Bears Drive-Inn

We went for  a Sunday drive, taking 88 west from Chicago to the Mississippi River.  Turning North at Clinton, we got hungry.  Bears Drive-Inn was a great stop for a patty melt and fries in a small Illinois town.

On a lonely stretch of Route 84, not too far from a state prison that the state can't afford to open and run, is a tiny, unassuming little "Drive-in" that can handle about six cars at a time. They have all the usual fare--hot dogs, hamburgers, pork tenderloins as big as the plate, with the absurd little bun atop it like a mis-sized hat. And don't forget the single, solitary pickle.

They have all the ice-cream treats you could want, including sundaes, banana splits, and mixers--ice-cream swirled with an almost infinite choice of candies and other treats. I went with my go-to choice, m&m, and shared a small with my nephew.

So if you're on a road trip and happen to not blink while you're passing through tiny Thomson IL (once the melon capital of the world, and still touted as such in encyclopedias written before the 1970's), stop by for some tasty, simple drive-in food.

And don't forget the bears. The glassy eyed, cheerful bears. They know what you need, and it's ice-cream with candy in it.