This is a tourist attraction. Nothing more, nothing less. No money to pay, no parking lot — it is simply a tree that died and was resurrected as roadside oddity. I have driven past this tree a few times per year, year after year, as I travel in southern Illinois visiting relatives. Located precisely 1 mile south of Main Street in Yale, IL(population 100) along IL-49, it is a stone’s throw north of CR-6(Jasper County 1750). A few miles north of Hunt City, the childhood town of Burl Ives. Pleasant to view as you drive by, they have also provided illumination in the way of a solar powered floodlight for evening viewing. Approximately 15 miles south of I-70 at the Casey exit, stop in at Casey to see the World’s Largest Wind Chimes, the(soon-to-come) World’s Largest Rocking Chair, then take a leisurely drive south to see the Mug Tree. Continue south to US-50 or head back north and hop on the old National Road, US-40. Both roads run east and west, providing some glimpses into life the was it was, back in the old days of 2-lane highways, roadside diners, small-town USA with a town square.
