Learning to use our calendar puts the fun and adventure of Route 66 at your fingertips. It's easy to discover the when, what and where of events along the road.
Watch Route 66 evolve into The Mother Road with maps and highway guides from 1917-1992 courtesty of the official 
Welcome!
The Route 66 Association of Illinois is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to preserving, promoting, educating and enjoying Route 66 in Illinois. It's members hail from all over the US and many other countries. The Association sponsors the Route 66 Hall of Fame in Pontiac Illinois, stages an annual Chicago-St. Louis Motor Tour in early June and publishes a quarterly newsletter.
There is much to do and see here in Illinois, and on our website. Browse the towns along the road, explore our map views of fantastic attractions, visit our online gift shop, read about our preservation efforts, enjoy our member adventures, and join our association.
We hope you enjoy your visit!
URGENT 2010 Motor Tour License Plate Update!!!
Submitted by Editor Gina on March 4, 2010 - 10:38am.The license plates are coming!
The license plates are coming!
Be sure to get yours! They are THE fashion accessory for vehicles participating in our 2010 Motor Tour!
2010 Motor Tour License Plates will be available for mailing or pickup the first week of April.
Click to read the details about these special license plates commemorating our 2010 Motor Tour!
We will contacat each individual to arrange your preferred method of obtaining your plate - pickup or delivery.
$6.00 shipping charge if you prefer to have your plate mailed.
You must send a copy of your current vehicle registration (regardless of state) to receive your license plate
These plates are a HOT HOT HOT collector's item!
We Bid Farewell to a Dear Friend
Submitted by Editor Gina on February 22, 2010 - 9:05pm.Our Association has received the somber news that our dear friend - and a dear friend of Route 66 - Lenore Weiss, passed away this morning.
We received the following notification via Kathy Miller today which we now share:
This message is to inform all who knew and loved Lenore Weiss that she passed away on February 22, 2010. Her battle with cancer is now over.
So What Is a Motor Tour Anyway?
Submitted by Editor Gina on February 9, 2010 - 4:56pm.
You've probably noticed that we've mentioned our upcoming Motor Tour with increasing regularity lately. That's because we are very excited about it! Are you wondering exactly what a Motor Tour is? If that's the case, this is the story for you!
Our Motor Tour is an annual three-day event sponsored by the Route 66 Association of Illinois (that's us). Since 1989 the event has been scheduled for the second weekend of June. The Motor Tour provides an opportunity to drive and appreciate the attractions along our stretch of Route 66.
2010 Route 66 Association of Illinois Motor Tour!!!
Submitted by Editor Gina on February 4, 2010 - 9:23pm.
Route 66 Association of Illinois presents:
WE ARE FAMILY - the 2010 Motor Tour
June 11, 12 & 13, 2010
ALL WECOME – ANY VEHICLE – ANY YEAR – ANY MODEL
You may join or leave the tour at any point or time.
Rain or Shine we tour!!!
Sorry – no refunds
Itinerary:
June 11th
Friday Night Kickoff
Holiday Inn-Eureka
Registration 5:00-8:00 PM
2010 Motor Tour License Plates Now Available!
Submitted by Editor Gina on January 27, 2010 - 8:55pm.
2010 Motor Tour License Plates
Official Illinois License Plate commemorating the 2010 Route 66 Association of Illinois Motor Tour (which will take place June 11-13, 2010).
Road-legal from April 15 -June 13.
$25.00 plus shipping and handling.
Profits from the sale of these license plates go toward our Route 66 Preservation efforts.
Order yours early because supplies are limited!
Contact Jamie Anderson
847-721-6743
Elite197642@yahoo.com
Route 66 Association of Illinois Annual Hall of Fame Nominations
Submitted by Editor Gina on December 7, 2009 - 9:31am.Submitted by Kathy Miller
Nominations into the Route 66 Hall of Fame will be accepted for consideration between January 1 and February 28, 2010. Nominations post marked after the deadline date shall be held for consideration in the following year.
To qualify for election into the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame, nominees must have made significant contributions to the character or history of the Illinois portion of Route 66 while it was an official United States highway in the State of Illinois. (1927/ 1977)
The Hall of Fame is located in Pontiac, IL at the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame Museum. The Hall of Fame Museum is one the most visited attractions on all of Route 66 in Illinois with visitors from all over the world.
The Hall of Fame honors those people and businesses whose careers or experiences along the road helped give it such special flavor in this state. Its 80 plus members include truck drivers, waitresses, farmers, police officers, many mom-and-pop businesses, a ballroom, a movie palace, a drive in theater and the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.
The committee invites anyone to submit a nomination. It must include a fact-based essay about the nominee’s contributions to the character or history of the Illinois portion of Route 66 while it was an official United States highway in the State (1927/ 1977). Photos, news clips and other memorabilia are welcome to accompany the essay but are not required. A panel of historians and Hall of Fame members will judge all nominations.
Please submit nominations and all accompanying materials to:
The Route 66 Association of Illinois, Attn: Hall of Fame Committee
110 West Howard Street
Pontiac, IL 61724.
