from Chicago to Springfield, 200 miles along the historic Route 66, with my mum, who’s immensely grateful Hertz did not give me the muscle car I was hoping for.

The sat nav, and flood warnings, try to tempt us back on the six-lane superhighway, the I-55, which pretty much runs parallel to the old Route 66, but we’re here for the bumpy roads, small town diners and Americana gas stations.

With the storm behind us, our first stop is the Old Joliet Prison, the fictional home of Joliet Jake, John Belushi’s character in the 1980s film The Blues Brothers - and the reason it's such a popular stop. But to the bewilderment of mum, it’s my fascination with true-crime that has brought me here. From 1858 to 2002 this limestone fortress held held some of America’s most prolific killers: Leopald and Loeb, Richard Speck, James Earl Ray and John Wayne Gacy - the killer clown.

Light from our phones guide us through the dark, damp corridors of the prison’s hospital wing, where the killer clown once spent a night. Rooms are stacked with files, medical equipment and X-ray machines. There are iron bed frames in the cells and smashed washing machines in the laundry room. Across the yard, sunlight through a broken stained-glass window, illuminates a huge graffiti-covered altar in the prison chapel. For now the main cell block is currently off limits for repairs but the prison is still well worth a visit and one you must book ahead for.

Back on the 66 and the 30ft Gemini Giant statue, lures us off the road and into the Launching Pad Cafe for lunch. Burgers and hotdogs fill the menu and the price of everything ends in 66 cents. I order the cherry pie milkshake - a whole slice of pie blended with ice cream and garnished with the crust - god bless America - or husband and wife owners, Holly and Tully, who are incredibly friendly. If you do get the chance to chat to them, make sure to ask for a tour or their mini museum out back.

Fifty more miles, a few wrong turns and a couple of photo stops later we arrive at Pontiac. After a walking tour of the twenty four murals depicting the towns history we pop in to the Route 66 Hall of Fame. 

Next up, our destination, Springfield, once the home of America’s greatest iconic president, President Abraham Lincoln. Here you can visit the Lincoln family home (for free) and the Abraham Lincoln Library. The impressive Abraham Lincoln Museum's holographic show tells the story of Abe’s rise from axe-wielding rail splitter to the most famous man to serve in the White House. The museum alone is well worth the road trip.

We time our arrival to coincide with Springfield’s annual Route 66 Mother Road Festival. Over three days thousands of Hot Rods, Camaro’s and Chevy’s line the streets of Illinois’s State Capital hoping to be awarded best in show. Car owners stand proudly nearby, gleaming almost as much as the body work of their pride and joy. Women dressed in 50s regalia dance to country and rock music competing for the title of Miss Mother Road. Food trucks serve corn dogs and beer.

Engines roar, crowds cheer and the smell of burnt rubber fills the air as the annual burnout competition begins. The first driver revs his engine and the tyres spin against the asphalt. The exhaust emits a bright yellow smoke which flows up past the star-spangled banner at the back of his truck and engulfs the crowd. Eventually one tyre explodes, then another. The crowd cheer in between coughs. Every petrol head’s dream.

Neon signs illuminate the Route 66 Motorheads Bar and Grill. For dinner we share a giant pretzel the size of steering wheel served with fat tire beer cheese, and an Illinois delicacy, the Horseshoe - an open sandwich of thick sliced toasted bread, topped with your choice of meat, piled with cheese sauce, chips, and more cheese sauce. Owner Ron insists we have a drink with him - a glass of Old Smoky Moonshine. I've been watching Ron sink glass after glass as he does the rounds making his customers feel welcome and I’m not sure how he’s still standing. I sip at my drink as we listen to Ron’s tales of the Mother Road. Mum sticks to Diet Coke, it’s her turn to drive.

Car hire in Chicago with Hertz.co.uk starts from £28 per day. To get behind the wheel of an iconic American vehicle, check out Hertz's new American Collection - hertz.co.uk/american-collection

For more information visit www.enjoyillinois.com