Annual Miles of Possibility Route
66 Conference announces full slate of speakers and schedule for
Bloomington-Normal October 19 thru 22
Send a link to a friend
[August 31, 2023]
The
Eighth Annual Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference will be held
Thursday – Sunday, October 19 – 22, in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois,
with the theme “The Great American Road Trip,” with four days of
speakers, tours, museums, networking, plus musical and movie
entertainment, awaiting Route 66 enthusiasts, Illinois historians,
tourism professionals, and anyone just wanting to have a great
weekend of fun on Illinois Route 66! In a nod to this year's hosts,
Thursday's events will be held at the McLean County Museum of
History in Bloomington and Friday-Saturday's events will be held at
Uptown Station in Normal.
At this year's event, four nationally-known speakers will present
keynote speeches. They are: Evan Stern, actor and podcaster (NYC) –
“Beyond Nostalgia and Neon: The Voices of Route 66.” Jim Hinckley,
author and tourism expert (Kingman, AZ) – “In the Beginning: Dawn of
the Great American Road Trip.” T. Lindsay Baker, author and
professor (Texas) – “Roadside Food and Mother Road Travelers.”
Marian Pavel, media expert and designer of Route 66 Navigation and
Route 66 Passport (Bratislava, Slovakia) – “Post-Pandemic Route 66.”
New this year is a series of three Lunch & Learn special sessions
offered especially for attendees that work in tourism or community
leadership. Presented by three of Illinois' foremost tourism
professionals, the sessions are: Cory Jobe, CEO of Great Rivers &
Routes CVB – “The Last Hundred Miles of Route 66 in Illinois.” Scott
Dahl, CEO of Visit Springfield CVB – “Route 66: The Road to 2026.”
Bob Navarro, CEO of Heritage Corridor CVB – “What's New Along the
First Hundred Miles of Ol' Route 66.”
The full slate of speakers for Thursday-Saturday, October 19-21,
also includes: Joe Culpepper – “Bicycling Route 66 at 66 Years Old;”
Matt Hawkins, BNACVB – “Route 66 in McLean County;” Cheryl Eichar
Jett – “Dreams, Dares, and Driving: Early Women Cross-Country
Motorists;” Spencer Johansen – “From Memory Lane to 2026 and
Beyond;” Bill Kemp – “The Henney Kilowatt: Bloomington's
Battery-Powered 'Car of Tomorrow;'” Greg Koos – “Out of the Mud and
onto the Hard Roads;” Mike Matejka – “Route 66 Pathfinder: Following
the Railroad;” Terri Ryburn – “Saving Two Route 66 Icons;” and Jeff
Woodard and Rochelle Gridley – “Bloomington-Normal Breweries: Then
and Now.”
[to top of second column] |
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/May/02/images/ads/current/guzzardo_lda022609.png)
A panel discussion about “Solo
Women Travelers” will include long-time Route 66 travelers Angie
Fickert Patarek and Brenda St. Clair and panel moderator Cheryl
Eichar Jett.
Two tours are planned. On Thursday morning, a walking tour
entitled “Downtown Bloomington: A Business 66 Survivor” will be
led by Greg Koos, Executive Director Emeritus of the McLean
County Museum of History. On Sunday, publicist and writer Ruth
Cobb will present a tour and program entitled “The Road to Home:
Stories from a Shared Past on Route 66” at the former Illinois
Soldiers' & Sailors' Children's School in Normal.
Social activities begin on Thursday evening with a welcome hot
dog roast at Sprague's Super Service in Normal. Friday evening's
festivities will begin with a special welcome and updates from
Debyjo Ericksen and Ron Romero of the Illinois Rock & Roll
Museum on Route 66. Also on Friday evening, is the return of
musical guest, singer/guitarist Tim Dial, at the Eagles Club in
downtown Bloomington.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Sep/01/images/ads/current/culligan_sda_FOOTBALL_2023.png)
On Saturday evening, there is a special showing of
the film, Young Frankenstein, at the Normal Theatre.
Miles of Possibility would like to thank its 2023 event presenters
and ongoing supporters: Bloomington-Normal Area Convention &
Visitors Bureau, plus: Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66,
Illinois Coal Museum at Gillespie, Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway,
Great Rivers & Routes Convention & Visitors Bureau, Heritage
Corridor Destinations Convention & Visitors Bureau, McLean County
Museum of History, Ryburn Place at Sprague's Super Service, and
Visit Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.
For registration, complete schedule, bios of all our speakers,
updates, and hotel/parking/wifi information, visit
https://route66miles
ofpossibility.com.
[Cheryl Eichar Jett]
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Sep/01/images/ads/current/ldn_smallsda_BUSINESSMAG_2023.png) |