Route 66 Association of Missouri’s 23rd Annual Motor Tour, September 6, 7 and 8 2013

The Route 66 Association of Missouri will be “Rockin’ to the Devil and Rollin to the Saints” on its 23rd Annual Motor Tour. This Years tour will be held September 6th 7th and 8th. The tour will start in Carthage, MO and will end at Orchard Park in St. Clair, MO.

Tour registration begins on Friday, September 6, at 4:00 p.m. at the Econo Lodge, located at 1441 W. Central Ave. in Carthage, MO, where a block of rooms has been set aside for tour goers. Tour Goers can register on Friday night until 10:00 p.m. There will also be information on activities and things to do in Carthage available at registration.

On Saturday, September 7, tour registration will resume at 8:00 a.m. at the Econo Lodge in Carthage, and the tour will depart at 8:15 a.m. (after the pre-tour meeting) from the Econo Lodge. On Saturday, tour goers will have the opportunity to make stops between Carthage and the midpoint destination outside Devil’s Elbow, MO. A Guide detailing places to look for on the way will be provided at registration. Among the places tour goers will be able to visit along the way will include Spencer, MO, Gay Parita, Halltown Mercantile, and the Greene County Museum. There will also be information about other suggested stops provided at registration.

The Saturday night midpoint destination will be the Montis Inn, located at the intersection of CR Z (Route 66) and SR 28 just north of Devil’s Elbow. A block of rooms has been set aside for tour goers at the Montis Inn . Saturday night’s dinner will be held at the Waynesville City Park, where we will be able to enjoy the excellent Bar-B-Que prepared by Sweetwater BBQ. There will be a silent auction and information about Sunday provided at the dinner.

On Sunday after the 8:00 a.m. nondenominational worship service, tour goers will proceed from the Montis Inn Eastward to St. Clair. Again, a Guide detailing places to look for on the way will be provided at registration. The tour will conclude with a lunch catered by Jim’s Country Catering, at Orchard Park just off Route 66 in St. Clair. Additional information on any planned stops or activities along the way will be made available at registration.

For more information and/or to obtain a registration flyer, contact Debbie Rhew (573)-433-9812; dprhew@windstream.net, or Kip Welborn, 314-776-7385, rudkip@sbcglobal.net, or download it here: 2013 Motor Tour Registration.

Here’s hoping that you can join us on this year’s Motor Tour!

Route 66 International Festival to bring the World to Joplin

Our regional Route 66 heritage will be on stage the first weekend of August this year. The Joplin Convention & Visitors Bureau will be hosting the 2013 Route 66 International Festival, August 1-3. This means the Route 66 enthusiasts, Roadies as they affectionately call themselves, from around the world will be coming to Joplin.

“The past two events have been held in Victorville, California last year and Amarillo, Texas in 2011,” according to Rick Freeland one of the co-founders of the International’s parent organization, The Route 66 Alliance. He added, “Roadies from all 50 states attend, and we generally see 20 countries represented throughout the weekend. Traveling Route 66 is an important piece of Americana both European and Asian visitors want to experience.”

The agenda for the weekend is beginning to take shape and will include events in Carthage, Missouri and Galena, Kansas as well as Joplin. A kick-off event on August 1st is being developed to include a cruise from Joplin, along Route 66 to the Carthage Square, then ending at the Carthage 66 Drive-in for a Roadie’s meet and greet, plus a movie. Much of the Friday, August 2nd daytime events will be held in Downtown Joplin with the evening events moving to Galena’s Main Street. The City of Galena and Route 66 patrons there are planning an open house of newly renovated buildings and Main Street streetscape. A TV/Movie themed car show and a concert will cap the evening’s events.

Saturday, August 3rd, daytime and evening activities will all be held on Main Street in Joplin’s Downtown District. Cultural themed activities, vendors and exhibitors will be throughout the downtown area. A car show featuring hot rods, custom semi-trucks, vintage military vehicles and motorcycles will fill the streets in the afternoon in the 400-600 blocks of Main Street. The 200-300 will be the location for an evening concert.

