Trying to figure out what the season is. Calendar says one thing, weather says another. But I think we’re getting back to travel weather, which is always a good thing for a roadie.
Recently, I traveled to New Mexico for the annual Road Ahead meeting, held in Albuquerque. I was accompanied by my wife, Amy, and board member Tim Walsh. We got a chance to drive down much of Route 66 along the way, including various iconic stops. These included stays at Boots Court (Carthage, MO) and the Blue Swallow (Tucumcari, NM), with the meetings held at the El Vado (Albuquerque, NM). These were all worth the visit – and points out the importance of taking the opportunity to visit places along the Route, whether they’re motels, restaurants, museums, whatever. Without people stopping by, we’re likely to lose some pretty important locations. And this is certainly the case here in Illinois.
We also saw many stretches of “old road” along the way, such as the long portion of original pavement near Hext, OK. This parallels the current highway and can easily be seen while driving. Much is no longer accessible, but it lends an eerie feeling as you travel down Route 66. While not everybody’s cup of tea, I find the old pavement intriguing, offering a glimpse of what it was like to travel down that narrow pavement back in its day. That pavement was old even back when my family traveled the Route years ago.
We also got a chance to visit the ghost town of Jericho, TX. If you haven’t heard of Jericho, I suggest you look into this town that was on the original dirt path that was US 66 in Texas. Not much is there anymore, but word has it that the “town” has been purchased, with plans for at least partial restoration. Given what we saw, that will be a HUGE restoration/preservation project, and I wish them all the best in their endeavors.
Speaking of driving, plans are being finalized for our south to north 2025 Motor Tour in June. After a visit and crossing of the Chain of Rocks Bridge in Missouri, we’ll be traveling to Springfield, with stops along the way, where we will be holding our annual Hall of Fame banquet and welcoming a new inductee. We have a lot in store for everybody this time around and we invite you to watch for updates on the Motor Tour via our website under WHAT TO DO.
For some news along Route 66, Lexington’s Memory Lane recently got some attention. It seems the farmer that owns the property abutting this original section of US 66 cleared out trees and brush in order to allow for more acreage to be farmed. This led to many calling the city to voice their opinion on this change, although Lexington had nothing to do with the “cleanup” along Memory Lane. It’s worth noting that the current appearance might well match what was there back when this was the alignment into Lexington. The side of the road where the tracks run parallel remains as it was before. We’ll be keeping an eye on further developments along Memory Lane.
Our new membership program is in place and providing the Association, and its members, with many benefits. Members are now able to enroll and renew on the website, as well as maintain their profiles. We’ve also resumed international memberships, made possible by the digital membership option. Members-only content will be added to the website over time, giving members more “bang for your buck” along the way.
Planning for the upcoming centennial celebration continues. For more information, please visit our website and click on CENTENNIAL! at the top of the page. We look forward to centennial events across the Route 66 states, including some planned “interstate” events and celebrations.
See you on the Mother Road!
Dwight M. Cannon, President
Route 66 Association of Illinois
P.S. Don’t forget our quarterly meetings. Dates, times, and locations are posted on the Association’s website calendar, as well as in The 66 News.