In recent weeks there is a growing sense that I am not longer ring side but am instead in the center ring at the Route 66 circus. No complaints, just a sense of awe at what is going around me and the crowd of international enthusiasts that is watching it unfold.
Rather than overwhelm you with boring and mundane details, I will instead share a few of the highs and lows of the past 48-hours. I have a feeling that after you this, you will be as excited about 2014 as I am.
Friday morning kicked off with a lengthy discussion about the possible purchase of a Route 66 property in western Arizona, and establishment of a business. In the past three weeks I have had very similar discussions from a business owner in New Zealand, a couple from Dallas looking for a fresh start, and some charming folks from Europe enamored with Route 66 and the southwest.
The Friday morning episode of Jim Hinckley’s America on Alamo 1230 was a rerun resultant of schedule conflictions. However, next week should be a most interesting program as Sunny will has Ramona Lehman at the Munger Moss Motel scheduled for an interview.
As this is a call in program, I hope to hear from you. Please don’t forget, the program is always available via podcast the following morning.
An hour before opening the office there was a brainstorming session between me, Steve and Mike Wagner, and Josh Noble, the tourism director, pertaining to the 2014 Route 66 International Festival that will be taking place next year on the weekend of August 16. We followed this with a conference call that included Michael Wallis and Rick Freeland of the Route 66 Alliance, the sanctioning organization behind the festival.
The festival is really starting to shape up but now it is time to play catch up (as in the website and organizational meetings). If things stay on track this should be an historic event on Route 66.
The rest of the day at the office is a sort of a blur. The best I can remember is that there was a seemingly endless line of people picking up trucks, turning in trucks, making reservations for trucks or trying to get a full refund for fuel as “they were informed that fuel cost was included with the truck rental” or that “we rented the trailer with the fender bent back to a point where it was sticking straight up in the air.”
Before heading home I met with Dave Emerson who is expanding his Route 66 related endeavors into tours. With that as a lead in, here are a few updates about the services I am now offering tour companies and tour groups.
In addition to the tours currently offered, I have been asked to also offer customized tours for the Route 66 corridor between Williams and Kingman. So, by popular demand …
Next week I will be meeting with Sam Murray of New Zealand to discuss plans for a Chicago to Santa Monica tour in 2014. I am also floating a trial balloon, a Route 66/ghost town tour.
Would anyone be interested in a four day adventure that includes Route 66, a hint of Arizona wilderness back country, a few ghost towns, unique lodging, and an evening on historic Whiskey Row in Prescott?
After arriving home somewhere near 8:00, I found a few surprises that will result in a bit of an adjusted holiday weekend. An editor I have worked with for almost ten years was let go resultant of downsizing.
So, I need to bring another editor up to speed on the atlas (create a sample photo and text file). Then, next week it is the final edit for the Route 66 travel guide scheduled for a spring release. As a bonus, development of promotion for Route 66 Treasures kicks into high gear next week.
This morning I started the day with an odd computer issue. The external hard drive used for the storage of photos was no longer accessible. Even worse, there are currently programs that will only function with the devise unplugged.
After tinkering with this for awhile with no success (ideas anyone), it was often to get the fur trimmed. As the forthcoming Route 66 festival is creating a bit of a buzz the barber shop conversation was rather lively.
Now, the rest of the day is fairly well mapped. A few hours of work on the atlas, working to recover photo files, and creating the files for the editor.
Then it will be back to work on the big event in 2014, and related endeavors. We have another micro car tour taking to the double six next year, Grand Canyon West Resort is now on board and is planning on special excursions during the festival, ….
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Jim, we took a group of Spyder riders on a Route 66 ride yesterday in Mid Missouri. We went to the Big rocker for photos and to buy Cuba and Route 66 patches, to Elbow Inn, and then on to the Cave Restaurant, which did not disappoint. However, you might mention that there is gravel on the road leading to it, and it has a gravel parking lot. That can make a difference to bikes, especially the two wheeled ones.
It sounds as if you are involved in many exciting projects and are very busy. Safe travels.