For all 3 days of the International Festival, a Main Street Marketplace will house all things Route 66. Authors, artists, crafters and collectors will be vending their specialty; providing a great opportunity for young people to be exposed to the history and culture of Route 66. Food vendors will add their flavor to events.

For more details about the events go to www.route66internationalfestival.com. Join the conversation about the 2013 Route 66 International Festival on Facebook at facebook.com/Route66JoplinMO. All activities unless otherwise mentioned are open to the public.

Boots Motel in Carthage, MO Seeks Volunteers for Roof Work

It’s crunch time!  The Boots Motel is looking for volunteers to help remove the gable roofs so the flat roof can be reinstated.  Saturday, March 23, and Sunday, March 24, have been selected as the days for the roof removal, with rain dates the following weekend.  The new flat roof must be completed by April 26, or we have to return the grant to the National Park Service.  We are in special need of volunteers with roof removing experience and their own tools who can get up on top of the gable roofs and remove the shingles.  We also need volunteers who can climb up a ladder to the underside of the roof and take down the sheathing and trusses from the inside.  This is a little less scary than climbing on top of the roof because you can stand on the existing flat roof to remove the sheathing and trusses.  Finally, we need people who can manage the debris on the ground, remove nails, gather up shingles, put stuff in dumpsters and sweep.  Currently, we have three “ground crew” volunteers and two “under the roof” volunteers.  We can offer all our volunteers two free nights at the Boots (one of them will be Saturday night, the other one of your choice), plus breakfast on Saturday and lunch and supper (probably pizza and hot dogs) on Saturday and Sunday.  If you are interested in returning this historic icon to its historic appearance, call 417-310-2989 to volunteer, or e-mail us at bootsmotel@hotmail.com.

Route 66 Association of Missouri to Hold Meeting on November 17, 2012

The meeting will take place at the Stones Throw Dinner Theatre at 796 S. Stone Ln., Carthage, MO 68436. Lunch will be served at 12:00 pm with the general meeting following. The cost for lunch is $15.00 per person. To reserve lunch and for more information, please download this meeting registration form.

We will have a guest speaker to talk about the Stones Throw Dinner Theatre. Officers and board members, please attend the Board Meeting at 10:00 am.

Ron Hart Speaks Out About the Boots Motel

Growing-up in Joplin, MO., I had many opportunities to visit the town of Carthage, about 20 miles to our north-east. At that time, Carthage was known as “the Crossroads of America” because of the two major highways that intersected it, Highway 71 running north and south, and Route 66, east to west.

My high school basketball and football teams often traveled to compete with the Carthage High School, and afterwards, we would all pay a visit to the Boots Drive-In on Garrison Street. The Route 66 Drive-In theater was a bit of a drive for us Joplin kids, as we already had the Tri-State, the Crest and the Webb City Drive-In movies, and sadly they are all gone today.

Many years later, I began to learn about Joplin’s Route 66 history, and about all the places that fed, fueled and lodged the travelers that passed through our communities, and today, precious few remain as reminders of times gone by. And this story is also being told in nearly every community that once claimed a Route 66 heritage.

In Carthage, the once popular and famous Boots Motel has become a low-rent weekly rooming house. Purchased a few years ago, and intended to be “flipped” for more money by a local contractor, the economy has kept the property in limbo.

I my opinion, the property has been sitting used and abused for too long now. Word is that the owner is now anxious to be rid of the Motel, as is his bank that holds the note. This could be a good thing if someone jumps in and makes an offer, or it could be a bad thing if another non-preservation minded developer scoops it up first.

I believe that Jim Hunter, the Pro 100 realtor who represents the seller, is a preservation minded person who would personally like to see the motel restored and re-opened to the public, and has expressed his willingness to help with any effort to acquire and preserve the Motel property. At my request, he will be talking to the bank holding the mortgage, local civic groups and possible benefactors, and others whose support will be needed. He will also arrange for an inspector to look at the buildings and report on any potential big problems. Next comes an appraisal that I have been told could lower the value by nearly half of the selling price. With some support behind me, I hope that the Route 66 Chamber of Commerce could possibly be able to get the property for around $150 thousand. This includes the “owner’s” house.

