SOMWHERE WEST OF THE CROSSROADS AND EAST OF THE LAST PLACE I RECOGNIZED

Well, the crossroads is fading from view in the rear view mirror. I don’t see any familiar landmarks. Still, as long as the world isn’t really flat, and we don’t drive off the edge, this could be a most interesting adventure.

I am assisting Rich Dinkela who is creating a tremendous Route 66 website, Events on Route 66, envisioned as central clearing house for travel planning and a promotional tool for event developers. I will also continue adding events to the What’s Happening on Route 66 tab at the top of this page.

Brad Nickson of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association sent a list of events yesterday. These were forwarded to Rich, and will be posted here later today.

During the Route 66 International Festival in Kingman a promise was made to maintain open and regular communication with Route 66 associations in the hopes of building upon the cooperative partnerships made manifest in the internationally televised conference. The centralized promotion of events is but one step.

To date, assistance has been provided in the development and facilitation of these partnerships between state associations. Now, the hope is to encourage similar endeavors with Route 66 associations in the Netherlands, Germany, and the Czech Republic. I would like to see their Route 66 related events promoted as well.

I am rather confident that we will see tremendous developments along the Route 66 corridor in the next eighteen months as the folks behind these associations are quite amazing. In my dealings with Glen Duncan, Vickie Ashcraft, Larry Clounts, Brad Nickson, Renee Charles, tommy and Glenda Pike, Dora Meroney, and others who work tirelessly in these state Route 66 associations, I can’t help but wonder what would happen if we still had the U.S. Highway 66 Association to bolster and coordinate their endeavors.

On a more personal note, it appears as though the curtain is about to draw to a close in an important aspect of our lives. Is anyone out there interested in hiring a thick skinned, professional gum beater, who has a tendency to joust at windmills with a great deal of passion?

I should have thought of including a plug sooner but better late than never. If your looking for the perfect Route 66 cruiser, or just an old car for local cruise nights, or are simply fasicinated by automotive curiosities and time capsules, and like a bit of vintage music, peruse Cort Steven’s Old Cars, Strong Hearts Facebook page.

Cort regularly posts interesting findings from Craigslist. In recent weeks he has uncovered an ultra rare 1936 Pierce Arrow with V-12 in mid restoration, an original ’51 Fraser, a 1951 Hudson Commodore ($2,500), a low mileage 1976 Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo parts, and a wide array of seldom seen automotive treasures.

As noted on several occasions my dearest friend I will be on the road in mid October. The primary destination is Cuba Fest in Cuba, Missouri to keep off the latest book, and then Route 66 State Park for an open house on the 19th where I will sign books as well as speak on Route 66 as the Crossroads of the past and future.

The final schedule with appearance times and locations should be available this week, I hope. At this time it looks as though there will be a deviation from recent adventures as I am to stop in Wichita, Kansas.

So, it looks like Route 66 to Tucumcari, U.S. 54 into Kansas, and Route 66 home will be the primary route for this adventure. This will provide an excuse to share the beauty of the Lake of the Ozarks, framed with fall colors, with my dearest friend and, of course, the World’s Largest Hand Dug Well.

On our last visit to Cuba Fest, we detoured south of St. James for a visit to Meramec Springs State Park. The fall colors transformed this beautiful place into a photographers paradise!

As always, regardless of course followed, I quite positive that it will be a grand adventure. Will you be joining us (as well as “Croc” Lile, the Road Crew, Joe Sonderman, Cheryl Eichar Jett, …) in Cuba?