THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND THOUGHTS OF A NEW YEAR

This may come as a bit of surprise to regular followers of this blog but I am a bit of a traditionalist. I am quite aware that most of our Christmas traditions are rooted in modern commercialism, and that even fewer have anything to do with the Christianity that is supposed to be the holidays foundation. I really don’t care.

A nation, a society needs tradition. Rather than digress into a tirade about the modern era of political correctness run amuck, and the seemingly incessant urge to denigrate each and every tradition that currently plagues the country, I will instead request you give some thought to comedian Billy Connolly’s tirade on beige people (found on Youtube but be warned, the language would make a sailor blush, unless they visit a mall on a regular basis).

So, with that said my dearest friend and are I preparing for the holidays and all that this entails from fruitcake to friends, Christmas carols to a Christmas tree. We are also looking toward a new year filled with exciting possibilities.

The latest book, the Route 66 Historic Atlas, has spawned an idea for a new series of presentations. One will be about the dark side of Route 66 as evidenced by stories of crime, mayhem, passion, and disaster.

The second will be a bit more lighthearted. The topic of discussion will be the film and celebrity related sites on Route 66.

As numerous requests have been received for a photo exhibition, at the risk of sounding pompous I began thinking that, perhaps, a display of our work could lend support to a communities efforts to attract visitors as they travel the Route 66 corridor. May I ask your opinion?

In recent weeks there has been some interesting discussions about the development of a Route 66 Festival in Europe. An interesting aspect of these discussions was the possibility that it could be held in conjunction with the Route 66 Alliance sanctioned Route 66 International Festival, and then via the miracles of modern science, be linked. Would you care to share a few ideas or thoughts about such an endeavor?

The next item also provides a bit of food for thought, and another opportunity to present an impression that I am getting a big for my britches. There were several occasions this past year when I was asked to lead or develop a special Jim Hinckley edition Route 66 tour that focuses on the quirky and obscure places, as well as the detours, discussed on the blog. Again, may I ask for your thoughts and ideas?

The last item of the day is about you. I am a rather curious individual and was wondering what your favorite Route 66 memory in 2013 was, and what your plans are for making new memories in 2014.