I am probably the least likely person to be doing this. My wife and I are surviving on our Social Security and a little side work, and I have spent a lot of time and money on building the Chamber in the process, but I do have a passion for saving this Route 66 icon because I know how quickly it can disappear if no one steps-up to get the ball rolling.

My background work has been in tourism marketing, sales, public relations, advertising and promotions….all no longer in much demand due to the economy, but sorely needed by businesses on the Mother Road. I also attended O.S.U. majoring in Construction Technology. Best of all, my wife and I have been full-time RV’ing for the past 9 years, so we could move onto the property and get to work right away on preventive maintenance and grant applications. Since I was born and raised in Joplin and have a strong family history in the area, that should help keep me from being labeled an “outsider”.

Back to the big gorilla sitting in the room, the economy. Times have been hard for Route 66 businesses these past few years, so I don’t plan on tapping them for donations. I believe the Carthage community will participate as they stand to reap the benefits, and they certainly need to learn more about the diamond-in-the-rough they have in the Boots Motel and in the Route 66 corridor that kept their town alive during the great depression.

What I could use from 66′rs will be cards, letters and e-mails of support for the preservation of the Boots Motel, no matter who purchases it. My proposal will be the very first to be submitted since the property went on the market several years ago. I hope that it will make a statement that the friends of Route 66 care for it’s history, and will do anything they can to preserve it.

An outline on the Boots Project may be found at the Chamber’s website, www.visit66.com, with a link on the Homepage. There is also a “Save the Boots Motel” Facebook page for progress updates. Thanks.

Ron Hart -Director
Route 66 Chamber of Commerce
417-385-6966 or visit66@yahoo.com

The Route 66 Association of Missouri Welcomes New Business Members

We welcome the following new business members and thank them for their support:

Bremer Hardware & Lumber – Bourbon

Historic Phelps House – Carthage Historic Preservation, Inc. – Carthage

Sant Automotive, LLC – Crestwood

Gordos Main Street Cafe – Cuba

Midwest Petroleum Travel Plaza – Cuba

Historic Florissant, Inc. – Florissant

Creations Unlimited – Pacific

Koch Development Co. (Yorkshire Village) – St. Louis

Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce – Springfield

Allen Sign Studio – Miami, Oklahoma

Please patronize the business members that support what we do. Here is a link to the complete list:
Route 66 Association of Missouri Business Members

The Route 66 Association of Missouri Welcomes New Business Members

We welcome the following new business members and thank them for their support:

Big Red Barn RV Park – Carthage

Jim Montgomery’s Body & Paint – Cuba

Grumpy’s Outback – Hazelgreen

City of Hazelwood, MO

K Leigh Bugs LLC – Pacific

Pacific Antique Mall – Pacific

St. Louis Transitions – St. Louis

Please patronize the business members that support what we do. Here is a link to the complete list:
Route 66 Association of Missouri Business Members

Route 66 Association of Missouri Welcomes New Business Members

We welcome the following new business members and thank them for their support:

Branson Lock – Branson

Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre – Carthage

Britton Funeral Home – Cuba

A Miner Indulgence Bed & Breakfast – Rolla

St. James Tourist Information Center – St. James

Great River Engineering of Springfield, Inc. – Springfield

Tour & Convention Consultants of the Ozarks – Springfield

Twin Motorcycle & Tattoo – Springfield

H&R Block – Abilene, Kansas

Please patronize the business members that support what we do. Here is a link to the complete list: Route 66 Association of Missouri Business Members

Route 66 Association of Missouri Welcomes New Business Members

We welcome the following new business members and thank them for their support:

Best Budget Inn – Carthage

Three Mile Creek Wood Products, LLC – Cuba

St. James Chamber of Commerce – St. James

City of Strafford – Strafford

Superdawg drive-in – Chicago, IL

Please patronize the business members that support what we do. Here is a link to the complete list: Route 66 Association of Missouri Business Members