Mill on route 66 Cruise in brings in a good crowd and great cars

 

[June 27, 2023] 

On Saturday afternoon, despite the heat, the Mill on route 66 Museum annual Cruise-in saw a very large crowd.

Guests who were there with their cars took advantage of the large shade trees on the north edge of the property, while visitors toured around the cars then headed inside the museum for a quick cool down before returning to the heat.

The Mill has been hosting a cruise-in the past several years, with growing success as more cars arrive each year, and the offerings of entertainment, food, and cold drinks, 50/50 drawings and lots of door prizes and giveaways continues to increase as well.

The Mill is owned and operated by the Logan County Tourism Bureau, and over the past five years or so has seen a lot of improvements. Three years ago the mill was given an exterior facelift with new siding in historically correct two-toned brick red and white. The front entry has been redone, and inside climate control including heating and air conditioning have been added.

This year there are new additions to the exterior of the Mill including new concrete parking spaces and a walkway from the parking area to the front door of the museum. The concrete runs the length of the building and provided a great landing spot for several of the cars that came in for display at the show. The concrete works were made possible through grant funding.

Another notable addition outside the Mill is the new pavilion. The pavilion was built by the Lincoln Community High School Woodshop Class this spring. Currently the pavilion has no roof. It will be added by a second contractor soon. The pavilion will allow a spot for Route 66 tourists to stop and have a carry out lunch from a local eatery before heading inside to enjoy the museum.

For those who haven’t been inside for a while, the mill is divided into two sections. The front entry brings visitors into the museum which features a variety of items, most original, representing some of Logan County’s historical Route 66 restaurants and bar & grills. Features include original tables and booths from the Tropic Restaurant in Lincoln, the lighted sign as well as other original items from the Mill when it was a bar and grill, signage and other memorabilia from the Pig Hip Restaurant in Broadwell, and other odds and ends.

In the second part of the Mill, that was the original bar, several historical items current to the Route 66 era are on display, and there is a wide overing of souvenir items for sale with the proceeds going to support the Mill.

The back door of Mill is ADA accessible for those with disabilities to have easy access to all the great things inside.

The Mill is open through the tourist season from Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. daily.

On Saturday, the cars were lined up with a judging set to take place before the end of the show.

There was also a food stand offering walking tacos, pork nachos and lemon shake-ups. There was also a free cold-water station, so no one was at risk of overheating or dehydrating.

A tent was set up next to the new pavilion with live music going throughout the afternoon with breaks in between sets for drawings for door prizes. In total it was a good day that everyone present appeared to be enjoying.

If you’ve not been out to the Mill recently, this may be a good summer to do so and learn more about the Logan County Route 66 history.

[Nila Smith]