Cozy Dog Drive In

Date of Visit: June 18, 2024

When planning Mik’s 30th birthday trip, we had considered doing some Route 66 things. Originally it was something we were going to do towards the end of the trip when we went from Anaheim to Chicago, but we ended up starting the trip from Chicago (it was a change we made about a week before the trip to allow Dad and I to make a quick weekend detour to go to see the ceremony for mom’s uncle being inducted into the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame). When planning the trip, Mik ended up only wanting to do Pops in Oklahoma. The first rest area we stopped at in Illinois, though, had info on Route 66 attractions in Illinois and Dad suggested we stop at some of them. Mik could not be convinced to stop at the Man with a Giant Hot Dog statue or World’s Largest Catsup Bottle, but he was up for having an early lunch at the Cozy Dog Drive in…once I told him it was no farther off the route than stopping somewhere else for lunch. 

With it being called a drive in, we thought it be similar to Sonic, but it actually has seating inside and a drive through. Eating inside was definitely the right choice as they have Route 66 decor and information including Route 66 books you can you look through while you’re there.

Mik found the booth tables perfect for him to roll up to. I little hard for Dad and I to get in and out without moving Mik, but once all in it was good. There are also regular tables that you can pull chairs away from to roll under.

Mik, of course, had to have a corn dog.

He also had a chili cheese dog.

I enjoyed the cheese on a stick and we all shared the fries, which were Mik's favorite style of fries.

To drink, Mik had the Cozy Dog cola and I had the Cozy Dog root beer.

Mik said the bathroom was good as they were just one person style rooms that are spacious versus bathrooms with stalls that even the accessible one frequently is not big enough for a wheelchair and helper.

Cozy Dog Drive In ended up being a great early lunch stop. We got there around 10:30am and there was pretty much no one there. By the time we left probably half the tables were in use and the drive through line was around the building almost to where we were parked. 

Destination Info:
Cozy Dog Drive In

2934 S 6th St

Springfield, IL 62703

Abilities Expo Chicago 2011

Date of Visit: July 8, 2011

Mik had been looking forward to the Abilities Expo in Chicago for months.  He found some cool stuff, but overall was rather disappointed.  It was rather small and really did not have that much different things.  He was especially disappointed that they did not have the Wijits to try.  Several of the vendors commented that this was smaller than the others and of course the Wijit people had been at every other one.  They had something similar and to some extent better, but it was gears that you switch down in the hubs, which is useless to Mik because he cannot even do the bending down to get the range of motion needed to really propel himself.

Mik did have one big find and splurge that he sure wish he had at the beginning of our summer vacation.  It is the Free Wheel.  It is a big wheel that attaches to the footplate and lifts the casters up.  It is pretty easy to take on and off.  Not sure if Mik will be able to learn to do it, but that's okay, as he could not twist due to his spinal fusion to put it on the bracket on the back of the chair anyways.  However, it is something he can easily tell a friend or someone to help him with, although currently he does not have the thing to carry it on his wheelchair because of course the Q7 disappoints again in that it has a special shape.  They are making us the right size thing to go on there and it should get to his house about the time we get home from vacation early August, so at least he will have it all set up for school.

The Free Wheel makes going over bumps and even down big curbs easy.   Mik is excited to try it out for going to school because the sidewalks in our neighborhood are old and ever since he has had his Q7 the front wheels have made it even harder for him to get there and back than with his old chair.  It also helps him go straighter, so he should not be calling me to come help him because he rolled off into the gravel and cannot get back on because even if he does the Free Wheel makes it so he can get back up on his own.  Not to mention it adds stability that should keep him from all his falls he ends up with from the transitions on the ramps at school.

It certainly is not that great indoors, but it will definitely come in handy for Mik, especially since now he could much more easily do the trails that we have borderline considered at the National Parks.  Of course, it still would not have saved him from flipping over sideways on the Circle Trail.  You probably need a high end special sports chair for that!

Mik also got some really nice gloves.  He has tried a lot of different ones over the years and has never stuck with a pair for more than a day, but he has now worn these new ones twice and still loves them, so that is really saying something.  They are fingerless.  What he really likes is they have grip that reminds me of the material those rubber circle jar opener things are made out of.  They do not so much help him roll any better, but he does love that he can now open soda and especially Gatorade bottles much easier.  Plus, he cannot wait to try them for weight lifting and pull ups.

Photos by Kjersti
Text by Kjersti with Mik's wheelchair accessibility input

Destination Info:
Abilities Expo
Shaumburg Convention Center
Shaumburg, IL