I kicked off the morning with the making of a waffle for the grandson, and cereal with strawberries for the granddaughter. Next, I spent an hour carefully selecting photos for this mornings presentation with Josh Noble, the area tourism director who has selected us (my wife and I) as the photographers for a state centennial exhibit being developed for the Powerhouse Visitor Center. Needless to say, we are honored to have been selected for this prestigious project.
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| The Powerhouse Visitor Center in Kingman, Arizona. |
Initially the scheduled date for the opening of this Route 66 in Mohave County exhibit was early July but that may be moved forward a week or so as there are some renovations to the mezzanine gallery to be made first. That will allow us time to acquire a couple of specific images that have been requested.
The meeting with Josh was followed by a stop at the Beale Street Brews & Gallery to evaluate the needs for the Your Community in Photography exhibit scheduled for the evening of May 16, a part of this weeks KABAM activities. Then it was off for the taping of an interview about Route 66 and the forthcoming Route 66 Encyclopedia with Carol Young that will appear on the local cable channel Community Chest program.
I rounded out the busy and productive morning by basking in the company of my dearest friend over lunch at Dora’s Beale Street Deli. If you cruise through Kingman on Route 66, I strongly suggest a one block detour for a little exploration of Beale Street with its galleries, shops, and restaurants.
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| The ruins of John’s Modern Cabins in Missouri. |
Based on the discussion of my book, Ghost Towns of Route 66, Carol deftly turned the conversation toward the vanishing remnants of Route 66 in spite of the swelling resurgent interest in that highway. An excellent example of this would be the fast vanishing remains of John’s Modern Cabins in Missouri.
We explored these colorful ruins during our adventure last October. With Rich Dinkella, Dean Kennedy, and Joe Sonderman, we also explored the incredibly well preserved remains of the Beacon Hill Motel that has sense been erased resultant of a wildfire.
The primary concept behind Ghost Towns of Route 66 was to add depth and context to the overall Route 66 experience. A secondary goal was to preserve the history, in text and photos, of communities where the resurgent interest in this highway came to late. With the Route 66 Encyclopedia, I wanted to expand on these goals.
These are also the reasons I strive to utilize the books and the photography, and their promotion, to shine the light on the communities, the people, and the special places that make the Route 66 community so delightful, so colorful. And that is why the debut, the kick off for the encyclopedia will be at Cuba Fest in Cuba, Missouri.
It may seem as though I have a myopic obsession with the legendary double six and, perhaps, I do. Even though I know that this is not the most scenic, the most historic, or even the most colorful drive in America, I also know that this now iconic highway is an absolutely incredible living time capsule that chronicles more than a century of American societal evolution. That is the magic, that is what makes the Route 66 experience truly unique.
With that said, I will wrap this up for the day.
