Where have the last two months gone?

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October and November really got away, and my last blog entry was October 8th! I didn't forget about all you kind folks that read my rambling. Joe and I made a last big push to finish Route 66 in Illinois with a few more research and other book-related trips (Springfield, Pontiac, Joliet and Chicago, Jacksonville, Carlinville) and put in many more hours to complete it. Expected release by Arcadia Publishing is in May 2014.

Also in October, I did book signings at Lewis and Clark State Historic Site in Hartford and Leclaire Parkfest in Edwardsville, made a trip to Wisconsin and drove a tiny bit of the Lincoln Highway on the way home, went to the exciting Vic Suhling Gas for Less neon sign re-lighting, and of course watched the World Series.

Five Arcadia Publishing authors were invited for a group book signing at Lewis and Clark State Historic Site October 12-13. Front row left to right:  Dee Reed, Mary Westerhold, and Cindy Reinhardt. Back row left to right:  Roxann Read and me.

 
This is Cindy Reinhardt's and my booth at the annual Leclaire Parkfest in the charming Leclaire neighborhood of Edwardsville on October 20. I took this photo before the big crowd arrived!

 
On a chilly Saturday evening, October 26, a large crowd gathered in Litchfield for the re-lighting of the restored neon "Vic Suhling Gas for Less" sign in front of the Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center, formerly the site of the Vic Suhling service station. Read all about the event and see more photos in the December issue of the Prairie Land Buzz, now online, and in the upcoming issue of The 66 News, the quarterly newsletter of the Route 66 Association of Illinois.

In November, it was mainly work on the book plus writing on some other projects, a day trip to Indianapolis, attending the first meeting of the Route 66 Blue Carpet Corridor (more news on this exciting project to come soon), and taking time for a delicious and relaxing Thanksgiving dinner with Steve.

This is a short post, but I'll begin to get caught up with photos from our various trips in the next couple entries. Also, watch for some great vintage photos along with contemporary shots to accompany some vignettes of very charming towns we included in the new book.

The huge December issue of the Prairie Land Buzz is now online for your reading pleasure! My "Along Route 66" column is on pages 20-21 and this time my contribution is "The Neon's Back On:  Relighting of the Vic Suhling Sign."  

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