Route 66 information is surprisingly difficult to find. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that information about upcoming events, the fast approaching Route 66 centennial, and current travel planning information is fragmented. That was a topic of discussion with Angie Fickert Paterek of Route 66 Information Station on the February 4, 2024 episode of Coffee With JIm. This is the weekly podcast from Jim Hinckley’s America.

Telling People Where to Go

Michael Wallis once quipped that Route 66 is a linear community. An argument can be made that it is America’s longest small town.

Buy a copy of Jerry McClanahan’s EZ 66 Guide For Travelers at most any gift shop or museum along Route 66, and most clerks will suggest stopping at his gallery for an autograph. When checking out of the Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucumcari, ask for recommendations. Don’t be surprised when you are given an itinerary, and even recommendations for people that should be met along the way.

This is an integral part of the infectious magic that is a journey along Route 66. It is also a source of endless frustration.

If we have such a strong sense of community, why is it so difficult to create a central hub or portal for Route 66 information? With this international network of partners, shouldn’t development of an organization that is as effective as the original US Highway 66 Association be relatively easy?

Putting The Pieces Together

Creating this type of organization should be just a matter of putting the pieces together. To a degree that is something we attempt to do with the Jim Hinckley’s America website. But that is also what the mammoth Historic Route 66 Facebook group is about. And that is what underlies Paterek’s Route 66 Information Station, and state Route 66 association websites.

Funding is a primary obstacle to building a modern version of the US highway 66 Association. Volunteers are crucial for building a sense of community and community purpose. But an organization capable of meeting the needs of the Route 66 community needs a paid staff. That would allow people to focus on the task at hand. Otherwise life will intrude with distractions such as the need to make a living.

The Route 66 centennial seems ideally suited to create this entity. Awareness of the need is being magnified. There is also a growing awareness about the opportunities represented by the ribbon of old blacktop.

As important as funding is, another factor that has prevented creation and development of such an entitiy is leadership. There are some pretty impressive examples of leaderhsip in the Route 66 community. Roamin Rich of the Missouri Route 66 Associaiton and Rhys Martin of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association come to mind.

But someone with a thick skin, diplomacy skills, vision and the skill set needed to foster development of an international network of cooperative partnerships has yet to take the stage.

Coffee With Jim

Take a listen to this episode of Coffee With Jim, and then share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section.