roadmaven Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 With the annual International Route 66 Festival coming up, each year at this time I can't help but associate that with the announcement at that event in 2002 of a new magazine called American Road. The announcement was made by founders Jim Ross and Thomas & Becky Repp at the Steinbeck Awards Banquet on Friday, September 27, 2002 to be exact. Somewhere floating around out there is a picture from that announcement with Jim & Thomas at the podium, and Becky holding up a jumbo sized American Road magazine cover with the late Juan Delgadillo gracing it. Unfortunately that cover never ended up on an issue, but just by the way that cover turned out, everyone knew this magazine was going to be something special. Jennifer & I had known Jim through our Route 66 travels for a few years. We had just got married two weeks prior to the festival in Springfield, and closed on our first home the day BEFORE we went to Springfield. With nothing more than a mattress and clock radio in the house, we headed for Springfield Saturday the 28th. We met up with some of our fellow 66ers in the Artists & Authors area and ran into Jim at his booth. Immediately he said he wanted to talk to us and had asked if we were at the banquet the night before. He then went on to tell us that he & Thomas were in the process of starting up a new magazine that encompasses auto trails & US highways thoughout the US. Already feeling pretty stoked about what he was saying, he then went on to tell us where we fit in. He & Thomas wanted us to start up and run their online forum which would serve as a companion to the magazine. Since I considered Jim to be one of my Route 66 "heroes", I was honored beyond explanation that they wanted us to do this. At this point, he brought us over to Thomas' booth. We had never met Thomas before, although I think we had one of his books at the time. The days following the festival, we worked on putting together the American Road Yahoo Group and it launched on October 2, 2002 at 7:41pm with Jim having the honors of the first post: Greetings from AMERICAN ROAD magazine. To find out more about our group and our publication, simply post a message here or go to www.mockturtlepress.com and take a virtual tour of our personal wonderland. We are about to embark on a great adventure, and hope you will catch a ride with us. We're going places. Jim Ross Managing Editor, American Road Going places we have! The Yahoo Group was launched some 8 months before the first issue ever hit the stands, so some of you not there during those early years could probably imagine the anticipation of opening that first issue. I remember I carried that issue with me every day to work and re-read just about everything in there two or three times. We've had many great members onboard, both on the old Yahoo Group and now on its replacement forum. Their participation on the forum has led to many contributions to the magazine itself, be it through letters in the "Write of Way" department, through writing articles, or through photography. It just goes to show how talented our membership truly is. I can always count on having four good days out of the year, and that's when I come home from work and find a new edition of AR in my mailbox. It serves as quite an elixir after a tough day on the job. I can't thank enough Thomas, Becky, Jim, and everyone else who's made American Road the success it was from the starting gate, and the success it continues to be today. Hope you are of the same opinion. And remember....AR makes a great stocking stuffer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beckyrepp Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 Pat, I'm speechless. Thank you. I remember that day at the Springfield Festival very well. I agree with you wholeheartedly that the American Road magazine and Forum family are very special--and that is due in no small part because of you and Jennifer, our great team of moderators, and of course our dedicated and talented Forum members. I can say that it is truly an honor to have you and Jennifer running the American Road Forum. American Road magazine wouldn't be what it is today without you both. So, what shall we do to celebrate our upcoming Birthday? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownwho63 Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 I can always count on having four good days out of the year, and that's when I come home from work and find a new edition of AR in my mailbox. It serves as quite an elixir after a tough day on the job. I can't thank enough Thomas, Becky, Jim, and everyone else who's made American Road the success it was from the starting gate, and the success it continues to be today. Hope you are of the same opinion. Amen, Pat. This is my favorite mag. Great job, everyone.....Bliss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autotrails Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 Thank you, Pat. It's hard to believe that six years have gone by since that Springfield banquet. For almost a year prior, we had managed to keep the launch of the magazine a closely held secret, even to the point of sneaking that giant poster you mentioned into the banquet. Even David didn't know. We had simply asked him for 10 minutes of microphone time during the event. As some of you are aware, due to overwhelming demands on my time I subsequently relinguished my ownership role, but my allegiance remains unchanged. As for the success of American Road, it is due entirely to the efforts of Thomas and Becky, who have nurtured this baby 24-7 since birth. Our goal from the beginning was to have a first-class publication, and thanks to the talents of these two, it just keeps getting better. Part of that success, of course, is the fabulous job that you and Jennifer do with the forum. Attached is a photo of Thomas with me at my booth in Springfield. Happy Birthday, AR! Jim Ross Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennyG Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 ...a photo of Thomas with me at my booth in Springfield. I was too young to make it in 2002 but I was there in '03 and met one of you at the AR booth. I was kind of overwhelmed with the whole thing and to this day I'm not entirely sure whether it was Thomas or Jim that I met. (But I won't be fooled again!) Congratulations to American Road Magazine and thanks to Jim, Thomas, Becky, Jennifer, Pat, and all the other folks who shoved this baby out of the driveway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Burr - hester_nec Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 We had just got married two weeks prior to the festival in Springfield, and closed on our first home the day BEFORE we went to Springfield. With nothing more than a mattress and clock radio in the house, From what I can see you two were rich beyond words having a mattress and a clock radio - only other thing you needed was a micro-wave and a can opener!!!! LOL I've been aboard since Issue 1 - and just want to thank everybody at American Road for one hell of a great trip over the past few years!!!! Looking fwd to more and better trips ahead. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep the Show on the Road! Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 I want to add my congratulations. When I first heard of American Road before it was published, and was invited to subscribe, I hoped it would add to my two lane road enjoyment. It has greatly exceeded my hopes and expectations, and has generated a national, even worldwide, interest in America’s two lane heritage. Bravo! Keep the Show on the Road! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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