I’m not going to say that the National Route 66 Festival in Clinton, Okla., was the best ever. I’ve been interested in the Mother Road only since about 2000, and a number of national Route 66 festivals were held before that.

But I’ve attended each national roadie gathering since 2002, and I enjoyed this past weekend’s event more than any other. Other Route 66ers’ reaction to the Clinton festival also was overwhelmingly positive.

But I was wondering how well the locals fared. Did Clinton businesses and residents like what they saw? For answers, on Monday morning I e-mailed Erin Adams, president of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce.

She replied:

As far as the locals, most were very happy. We had to do some convincing for some that the inconveniences of blocking off the streets for two days would be worth it, but I think most were believers in the end. I have received no negative phone calls thus far this morning, so I think the complainers were few and far between.

Our restaurants were very busy, and hotels were all full. Mike Robinson, the longtime owner of our Dairy Queen, said that he had planned ahead and had extra food and extra help, but he still had to close an hour early because he ran out of food. It was his best day EVER for sales.

The (Route 66) Museum saw over 1,200 visitors Saturday. On an usual day, they see 200.

We are looking forward to seeing the sales tax figures for June, but we won’t have that data for a few months.

A few eyebrows undoubtedly rose when it was announced that Clinton would host the 2007 festival. Clinton (population 8,300) was by far the smallest host city since the festival solidified into an annual event. Other host cities were Tulsa (385,000 population), Albuquerque (720,000), San Bernardino (200,000) and Springfield, Ill. (111,000).

The construction of the Frisco Center, completed in 2003, quelled some fears about Clinton’s ability to host the event. The facility was big enough to host the annual Will Rogers Awards Evening, and was the site for the authors and artists’ exhibits. The Frisco Center also became a natural anchor to the festival area downtown.

Clinton planned the festival well the entire weekend. The awards banquet was nicely paced, good planning went into parking, and downtown had a nice mix of merchant booths, food stands and curiosities. There were a few minor glitches, but you would have thought that Clinton was a seasoned veteran at Route 66 festivals instead of a rookie.

But what won many attendees over about Clinton was the hospitality. One local merchant quickly donated equipment at the Ray’s Motel preservation project when it was needed. A local automotive repair shop opened Sunday when an attendee’s vehicle broke down. Busy U.S. 183 runs right by the Frisco Center, but motorists were patient in allowing pedestrians to cross the road. Tales of friendliness and generosity were common throughout the weekend. They provided proof that the heart of Route 66 beats strongest in the small towns.

Next year’s festival will be at Litchfield, Ill. (6,800 population). I hold plenty of confidence in Litchfield’s ability to host, but I admit it has a tough act to follow.

UPDATE 6/28/07: According to a news release by the Clinton Chamber of Commerce, about 20,000 people attended the festival.

Several local restaurants posted their highest sales to date during the Festival and the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum saw more than ten times as many visitors as usual during the event. [...]

“I’ve heard feedback from some of our fellow roadies and the general consensus is that your festival WAS the best ever!” Said Guy Randall of La Junta, Colorado. Ken Martin of Dallas, Texas, said “WELL DONE! We drove in from Dallas and had a great time!”

(Photo of Saturday night fireworks above the Frisco Center in Clinton, Okla., during the National Route 66 Festival. Image courtesy of Randy Chevrier.)

This story by the Edwardsville (Ill.) Journal is a case study about how the surge of Route 66 tourism, beginning in the 1990s, has probably helped keep alive many old motels.

The motel in question is the Apple Valley Motel in nearby Mitchell, Ill., which dates to the 1940s or ’50s and has just 17 rooms.

But it also has stable management (the same woman has run it for 15 years), and it’s been good enough to be listed at least a few times in the Route 66 Dining and Lodging Guide.

Restoration efforts for The Mill, a long-closed Route 66 restaurant in Lincoln, Ill., got a big lift when local philanthropist Larry Van Bibber donated $15,000, reported the Lincoln Courier.

Van Bibber said he asked Geoff Ladd, who is chairman of the Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County, how much money Ladd thought the renovation would take.

“He said he thought $15,000 was needed for the outside and some things he said needed to be done on the inside,” Van Bibber said. [...]

Route 66 icon Ernie Edwards of Broadwell, who operated the recently destroyed Pig Hip restaurant and museum, also has given a $500 donation for the Mill.

Edwards is credited with the idea for saving the crumbling Lincoln restaurant, popular for its schnitzel sandwiches and unique decor.

Ladd added:

“Larry totally takes us into the whole next phase - siding, roofing, repainting. Our goal is, that by the end of summer or early fall, (we’ll) have this place looking really sharp.”

The Daily Oklahoman concludes its week-long coverage of Route 66 and the National Route 66 Festival in Clinton, Okla., with an interview with Michael Wallis, author of “Route 66: The Mother Road” and the voice of the Sheriff of Radiator Springs in the movie “Cars.”

The linked page includes an audio file of Wallis’ distinctive voice. The article also has prominent mentions of Route 66 businesses such as the Rock Cafe in Stroud, Okla., and POPS, a distinctive cafe/convenience store in Arcadia, Okla., that’s set to open next month.

Here’s another Oklahoman article about the Round Barn of Arcadia from a few days ago, when I was too busy at the festival to post it.

Here is a YouTube video from the western Arizona towns of Oatman, Kingman and Seligman. Look out for the wild burros.