FROM THE LAND DOWN UNDER AND THE NEXT BIG ADVENTURE
The adventure to Johnson Canyon and the exploration of the historic railway tunnel on Monday set the bar impossibly high in regard to adventure or excitement for the rest of the week. This is not to say the past few days have been uneventful.
 |
| Johnson Canyon railroad tunnel. |
My side job with Auctions America continues to pique my curiosity. A new twist was added to the Route 66 encyclopedia, a project that just never seems to end. I am eagerly awaiting word from the publisher as there was a meeting today to discuss new projects and a couple of my proposals were to be the primary topic of discussion.
Yesterday, Dale Butel of Route 66 Tours and his merry band from Australia stopped by for lunch as they motored east on Route 66 to Chicago. Meeting with Dale and his crew is always an eagerly anticipated event as is meeting the great folks from down under that take advantage of Dale’s expertise in order to get the best Route 66 experience possible.
For the second year in a row Dale is including the Route 66 Fun as part of the spring tour and for the second year in a row I will be meeting with the group for dinner, to answer questions and for a little old fashioned socializing. The Fun Run weekend is also when I will be signing copies of Ghost Towns of the Southwest and Ghost Towns of Route 66 at the Powerhouse Visitor Center, and visiting with an old friend, Bob Stevens, former editor for Cars & Parts, who is driving out from Ohio to participate in the event. The Fun Run is an event I often look forward to but this year has the promise of being the best yet.
I am hoping that everyone that comes to Kingman for the Fun Run, or that will be cruising Route 66 this year, will take the time for to cruise Beale Street that is just one block north of America’s most famous highway. It looks as though this is going to be the next hot spot in the Kingman historic district – Dora’s Beale Street Deli, the award winning Sirens, Redneck’s Barbeque, the Wine Cellar, and Beale Street Brews & Gallery are all to be found with a two block stroll.
Even better, try and time your visit for the third Saturday evening of each month when the Kingman Route 66 Association hosts Chillin’ on Beale Street. Cars, friends new and old, good food, and good music under a desert sky make this a great summer destination.
As for the encyclopedia, the latest twist is the addition of illustrations, which will require the writing of captions this weekend, and a few tweaks in regard to format. As frustrating as this is, with each preview my excitement builds. I can’t wait to share this with the Route 66 community!
And that takes me to the final items of the day. The debut for the encyclopedia is going to be at Cuba Fest in Cuba, Missouri on October 20. As it so happens, this will also be where the winners for the Big Palooza contest will be announced and prizes awarded. For more information about how to enter for what may be the biggest contest in Route 66 history, check out the latest issue of 66 The Mother Road.
Last but not least are a few details about the next big adventure. I am in the process of confirming information about a World War II era plane crash in the Mt. Tipton area and then will begin making plans for an expedition. Could this be a bigger find than the Johnson Canyon railroad tunnel?