Swine flu, the impending demise of General Motors and Chrysler, the list to the left with the changing of the guard in November ’08, and all manner of international crisis looming on the horizon are as storm clouds darkening the slopes of the Hualapai Mountains on a warm summer afternoon here on Route 66. This weekend in Kingman, as the storm clouds grow, we will be celebrating the American love affair with the automobile and the road trip and the international phenomena that is Route 66.
The Route 66 Fun Run has become a larger than life institution much like the name sake it commemorates. For more than twenty years the fun run weekend transforms almost two hundred miles of this legendary road and the communities through which it rolls into a veritable time capsule from when this highway truly was the Main Street in little towns and cities from Chicago to Santa Monica.
In Kingman the festivities will kick off on Friday evening with cars, music, and food on Beale Street, one block north of Route 66 in the historic district. In addition there will be a photo exhibit at Beale Street Brews & Gallery.
The Route 66 Association of Kingman chose the above photo, professionally framed and matted with an accompanying first edition premier post card of the cover for Route 66 Backroads and a signed copy of that book for the centerpiece of their first fund raising endeavor. When asked to donate this cover image for the silent auction at the gallery that will raise funds for the historic sign restoration project I was honored and humbled.
The month of May promises to be an exciting one here on Route 66. I have received notice that a group of Route 66 and Harley Davidson enthusiasts from Czechoslovakia will be cruising through town on their way west.
As noted in a previous post there is a Dutch group coming through as well. A few weeks ago we had a contingent from Spain and another from Austria. It would seem Route 66 and Harley Davidson, like Chevrolet and apple pie, are truly international in their appeal.
Then there is approval for the next exciting project, Ghost Towns of Route 66. I begin this project with eager anticipation as the prospect of preserving the colorful history of Route 66 for future generations is an exciting one. As always when a new project is initiated there is also the sense of adventure when one contemplates the possibility of new discoveries.
I welcome ideas and suggestions for this project. So, please feel free to drop me a note if you have something to contribute.
Meanwhile – stay tuned.
