The Bluebird is Born

By Raymond Joseph Photographs by David J. Schwartz - Pics On Route 66

THE BLUEBIRD IS BORN

Decades have passed since there was lodging in downtown Elk City. This small city— which rides the boom-and-bust cycle that is oil—has been witness to Route 66 throughout the existence of the Mother Road, as well as the earlier Ozark Trail.

It’s just that the modern era saw commerce and hospitality migrate to other parts of town. The historic and luxurious Casa Grande Hotel building, located at the northeast corner of Main Street and 66, hasn’t hosted guests in decades. It was built in 1908 but saw its importance fade shortly after the designation of Route 66 in the 1920s.

But now one woman has taken it upon herself to bring tourists back to the heart of town and provide a genuine Route 66 experience that Elk City has been lacking. And the educator that she was, is now getting schooled in an entirely new career path in the hospitality industry. The result is the Bluebird Inn, a boutique property waiting mere feet off the old road.

Girls Weekend Out

Julie Bonner toiled 18 years in secondary education. Trained as an Elementary Education specialist, she wound up somehow at the high school level. Only one year out of her 18 did she actually teach at the level for which she had trained.

But a few years ago, she grew weary of the day-to-day for nine months each year, along with all of the requisite meetings, after-school events, and other responsibilities. The life of an educator is never as easy as some believe, and she began entertaining ideas for a second act, something she could do in the town in which she was born, raised, and lived her entire life.

“I would see businesses come in and go out,” she said. The regular churn of commerce was a cautionary tale, one to which she paid heed. But it was a girls’ weekend out that proved to be the impetus needed to get the ball rolling.

“My girlfriends and I were in a book club,” said Bonner. “We went on a trip to Tishomingo, Oklahoma,” where they stayed at a small downtown inn that had once been a retail business.

“I turned to my friend who is my realtor and said, ‘This is exactly what Elk City needs.’”

Inspired and able to see more clearly once she was away, as is often the case, she returned to Elk City with an idea firmly in hand. The only problem was that she needed to convince her husband, Kenneth.

“This is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard. Who is going to stay in Elk City?” he asked. An oil man, he knew all too well the highs and lows that Elk City has experienced on the petroleum rollercoaster.

Not discouraged in the least however, Bonner countered. “We have six or seven hotels in Elk City. People stay here.” She then went to her banker, who said it was a great idea. That was enough to get Kenneth on board.

“I never looked back. I got the ball rolling, and it just happened so easily for me.”

The Backdrop

Like most cities and towns in the west, Elk City came about because of the railroad. It was founded in 1901 with the arrival of the Choctaw, Oklahoma, and Gulf Railroad. White settlers had arrived in 1892 as a result of a treaty with the Cheyenne-Arapahoe in what was then the Oklahoma Territory.

The city was named for being at the head of Elk Creek, which was coined because of evidence of this large deer’s presence south of town in the Washita Mountains. Elk are not known to populate western Oklahoma today, though, but the name has survived, and the nearly 12,000 people who call it home don’t seem to mind.

But it had existed for many years prior as a stopover on the Great Western Cattle Trail, which ran from Texas to Dodge City, Kansas. It is even rumored that Coronado wandered through the area in 1541 while searching for Quivira. He didn’t find it.

On the west end of town, the National Route 66 Museum beckons tourists and historians alike to view indoor and outdoor exhibits capturing the legend and lore of the Mother Road in Oklahoma. The grounds also feature separate smaller museums that document various aspects of the farming and ranching history of the area.

Today, the downtown district, which runs north-south along Main Street, and primarily south of Route 66, is enjoying a bit of a renaissance.

Everything’s Waiting for You

Petula Clark lyrically extolled the virtues of downtown nearly 60 years ago, and her words are no less true today, at least for Bonner. She had already long had her eye on a former retail establishment on Broadway, only one block off Route 66. She just didn’t know what she would do with it right away.

Like many Mother Road locales, Elk City once had a teeming downtown district. And like those other locales, Elk City witnessed its primary commercial district shift to the interstate. It can be a blessing and a curse at the same time.

