Music, Tours, & Panel

MEET FOR TOUR & PROGRAM AT MCLEAN CO. MUSEUM OF HISTORY IN BLOOMINGTON.

GREG'S PRESENTATION: "DOWNTOWN BLOOMINGTON: A BUSINESS 66 SURVIVOR"

Come explore the hotels, restaurants, shops, and businesses which gave Route 66 travelers a good place to stop. Not everyone was Tom Joad.

GREG'S BIO: Greg is the Executive Director Emeritus of the McLean County Museum of History. He served that museum from 1977 to 2016. He led the 1989 project to convert the Old McLean County Courthouse into a museum, which won the American Association of State and Local History’s highest award in 1992. He later led another successful capital campaign for renewal of museum operations, which included the Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center. His published works include articles on the material culture of American buildings; articles on the Irish American history; and on museum and community relations. Greg’s most recent book is Freedom, Land and Community: A History of McLean County Illinois 1730-1900. In 2023 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society.

ROADIE PANEL DISCUSSION: Seasoned solo women travelers and well-known Route 66 roadies Brenda St. Clair and Angie Fickert Paterek, both from Ohio, plus writer-historian Cheryl Eichar Jett from Illinois, discuss their individual perspectives and the unique considerations that they have encountered over their years of travel, particularly on Route 66. They will also address questions and concerns commonly expressed by women just beginning to solo travel the Mother Road.

PANEL MODERATOR CHERYL EICHAR JETT, ROUTE 66 AUTHOR & HISTORIAN: A road tripper since childhood with her parents, Cheryl has been solo traveling for 20 years, occasionally via Amtrak but mainly by vehicle. She has driven alone both short and long portions of Route 66 many times, in addition to multiple solo drives throughout the Midwest, to Florida, and east to New York. As a writer covering Illinois and Missouri stories, she is often up and down those states' Route 66 alignments. A twist to Cheryl's solo travel is her habit of vehicle camping. She has car or van camped across the U.S., from New York to California, and from the Upper Midwest to Florida, at campgrounds, friends' and relatives' driveways, Harvest Host member locations, commercial parking lots, and occasionally an undisclosed location. 

ROADIE PANEL DISCUSSION: Seasoned solo women travelers and well-known Route 66 roadies Brenda St. Clair and Angie Fickert Paterek, both from Ohio, plus writer-historian Cheryl Eichar Jett from Illinois, discuss their individual perspectives and the unique considerations that they have encountered over their years of travel, particularly on Route 66. They will also address questions and concerns commonly expressed by women just beginning to solo travel the Mother Road.

PANELIST ANGIE FICKERT PATEREK: Angie has traveled solo in Austria, England, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and all over the US. What was her favorite trip? It was her journey down Route 66! The people and places along the Route captured her heart, and she has been back to travel portions of Route 66 many times. In addition to giving travel presentations, Angie also started the Route 66 Information Station online to educate the over 8,000 followers about Route 66 and planning trips.

ROADIE PANEL DISCUSSION: Seasoned solo women travelers and well-known Route 66 roadies Brenda St. Clair and Angie Fickert Paterek, both from Ohio, plus writer-historian Cheryl Eichar Jett from Illinois, discuss their individual perspectives and the unique considerations that they have encountered over their years of travel, particularly on Route 66. They will also address questions and concerns commonly expressed by women just beginning to solo travel the Mother Road.

PANELIST BRENDA ST. CLAIR: My first solo coast-to-coast Route 66 adventure in 2995 was life-changing, allowing me to encounter the most amazing people, many of whom have become friends.  I enjoy the feeling of 66 under my feet, visiting with mom-and-pop motel owners, cafes, souvenir shops, exploring abandoned buildings and vacant lots.  I average six trips each year somewhere on the Mother Road where I lose my mind and find my soul.  The best part of any journey is the people you meet along the way.

7:00pm-9:00PM - MUSIC BY TIM DIAL AT THE EAGLES CLUB, 313 S. MAIN ST., BLOOMINGTON.

TIM DIAL:

Tim performs acoustic renditions of classics from the 60’s through the 90’s and early millennium, including Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Pink Floyd, John Mellencamp, Fleetwood Mac, Jason Mraz, Lionel Richie, Bob Seeger, The Beatles, Ozzy Osbourne, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Keith Urban, John Denver, and many more…

Tim has 35 years of music experience—from instructor to a semiprofessional musician (as a Nashville recording artist), and has had several European and multi-state tours!

MEET FOR TOUR & PROGRAM AT THE (former) ILLINOIS SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' CHILDREN'S SCHOOL IN NORMAL. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/8th-annual-miles-of-possibility-route-66-conference-tickets-488807033997?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

RUTH'S PRESENTATION: "THE ROAD TO HOME: STORIES FROM A SHARED PAST ON ROUTE 66"

Ever wonder about the collection of old buildings you pass as you enter Normal on Route 66 from the north?  Ruth Cobb will discuss the history of the Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Children’s School and share reminiscences from people who lived there as children. A booklet will be provided for a self-guided tour after the presentation.  

RUTH'S BIO: Ruth Cobb came to Bloomington-Normal in 1970. She was a publicist for local non-profit groups for more than 40 years, and worked at Normal Public Library, Illinois State University, two weekly newspapers, and a business magazine. She researched and wrote a commemorative history of the former Illinois Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Children’s School in Normal that was published in 2007. Ruth continues to work with institutions and individuals to preserve the ISSCS legacy and to honor its role in local and state history.