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| Left to right, Swa Frantzen, Nadine Pelicaen, and the one and only Croc Lile. |
As my life is intertwined with iconic Route 66 there is seldom a day without an opportunity for a fascinating adventure or encounter. To date this week was not an exception.
It is only Thursday but it will be tough to top the highlight that was an opportunity to speak with Gilligan’s Wild West fall Route 66 tour group from New Zealand traveling west with Bob “Croc” Lile leading the way. Sharing the history of Route 66 in the Kingman area, answering Route 66 questions, and fueling excitement for the journey ahead is always enjoyable.
As a bonus Swa Frantzen and Nadine Pelicaen stopped by. I have longed wanted to meet this charming duo as they are pioneers in the transformation of Route 66 into a destination for legions of international travelers.
Yesterday afternoon, I had a most invigorating conversation with Scott Piotrowski who is spearheading the initiative for Los Angeles to host a 90th anniversary Route 66 International Festival in 2016. What a delight it would be to celebrate this milestone at the original western terminus of Route 66.
The afternoon schedule includes there a meeting with city officials and local tourism representatives to discuss creation of an annual Route 66 event. The Route 66 International Festival sparked some very serious interest in seeing the City of Kingman utilize its association with Route 66 as a catalyst for development.
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| Author Jim Hinckley speaking with Gilligan’s Wild West fall Route 66 tour. |
As envisioned, the new event would bookend the primary season. The annual Route 66 Fun Run takes place on the first weekend in May, and the second event would take place in September or October. Chillin’ on Beale that is held on Beale Street the third Saturday evening of each month, April through October, would fill in the gaps.
The weekend schedule was full several weeks ago. I have been adding to it on a regular basis so it should be most interesting.
The list now includes loading the Jeep with ten cases of books (did I mention the new Route 66 Atlas is supposed to arrive at my house by Monday afternoon?) and assorted gear, finishing the rough draft of the new book, picking up posters supplied by the publisher from the print shop, and creating a photo file for the slideshow to accompany my presentation at the Route 66 State Park open house. It does not appear as though I will need to worry about ways to alleviate boredom.
Meanwhile, it is once again time to confront another day of challenges at the office.