But people like Bonner see the future in the past, the wealth of opportunity that still exists in those old buildings that weren’t built in a day using a crane and pre-fab panels. The trip to Tishomingo etched on her mind, it had become apparent that what she must do was duplicate that experience in her hometown.

Julie Bonner inside the Bluebird Inn.

She settled on the 1600-square-foot rectangular shop at 118 West Broadway and enlisted a cousin who researches the genealogy of buildings to unearth its past. It turned out that it had burned down once, but like a Phoenix, had been rebuilt and rose from the ashes in 1905. “The earliest we can find is a record store and electronics. When I was a kid, it was a shoe store,” said Bonner. “More recently it was a shop that sold farmhouse interior decor,” attesting to the varied tenants that the building has enjoyed throughout its history.

Thanks to being a life-long resident in Elk City, she knew the previous owner. “It had been on the market for a little while. I bet it sat [there] for six months before I made a move on it.”

Fortunately for Bonner, the previous owner had gutted it, refurbished the ceiling, and installed new heat and air. It was almost a turnkey operation, except that Bonner had something else in mind that was far from retail. “I knew that of all the buildings downtown, it was the one I would have to put the least amount of work into,” she said.

Instead, she envisioned a quaint little inn just like the one she and her girlfriends had visited that weekend in southeast Oklahoma. It would take some work, of course, to convert a retail shop into private sleeping quarters, but a variety of contractors were able to frame three spacious rooms, a hallway, and a lobby so that guests could spend the night. A shallow basement made it easy for retrofitting plumbing for each room, as well as for running conduit to carry electricity.

What started with a flurry of activity in the fall of 2020 became reality six months later. Everything was done in a timely manner. “The budget was $5 off from what we thought it would be. And now we have bookings, so that is a good thing,” Bonner beamed.

But she wasn’t looking to be chained to her new venture. While she proudly boasts that Bluebird Inn is a reflection of her, and in particular, a close duplicate interior-wise of the new house she and Kenneth had recently built, she wasn’t quite ready to spend her days in the lobby.

“I didn’t want a business I was going to be physically married to all the time. I’m a mom first,” she said. Her

A look inside of the cozy Bluebird Inn.

website handles reservations so that she can be there as needed. Guests are invited to stroll over to either of two coffee shops one block away to grab breakfast. On Sundays, when those are closed, she delivers homemade baked goods to each room.

And, in a nod to that quaint inn that she and her friends visited, her building was nearly identical in shape and size. Serendipity works that way.

What’s In a Name?

While bluebirds may be one of the most popular birds in Oklahoma, they weren’t the inspiration for the naming of this small inn. Instead, that honor goes to Bonner’s late maternal grandmother, affectionately known as Nana among her six children and 17 grandkids.

“She was our constant. She was the matriarch of the family,” Bonner explained. That’s not all that atypical in these parts, where homesteaders sank their own tap roots and started their families more than a century ago. To be an elder was to be respected.

But Nana took ill when Bonner was in the 6th grade, a time that she knows well from her academic training is very critical in a young person’s life. It’s when physical and mental changes ensue, and the transition to adulthood begins. Bonner recalls the impact of her Nana’s death.

“It had a big effect on me. Her passing happened at such a tender time,” she said, holding back emotion. With nearly two dozen other close family members to divide their matriarch’s possessions, there wasn’t much for each person. But Bonner wound up with a little bluebird figurine, a memento that has come to inspire her in this project.

“Looking back, I think that’s why my Nana has been part of my story,” she explained. While she and her husband have moved numerous times across Elk City, that little figurine has stayed with her.

Leaving the Light On

Bonner’s transformation from education to hospitality has been a smooth one. “I wanted something that was not hotels.” She wanted guests to feel as if they were in her home.

To that end, she has accomplished just that. Her threeroom inn is not in the same category as the shiny new motels along the freeway, nor the older properties along 66. Instead, she has positioned herself as an alternative for travelers, those wanting the small/downtown experience with modern amenities, but not the crowds. Given its proximity to the iconic highway and the historic downtown district, guests can still feel like they are practically on the Mother Road, even if they’re technically not curbside.

