The Route 66 Chick

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"...

12 Reasons to Attend #MilesofPossibility Route 66 Conference in Edwardsville Oct. 29-31 !! #1 Venue – historic 1909 Wildey Theatre  www.wildeytheatre.com #2 Tours – Wildey Theatre and historic Edwardsville, leave from Wildey Lobby, Thurs. noon – 5 pm #3 Pub Crawl – Recess Brewing, Stagger Inn, The Hi-Way, Springers Creek, Thurs. 5 – 10 pm #4 Stand-up Comedy – Route 66 preservationist Terri Ryburn, Stagger Inn, Thurs. evening #5 Keynote Speaker – Prof. David K. Dunaway, Wildey Auditorium, Fri. morning #6 Amazing Group of Presenters – Photos and Bios here www.bluecarpetcorridor.org/presenters.html , Fri. and Sat. during the day #7 Live on the Wildey Stage – the Road Crew Band, Wildey Auditorium, Fri. 7:30 pm #8 E-group Breakfast – Route 66 Yahoo e-group breakfast, Wildey 2 nd floor, Sat. 8 am #9 Halloween Parade - “Miners, Mobsters, and the Mother Road,” Route 66 & N. Main St., Sat. 6 pm #10 Roadie Party – Hosts Nick G...

Saturday began with the e-group breakfast hosted by Mike and Sharon Ward, with plenty of food, prizes, and laughs. It was a great way to start the day. Then it was off to the Artists, Authors, Collectors, and Associations Expo in Beale Celebrations event space for Joe Sonderman and me. There was a good crowd in the building for a good share of the day. Of course there were plenty of other diversions. Jim Hinckley gave out “awards” of vintage “bat guano” cans. Roamin' Rich Dinkela had a vehicle hood on display and solicited some more of us to sign it. We took turns out and about enjoying the rest of the festival. By all reports the festival with vendors and entertainment a couple blocks away at Locomotive Park was going strong. The historic downtown was full of people having a good time. During the evening there plenty of choices for entertainment. Rich Dinkela and Kumar Patel threw a roadie bash. Various groups of visitors and roadies piled into the various downto...