Nominations may be also sent by e-mail to Kathleen708@hotmail.com Please put Hall of Fame in the subject line of the e-mail. All photo attachments must be JPG files and all nomination submissions should be in Microsoft Word documents.
All nominations and accompanying materials submitted will become the property of the Route 66 Association of Illinois and will not be returned. They may be used in advertisements and/or publications and included into the Hall of Fame Museum. The Hall of Fame induction celebration honoring new and existing members will take place on June 12, 2010 in Carlinville, IL at the Annual Hall of Fame Banquet, as part of the Association’s “We are Family” Annual Motor Tour.
Association Sponsored Meetings & Events
| Name | Date | Event Type |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Quarterly Meeting | Sunday April 18 | Association Meetings |
| Summer Quarterly Meeting | Sunday July 18 | Association Meetings |
| Fall Quarterly Meeting | Sunday October 17 | Association Meetings |
Fun Events Down The Road
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Spring Quarterly Meeting | Sunday April 18 |
| Godley Red Carpet Corridor Festival - Godley, IL | Saturday May 1 |
| Godley Red Carpet Corridor Festival - Godley, IL | Sunday May 2 |
| Conference on Iraq and Afghanistan - Pontiac, IL | Saturday May 15 |
| 2010 Motor Tour Missouri - Chicago | Friday June 11 |
Recent News
My Good Friend Bob Waldmire - A Story and Memorial
Submitted by Editor Gina on February 18, 2010 - 1:44pm.Ken Turmel gave us his permission to print the following story he wrote about Route 66 Artist, Icon and Friend, Bob Waldmire. Here is Ken's story in its entirety, as originally published on TwoLane Adventure:
Greetings Fellow Route 66'ers and those of you who are a personal friend of my dear and close roadie buddy Bob Waldmire. It pains me to be the messenger of most unfortunate news. Bob has passed away this morning on Wednesday, December 16, 2009, at 8:30am. This is a solemn day for me. We will all surely miss him dearly.
Stilt Crazy After All These Years
Submitted by Editor Gina on January 31, 2010 - 11:33pm.Here is an AMAZING story of Frenchman, Manu Cuadra, who is a "stilt traveler."
Manu will be arriving in Chicago from France on April 12, 2010 to begin his journey along Route 66 ON STILTS!!! Manu asks for our support and any help we can provide along his journey.
Click here to watch a very enjoyable video of Manu's travels on high.
Click here to go to Manu's blog about his upcoming Route 66 adventure.
Email Manu to wish him luck or lend your support: manu-40@live.fr
Bon chance, Manu!
Walldogs Museum Planned in Pontiac
Submitted by Editor Gina on January 21, 2010 - 2:35pm.This Summer the city of Pontiac, IL will have yet another tourist attraction: A Walldogs Museum!
The Walldogs are a worldwide group of artists who continue the historic tradition of painting outdoor advertising signs. They met in Pontiac in 2009 to grace the city with 18 murals painted on buildings in just four days time.
According to an article published in the Pontiac, Illinois Community Times, the new International Walldog Mural and Sign Art Museum will provide these elements:
Bob and Me
Submitted by Editor Gina on January 12, 2010 - 4:12pm.
Bob and Me
A Photo Gallery About Bob Waldmire and Friends
There has been such an outpouring of stories and jokes and pictures of Bob Waldmire and his fans since his death that the Museum Committee is starting up a photo gallery at the museum simply entitled, “Bob and Me.”
These photos will be on display on the 2nd floor of the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in an alcove next to the Preservation Exhibit.
Send us a photo or photos by mail or email to be placed in our new exhibit.
We’re not sure how long the exhibit will last so if you are sending a photo you would like returned, please put your name, address and phone number on the back of the photo for our future reference.
We will be posting all the pictures received of you and Bob, or Bob and your family, or Bob with your dog, etc. This amazing man quietly affected everyone he met. We all gained something knowing Bob, and we think Bob would be genuinely amused at a gallery of photos of himself with his “people.”
So share your Kodak moment with the rest of the Route 66 community!
Photos can be emailed to Cathie Stevanovich at cathiesb@earthlink.net
Regular photos can be mailed to:
Bob And Me
Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame & Museum
110 W. Howard
Pontiac, IL 61764
Go Fly a Kite!
Submitted by Editor Gina on December 31, 2009 - 12:47pm.Our thanks to Vince Lindstrom at the Joplin Convention & Visitors Bureau for submitting the following information.
This sounds like so much FUN!
KITES OVER ROUTE 66
Joplin Missouri is in the process of organizing a Route 66 “Fly Over."
Our second annual event is called “KITES OVER ROUTE 66." We are asking communities, along Route 66 to gather groups together and fly kites over The Mother Road on Saturday April 24th. It is our intention over the next 10 years to have enough kites flying over the road to be able to see kites to your left and right during the fly over the fourth Saturday in April all along the 2,400 miles of Route 66.
We welcome your Route 66 news, stories, photos and events for publication in our newsletter or on our web site!
