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Sixth Annual Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference is planned for October 2021

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The Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference is back this year with its sixth annual event, to be held virtually Thursday – Sunday, October 21 – 24, 2021. This year's theme is “A Worldwide Celebration of Route 66,” emphasizing the love of Route 66 and its collegiality that is truly an international phenomenon. To that end, this year's slate of speakers and presenters comes to you from across all eight Route 66 states and from locations around the world. Embracing the virtual format, the organizers have created a truly “worldwide” event!  The by-now familiar conference format plus social activities will be followed again this year with a few new twists. The event kicks off with a Thursday evening virtual Happy Hour to meet and greet old and new friends and colleagues from around the globe. Friday and Saturday feature daytime conference sessions, with no need this year to choose from multiple breakout sessions. ROUTE Magazine editor Brennen Matthews will present the keynote speec...
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Capone and Clark draw a crowd to the Mill Museum on Route 66

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Al Capone and David Clark attracted a crowd of approximately 66 people to the Mill Museum in Lincoln, Illinois, on Saturday, July 13, for a day of events billed as "Capone and Cannoli." Al Capone, the famous mob boss, was the topic of an excellent and entertaining program presented by David Clark. Clark, aka the Windy City Road Warrior, is an expert on Route 66 + Chicago, the city he calls home. And the cannoli? A great Italian-style meal, with cannoli, of course, completed the day's events. L to R David Clark, Geoff Ladd. All photos by Cheryl Eichar Jett. Geoff Ladd, Assistant Director of Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway and the driving force behind saving and then reopening the Mill, has been increasingly creative at holding events to support the former restaurant. This one has to top the list, at least so far. Drawing on Clark's expertise and popular programs on Capone, Ladd created an afternoon and evening of events related to the intersection of Capone, Route...
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Aprons Away - my new stage play celebrates women's work on Route 66

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The cast of Aprons Away:  Women's Work on the Mother Road salutes the audience and crew at the end of a performance at the Eagle Performing Arts and Conference Center in Pontiac, Illinois, during the June 22-23, 2019, weekend. Photo by Mitchell T. Fransen, courtesy of the City of Pontiac. Aprons Away: Women's Work on the Mother Road , my stage play had its world premiere in a one-act version October 28, 2018, at Blackburn College in Carlinville, as part of the fourth annual Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference. But the new two-act, theatre-length version with original music and lyrics debuted in Pontiac, Illinois, on June 22-23, enjoying a successful two-day run at the Eagle Performing Arts and Conference Center! The performances were sponsored by Pontiac Tourism and the Route 66 Association of Illinois. The Eagle Performing Arts and Conference Center in Pontiac, Illinois. Photo by Cheryl Eichar Jett. With the tag line “The most famous highway in the world....
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Why is the Blue Carpet Corridor BLUE?

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Every year, leading up to and during the Blue Carpet Corridor/Miners, Mobsters, and the Mother Road passport weekend, I get asked, "Why is the Blue Carpet Corridor BLUE?" It's a fair question, especially when the old saying specifies RED, as in "rolling out the red carpet." Route 66 fans that are aware of the annual Illinois Red Carpet Corridor event (which is mostly everyone) have this figured out. But for anyone new to a Route 66 addiction, not familiar with Illinois, or just wanting an explanation, here's the story! The state of Illinois can claim approximately 300 miles of Route 66, and for event and marketing purposes, it's sometimes regarded as having three distinct "corridors." Each corridor has its own local flavor. The Red Carpet Corridor in the north end of the state was once distinguished by its industrial economy, such as in Joliet and at the World War II-era munitions plant at Elwood, and by its gangster activity prevale...
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MOPCon III - a fantastic weekend in Joliet

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MOP Con III--that's the third annual Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference for the uninitiated--is now one for the history books. A memorable weekend in Joliet, Illinois, drew attendees from numerous states plus Canada. I salute Debyjo Ericksen, conference organizer, for a fun and informative weekend! As in the first two MOP Cons (Edwardsville 2015 and Bloomington-Normal 2016), the weekend featured historical tours, a variety of presentations, entertainment, and social/dinner get-togethers. On Thursday, October 19, well-known preservationist/author John Weiss led a bus tour from Joliet to Dwight and back. And on Thursday evening, our group met up for hard-hitting rock 'n roll at The Forge in downtown Joliet. The opening band got extra stage time due to the tardiness of the featured band. The Blooze Brothers finally arrived. Although some of the Boomers left to seek out a quieter venue, most stayed for perennial favorites like "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love"...
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June 2017 Route 66 events and adventures with the new van

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With the 2017 Route 66 event season in full swing, my pertussis quarantine over, and an itch to go places in the new van, June proved to be a busy month. Between St. Louis and Chicago, I gave a program, attended a program, went to the Route 66 exhibit at Missouri History Museum twice, drove across the Chain of Rocks Bridge, sold and signed books, and, with my BCC colleagues, produced the third annual Blue Carpet Corridor festival weekend. Here's a brief rundown of my June: June 1 - At Jubelt's  in Litchfield, I met up with Bill Kelly, Executive Director of Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, and Dave Tucker, Vice-President of Blue Carpet Corridor, for hand-off of materials for Blue Carpet Corridor weekend. Lunch was terrific as always at this long-standing cafe-bakery. June 4 - I drove to Greenville to record a podcast for Creekside with Don and Jan at Owl Creek  with the lively and fun Don and Jan Stover. We talked Route 66, the upcoming Blue Carpet Corridor event, and my n...
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#AliceMyVan Camper Van Dreaming

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Dreaming of road trips in the van was mostly all I was able to do in May. Hours of work for Blue Carpet Corridor , writing deadlines, and a several-week bout of pertussis (yup, whooping cough), drastically slowed my van conversion progress. One result of all that prescribed rest was a Pinterest board chock full of clever and cute van camper ideas. You can peruse those should you wish at my  Van Camper Ideas . Meanwhile, Alice waited patiently for me to get to work. With all those ideas, I started measuring, planning, ordering, and, when I was finally non-contagious and could leave the house, shopping. I soon amassed a pile of stuff on my dining room table, including some treasured things from my mom's kitchen, thrift shop finds, and goodies from Ikea and Target. We'll see how much of it actually fits in the van. The photo just shows the cute stuff (no piles of bungees, tools, first-aid kit, carbon monoxide detector, rain poncho, and other necessary but non-glamorous items). ...
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