Meanwhile, Kenneth has become a firm believer in his wife’s dream; a vision that did not become crystal clear until a group of women took a weekend getaway to the hills of southeast Oklahoma.

As for Nana, her legacy continues, albeit in a way that no one in the family could have predicted, even Bonner. Elk City really is the perfect town for her memory to live on. Along the Mother Road.

IT’S REALLY BIG!

IT’S REALLY BIG!

Chances are, if you’ve driven the lovely rolling stretch of Missouri’s green countryside between Springfield and Lebanon, a ball-capped cartoonish mascot on 50 colorful roadside signs (both west- and eastbound) has tempted you to stop for gifts or candy at the Phillipsburg exit. The mascot, “Mr. R.,” has a way with words as he shouts “welcome” (in a speech balloon, of course) with arms extended into perpetual “jazz hands.”

The travel complex founded by John and Sharon Redmon is a bit reminiscent of the Mid-Century era’s spate of gift shops, information centers, and tourist traps found along American highways, just waiting to tempt travelers. The elements are all in place—candy, souvenirs, gasoline, snacks, restrooms— and just like so many of the 1950s-60s gift emporiums, the theme is important. For the Redmons’ travel stop, the sweet shop is called the Candy Factory; the retail merchandise shop was dubbed the World’s Largest Gift Store. Some shops had a gimmick – live animals, reptiles, or an outrageous or tasteless exhibit. But here at Redmon’s, handmade local crafts or questionable displays in a quaint shop are supplanted with a conscientiously clean and family-oriented experience.

“Recently, we did a remodel of the candy store, and we upgraded the restrooms so that they are phenomenal—now it’s like the best stop on the whole highway,” said Jennifer Redmon, daughter of the founders and manager of the World’s Largest Gift Store. “There’s chandeliers in them. They’re really a nice family stop now because we take pride in how clean they are, they’re completely gorgeous. All the walls are marble. We really are upgrading everything; it was a big project, and it took a while. But they’re very nice and clean for families that stop and they’re huge.”

In 1995, real estate agent John Redmon and his wife, flight attendant Sharon Redmon, traded in their careers to purchase a defunct Nickerson Farms restaurant building just outside of Phillipsburg, Missouri, one of a chain of 80 restaurants scattered through the mid-section of the US, including several on Missouri’s Route 66 corridor. “They’ve been dreaming together ever since,” Jennifer said about her parents. The Redmons gutted the building, added gas pumps, and began selling cheese in addition to the normal array of snacks and travel accessories.

“It kind of evolved into the candy store. We started making homemade fudge and kept adding on and adding on, all kinds of sweets, and now, we have our own recipes. We now have two kitchens; there’s a main kitchen in the front and, part of the new addition, there’s a huge kitchen in the back where we make tons of our homemade chocolates. Full-time, there’s a kitchen staff back there. They make everything, every day,” Jennifer explained. These days, the candy store boasts 70 flavors of saltwater taffy, 20 flavors of homemade fudge, and 70 flavors of bulk candy.

But next door to Redmon’s Candy Factory is the real sweet treat—a 30,000-square-foot building erected by John and Sharon Redmon in 2005, filled to the brim with meticulouslyarranged gifts. “It’s a great place to take a break from your road trip and pick up any kind of gift that you would want to give that would be completely out of the normal. And that is one of the things that I love about it... I’m fairly sure that I can’t find it anywhere else,” said Rebecca Rupard, Tourism Director for the City of Lebanon. “They are just so unique and fun and so incredibly organized and clean. It is definitely worth pulling off the highway.” Although the Redmons constructed this building as an antique mall, when good vintage merchandise became harder to obtain and antiques became less popular, the inventory was gradually replaced with gifts and toys. (Ironically, in its previous iteration as a Nickerson Farms restaurant, the Redmons’ Candy Factory had also once held a gift shop. Nickerson’s gimmick featured plexiglass beehives to get his customers thinking about honey, which, unsurprisingly, was a featured product.)

At the Redmons’ travel and shopping center, the elements of infinite variety and a family atmosphere are the lure for vast numbers of shoppers (two million so far according to their website), especially during the holidays. The World’s Largest Gift Store is a popular Christmas shopping spot each year, because independent toy stores are almost a thing of the past. “I try to buy things that you can’t buy in a Walmart. Almost half of our store now is novelty toys and puzzles, but also souvenirs and home décor, so there’s a wide variety for everyone,” said Jennifer.

