Talk of Route 66 Birthday Celebration Lit a Lightbulb for One Reader

The recent blogs on the upcoming 2026 Route 66 centennial celebration generated more than 80 comments on social media and the blog itself.

The opinions were a bit fragmented, sometimes criticizing other people’s take on the idea of marketing the town. But the number of comments is significant because it showed a healthy interest in the idea of trying to entice motorists to stop and spend a buck or two in our businesses and attractions.

But one reader, in particular, came up with a suggestion that was a real light bulb moment – and seemed worth repeating. Nicole Van Alstyne offered a scheme for attracting and entertaining Route 66 visitors.

To my way of thinking, if we hope to capitalize on the birthday travelers, Pacific needs a broad plan that would engage all the players – retailers with new products and advertising – event planners who would welcome more attendees – tourism providers who look to visitors for revenue. 

Nicole touched on a lot of these things with her idea.

Readers who peruse day old comments can find her idea by scrolling all the way to the bottom of the comments section of the blog. But I want to put it up front because it is a really good idea that shows the scope of what we could do with a good plan if we had the will and wherewithal to implement it.

I have to tell you . . . I do not know Nicole but I’m encouraged by how well she has thought this out.

Here’s what she said:

“How about utilizing the lights on each side of the street for a neon drive experience.  

How interesting would it be if you could expand that down the stretch of our town so it’s a neon path with stopping points that are enriched with interesting tidbits of our town’s history, have food trucks or stopping places or coupons available for local businesses.  

People travel the Route 66 trail because of history.  They are interested in the rich history along the way.  Give it to them but make it interesting and unique.  

A long path of neon lights on either side would be an unforgettable adventure. You could have them on certain times of year or every weekend.  I haven’t heard of anyone doing something like that.

Could start at Jensens’s Point and have neon lights / signs and information at points clear down to the high school.  

You could offer a brochure in a welcome kit for all new residents that gives juicy highlights along with advertisements / mini coupons for specific places in town like restaurants, stores, etc.  have them placed several places along the way for people to pick up.  

That area is completely walkable as well.

Participants could park near Dollar General or across the street and walk it or bike it at night as well.  

It could be EPIC and not overly expensive.”

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My conclusion to Nicole’s suggestion is that it’s an outstanding starting point

We don’t have to have a perfect plan to capture some of the enthusiasm for the 2026 Route 66 centennial and turn it into tourism dollars. We don’t all have to agree on every tidbit of history or the location of a mural.

What we need is an idea – a straight forward marketing plan – and we need an individual – a chair person so to speak – who can marshal the community forces into action.

Businesses, civic organizations, schools, churches and city government all play a role in the economy and cultural scene of the community.

If you would be willing to participate in a forum or workshop to plan the celebration, or if you have a marketing idea that local stakeholders could put into action, please add a note at the end of the blog. Include your email or other contact info. We’ll keep a list and get it to the planners once they are established.