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Anyone Festival Bound?


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Due to some last minute arm twisting by some fellow Corvair club members, I'll be heading over to the 7th (7th!?) Annual International Route 66 Festival in Springfield, IL Friday & Saturday of this week. 'Twas at this event in 2002 where the idea of American Road was first introduced to the masses. We've got 5 other cars from our Corvair club heading over Friday morning, then I'll have to cruise I-74/72 later in the afternoon, due to some work issues. I know Bliss will be there. Anyone else heading over? The 900+ car cruise on Friday night is a can't miss event. Had a blast last year with Bliss, Denny, and Road Dog.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just realized this morning I hadn't posted about my trip! The weather was perfect Friday & Saturday. I made it over Friday just in time to join the others at the staging area for the Friday night cruise. The rest of the folks from our Corvair club had a great time, especially Friday night. We hit the car show fairly early Saturday morning and we went our separate ways throughout the show. It was there I ran into AR forum member Bliss & his crew (including new forum member "tombstone"). We made a couple of treks through the streets of Springfield to check out the nearly 900 cars on display. The count definitely was down from the previous year, based on the streets that weren't being utilized this year. Still, there was a decent crowd on hand.

 

Early Saturday afternoon, the folks from Indy were planning on heading back east around 2pm, but since it was still early & a beauty of a day, I chose to do some 66ing the rest of the afternoon. I left around 1:30 & cruised north and made it to Joliet before hooking up with US 30 east into Indiana where I stopped off in Crown Point to visit with some friends who live there. Got a nice tour of the courthouse square in CP and the exterior of the jail where John Dillinger once made his escape, and where Johnny Depp filmed part of an upcoming moving about Dillinger. Sorry I didn't have any pics from Crown Point, as we walked several blocks to the square & I had left my camera in my car.

 

Pics from Friday & Saturday are here.

 

My dashboard cam video from the last 5 minutes or so from the Friday night cruise is

Background audio courtesy of the Brian Setzer Orchestra, who I was able to squeeze in the back seat. ;)
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I just realized this morning I hadn't posted about my trip! The weather was perfect Friday & Saturday. I made it over Friday just in time to join the others at the staging area for the Friday night cruise. The rest of the folks from our Corvair club had a great time, especially Friday night. We hit the car show fairly early Saturday morning and we went our separate ways throughout the show. It was there I ran into AR forum member Bliss & his crew (including new forum member "tombstone").

 

Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed the festival - especially the Friday night 66 street cruise. New forum member Tombstone, aka Steve, is a 66 buff and likes all 2 laners. Has some great photos and info on his web site:

 

http://www.ilrt66.com/

 

He's originally from Springfield, IL and got his Tombstone roadie "handle" one day several years ago in Springfield while guiding us through the cemetery to see Lincoln's tomb. He became hopelessly lost and made several laps through the cemetery before finding the tomb.

 

I was given my Bliss "handle" that same day. Before going to the cemetery, our cars were parked in the Sherman 66 pocket park and we were discussing which route to use when we left the park. I looked at the green street sign over the intersection next to the park and suggested that we take Bliss Avenue and made the suggestion more than once. Everyone howled because those with better vision pointed out the sign actually read, BL-I55 (Business Loop I-55). Sigh.....Bliss

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I was given my Bliss "handle" that same day. Before going to the cemetery, our cars were parked in the Sherman 66 pocket park and we were discussing which route to use when we left the park. I looked at the green street sign over the intersection next to the park and suggested that we take Bliss Avenue and made the suggestion more than once. Everyone howled because those with better vision pointed out the sign actually read, BL-I55 (Business Loop I-55). Sigh.....Bliss

 

That's a great story! Did you get glasses or contacts after that??

 

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Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed the festival - especially the Friday night 66 street cruise. New forum member Tombstone, aka Steve, is a 66 buff and likes all 2 laners. Has some great photos and info on his web site:

 

http://www.ilrt66.com/

 

He's originally from Springfield, IL and got his Tombstone roadie "handle" one day several years ago in Springfield while guiding us through the cemetery to see Lincoln's tomb. He became hopelessly lost and made several laps through the cemetery before finding the tomb.

 

I was given my Bliss "handle" that same day. Before going to the cemetery, our cars were parked in the Sherman 66 pocket park and we were discussing which route to use when we left the park. I looked at the green street sign over the intersection next to the park and suggested that we take Bliss Avenue and made the suggestion more than once. Everyone howled because those with better vision pointed out the sign actually read, BL-I55 (Business Loop I-55). Sigh.....Bliss

I'd heard that story and think it's one of the absolute best nickname stories ever.

 

I've been to Steve's site in the past but it somehow slipped away from me. I see I need to poke around there some more.

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Pics from Friday & Saturday are here.

 

My dashboard cam video from the last 5 minutes or so from the Friday night cruise is

Background audio courtesy of the Brian Setzer Orchestra, who I was able to squeeze in the back seat. ;)

Thanks for the pictures and video. I knew I was missing a good time. You know, those Corvairs don't look that big from the outside and a lot of people don't realize just how roomy they are.

 

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