OOIDA’s The Spirit pulls into Wilmington, Ill., home of the Gemini Giant

The next stop for OOIDA’s touring tractor-trailer, the Spirit of the American Trucker, is Wilmington, Ill.

Jon Osburn, skipper of The Spirit, plans to be at the Wilmington Petro on July 24-25. After that he heads for the TopGun LargeCar Shootout truck show in Rantoul, Ill.

If you get a chance, look for the Gemini Giant in Wilmington.

It is a landmark statue on U.S. Route 66 at the eastern entrance to Wilmington. It is a fiberglass statue, built in the 1965, of a helmeted astronaut holding a rocket. It is outside the Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant.

The Launching Pad reopened in April and is now a Route 66 welcome center, offering tourist maps and information. They have a gift shop. They also sell Starved Rock Coffee Roasters coffee, Route 66 sodas and other items. They are renovating the kitchen. For updates, check their Facebook page.

Whenever you see The Spirit tour truck, go say hello to Jon. He enjoys visiting about the Association’s activities and current issues.

You also can join or renew your OOIDA membership there. Through the end of this month, annual dues are $20 off. All new and renewing memberships are eligible at this rate of $25 per year, and multiple years can be paid at this rate. Add $10 for a spouse and/or for each additional driver.

Also, you can get vouchers for flu, shingles and pneumonia vaccines from Jon at The Spirit.