THIS IS IT! HERE IT IS! NUMBER 1,500 PLUS FESTIVAL UPDATES, A HEARTY THANK YOU, AND ... - Jim Hinckley's America

Well, here we are at post number 1,500. That is a rather surprising milestone. After all, this project began as an experiment based on simple curiosity.

I wanted to know what a blog was and how they were built. In turn this led to how they were promoted and the rest, as they say, is history.

In the past few weeks a great deal of thought was given to how best celebrate this milestone. After a bit of contemplation it came to me. As the blog is a means of sharing the adventures on Route 66 and the road less traveled, it seemed the best commemoration would be in dedicating this blog post to the people who made those adventures memorable and enjoyable.

Author Jim Hinckley, Kristi-Anne Butel (right), and a
tour group from the land down under.

Then I encountered a string of issues that necessitated a delay in the penning of the milestone post. In turn, as some of these items pertain to important updates, there was a need to include these as well.
So, this will be a rather lengthy entry. Perhaps that will make up for the delay. Grab a cold one, get comfortable, and lets begin.

It would be an impossibility to include everyone who contributed to making our blog shared adventures on the road, as well as the adventure we call life so exciting, enjoyable, and memorable. So, to those not noted here today, thank you.

I have to begin the dedication by saying thank you to my dearest friend. The years of support, encouragement, laughter, tears, and adventures (not to mention cherry cobblers baked at 5:30 am) have ensured the best times were even better and the worst of times weren’t that bad. Thank you.

We are richly blessed by the many friendships that have been spawned by this blog, the penning of a few books, and a shared passion for adventures on Route 66. In a few instances it almost seems as though we have long distance neighbors that are also some of our best friends.

Thank you Dries and Marion, Karel and Hanneke, Jeroen and Maggie, our Netherlands neighbors. Your visits are always a highly anticipated part of our year.
Our friends from the Netherlands have inspired us to broaden our horizons and make a valiant effort to learn a bit of Dutch. My dearest friend seems to be doing better than me in this regard.
There there are the German neighbors, also our friends, Wolfgang and Anja, that endured an afternoon of karaoke in Chloride.

Left to right, Jeroen Boersma, Jim Hinckley, and
Maggie Boersma.

To Zdnek Jurasek and his charming wife, friends from the Czech Republic, we are counting the days until we can again share a breakfast and tales from the road.
Now, we also have some southerly neighbors that we count as friends. However, even though we are getting better at understanding the language, learning to speak Australian may be more of a challenge than mastering Dutch.
On a serious note, Dale and Kristi-Anne, Steve, Daniel, Anthony, and Mark Fletcher, thank you for the memories, the good times, the support, and the camaraderie. We hope to see you again soon.
Then there is Sam Murray from the land down under and to the left (New Zealand). Our Route 66 adventure added a new dimension to the Route 66 Fun Run.
The stateside list of friends and neighbors is rather lengthy. Thank you Joe Sonderman and Mike Ward, Steve Rider and Kumar Patel and Michael Wallis, Bob and Ramona, Laurel and Ron, Kevin and Nancy, John and Judy, Buz and Richard, Ed and Angel, Scott and Ian, Vickie and Allan, Melba and Renee, Gary and Rich, Kathleen and Debra, Rich and your rabbits, and everyone else that makes our adventures so enjoyable, and ensure our blog posts are as lively as the road itself.
Here is to each of you and the years of shared adventures. Thank you. Lets hope that we are blessed with many more.
Now for a few festival updates. The official t-shirt for the Route 66 International Festival is available. Here is the link for ordering.
It is official, the Road Crew will performing at the festival even though the fund raising initiative is still short. The hope is that the goal will be met before the festival. A link for the fund raising endeavor is in the right column.
Next, to close out this milestone posting, a couple of important press releases. First, one from the Kingman Chamber of Commerce, and then one from Holbrook.

June 16, 2014

For Immediate Release

Kingman, Arizona, and Route 66 will truly be at the crossroads of the past and future during the Route 66 International Festival scheduled for August 14^th through 17^th. In addition to an unprecedented exhibition of historically significant electric vehicles developed by the Historic Electric Vehicle Foundation, and a two day conference featuring speakers representing Route 66 associations as well as the electric vehicle community, a Walk of Fame will be dedicated.

Envisioned as an honorarium for the people who transformed Route 66 from a highway into an icon, and Kingman into a Route 66 destination, the Walk of Fame is a long term project that will in time stretch the length of Andy Devine Avenue. Nominated for inclusion at the Walk of Fame dedication are Andy Devine, Michael Wallis, Angel Delgadillo, Bob Boze Bell, David and Mary Lou Knudson, John and Lenore Weiss, Doctor John Lingenfelter, and Bob Waldmire.

Hualapai Chief Leve Leve and Lt. Edward F. Beale, pioneers that contributed to the establishment of the foundational elements for the creation of Route 66 will also be included in the Walk of Fame dedication at the festival.

For more information about the Walk of Fame, deadline for nominations and funding, or to nominate an individual and fund a brick, please contact Julie Lowe, the project coordinator, at TNT Auto Center, (928)753-1477. For general information about the festival contact the Kingman Area Chamber of Commerce at (928)753-6253 or Dora Manley at (928)297-4560.

You are cordially invited to attend our first “Route 66 Trading Post Tour” of nine locations within the Petrified Forest / Painted Desert National Park. This V.I.P. Tour is being presented in conjunction with the 1st Annual “Holbrook Route 66 Festival” which will be held on August 8th and 9th in Holbrook, Arizona.
Two tours of up to 20 people each are scheduled for Friday morning August 8th before the Festival, and Sunday morning August 10th, the day after the Festival, from 8 AM to about 1 PM. The tours will be conducted by Park Paleontologist Bill Parker and other knowledgeable members of the Park Staff.
Both tours will focus upon historical Route 66 trading post sites that reside within the boundaries of the Park, and which in some cases are now mostly inaccessible to the general public.

Stops on the tour will include:
•    Painted Desert Point Trading Post
•    Rocky’s Old Stage Station
•    LA-A Airway Beacon #51
•    Petrified Forest National Park Visitors Center
•    Painted Desert Tower Trading Post (optional, ½ mile hike required)
•    Painted Desert Inn
•    Petrified Desert Park (The Lion Farm)
•    Dead River Bridge
•    Painted Desert Trading Post (which many consider to be the “Holy Grail” of Route 66 roadside attractions.)

Transportation for the tour will be provided, but those attending are advised to bring bottled water, a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen lotion, comfortable walking shoes, cameras and extra batteries, and to be prepared to spend approximately five hours on the tour.

Reservations for this first V.I.P. tour are begin taken on a “first-come-first-served” basis and are limited to a total of 40 people over the two days, though we may open up additional tours later on, should the demand require it.

Additional information will be provided with your reservation confirmation. If you’d like to reserve your place in this historic event, please contact Kathleen Gardner Smith at the Holbrook City Offices at 928-524-6227 or by e-mail at kathleens@ci.holbrook.az.us .

Kathleen Smith

Community Development Director
City of Holbrook
465 First Ave Holbrook, AZ 86025
Office: 928.524.6227
Fax: 928.524.2159