ROUTE 66 FROM A TO Z AND FROM CHICAGO TO SANTA MONICA
Well, if I had time to spit or pay attention, chances are that I would be counting down the hours with eager anticipation of our next grand adventure on legendary Route 66. After all, this is more than just another rod trip, this a road trip with a purpose – the 2013 Route 66 International Festival.
What, you may ask, is the Route 66 International Festival? Well, it is a family reunion and a celebration of America’s most famous highway, its culture,its history, and the people that make it a national treasure. It is an absolutely delightful, fun filled weekend.
Several years ago I began offering business owners, associations, and museums along Route 66 my services in the form of promotional material distribution at the festival on their behalf. I am quite honored to say that a number of owners and directors are entrusting me to serve as their representative in Joplin this year.
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| A well used copy of The Route 66 Encyclopedia, courtesy of Oscar Stronk of the Netherlands |
As a result, in addition to being able to offer autographed copies of my books (including the very popular Ghost Towns of Route 66 and The Route 66 Encyclopedia), and a selection of our photographic prints, I will also have a wide array of materials from all along Route 66 (Wagon Wheel Motel, Hilltop Motel, Wigwam Motel, El Trovatore Motel, Grand Canyon West Resort, California Route 66 Museum, Arizona Route 66 passports etc.) to assist in your travel planning. Moreover, as this festival features many of the most learned Route 66 scholars, authors, collectors, and photographers, (Jim Ross, Joe Sonderman, and Jerry McClanahan to name but a few)if I can’t answer a Route 66 related travel question, there is a pretty good chance of finding someone who can.
However, between now and Tuesday around 5:00 AM when we take to the road, there are a wide array of things obligations and things that require my attention. A few, such as another opportunity to share the colorful history of Route 66 with one of Dale Butel’s tour groups, and to have an opportunity to visit with Dale and Steve Brewer, are more fun than work.
Others, such as swamp cooler maintenance, an almost overwhelming list of office issues and problems in addition to the regular daily tasks, the radio program, Jim Hinckley’s America, on Friday morning, picking up the Jeep from the garage (a wheel bearing, again), compiling a check list to ensure nothing of importance is left behind, and the need to pack everything so that it fits into a rental car in a manner that makes items accessible, may not be quite as enjoyable but they are simply manifestations of the primary components of this thing we call life.
In light of what is looming on the horizon in my corner of Route 66, the big road trip seems an appropriate way to start the month of August. Still, as exciting as all of this, it pales in comparison to September when I will have an opportunity to celebrate an anniversary milestone with my dearest friend.
I am unsure of if or when there will be posts from the road. However, as we have a few days to go before casting off, I am quite sure a few more postings are possible.
In light of what is looming on the horizon in my corner of Route 66, the big road trip seems an appropriate way to start the month of August. Still, as exciting as all of this, it pales in comparison to September when I will have an opportunity to celebrate an anniversary milestone with my dearest friend.
I am unsure of if or when there will be posts from the road. However, as we have a few days to go before casting off, I am quite sure a few more postings are possible.