A staff of thirty-five employees between the two businesses help to keep everything running smoothly, but Jennifer’s twin brother Jeff does the accounting and other business tasks along with their father, while mother Sharon still oversees the candy factory. “It’s fun to be involved. We all work as a team,” said Jennifer. “We’ve been raised around the store, my whole life basically. So, it’s just all four of us working there—we love it!”

“It is definitely a popular stop. When traveling on I-44, you can’t miss it,” added Rupard. “They do a fantastic job of advertising it, all along I-44, so everybody knows their logo and their mascot, their little man mascot that they put on everything.”

Driving down that pretty, undulating highway through the placid Ozarks country can lull a motorist right into contentment. So, when the brightly painted signs with Mr. R touting gifts and sweets begin to appear along the roadside, snapping your senses back to life, don’t fight the urge on your southwestern Missouri journey. Just wait until you catch sight of the warehouse-sized store awaiting you just outside of Phillipsburg. It’s the great American roadside experience that no traveler wants to miss. As Jennifer said, “We just have fun with it.”

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WILMINGTON’S HOTSPOT

Sixty miles south of the official start of Route 66 in Chicago, the road passes through tiny Wilmington, a historic town nestled on the banks of the Kankakee River. In recent years the town has developed quite a reputation for its charming antique shops along River Street, and it’s Mother Road gems—the Launching Pad restaurant, Gemini Giant Muffler Man, and the 1836 Eagle Hotel—have been attracting visitors for decades. But, there is another staple of the community, nearly as old as the highway itself, that has been serving locals since it opened in 1937.

Built by the Butcher brothers of Wilmington, the MAR Theater—the acronym thought to be based on the brothers’ mother’s initials—was state-of-the-art and extremely luxurious for the times. Constructed on the tail end of the Great Depression, at a staggering cost of $50,000, the MAR was an engineering marvel.

Designed with safety in mind, the yellow brick structure was reinforced with riveted structural steel and the basement wall, floors, and ceilings were solid concrete. The projection room, often the place where flames began due to the combustibility of celluloid, was also fire proofed with concrete while four escape exits provided additional safeguards. No comfort was spared either. The Butcher brothers provided top-of-the-line Heywood Wakefield seats, plus the luxury of steam heat during the winter and air conditioning in the summer. Plush curtains, an ornately detailed ceiling, and lit decorative signs added to the ambiance. Two small business rentals balanced the front facade made up of a large triangular-shaped marquee atop of which were the initials MAR in huge neon lights. It was impressive.

The theater went through decades of on-and-off owners and it had been closed for several years and in disrepair when current owner, Rick Smith, and partners took it over in 2000.

“The show really begins on the street,” Smith emphasized, “The look of the building, the smell of the popcorn, the enjoyment of a community gathering. All of this is vital in selling the movie-going experience.”

Some remodeling was necessary; the original seats, nearly sixty-four years old, were replaced, and the ticket booth was moved to a more convenient area. Everything else—the signage, hardware, proscenium, draping, large marquee, and deep stage—stayed as the Butcher brothers built it. All alterations were sympathetic to the original construction and Art Deco design, and it was back in business by Christmas 2000. The MAR has hosted more than movies. In the past twenty years, the stage has hosted live bands, meetings, both the Miss Catfish and Baby Miss Catfish competitions, school plays, and even the wedding of Smith and his wife. “Everyone in Wilmington has a MAR story. It was the site of their first date, or first kiss or first competition or first job. We have kids working for us today that are maybe 5th generation of MAR workers,” said Smith.

The MAR has always been a first run theater. Movies are shown for three weeks, initially in the lower auditorium, which seats 315 people, and the last week in the upper theater, with sixty-five seats. Route 66 provides little theater traffic as most people drive through Wilmington in the daytime. However, RVers and campers who stay in the area will come to see a show and enjoy the last independent theater in the area.

“Multiplexes de-humanize the movie experience. Many multiplexes have sixteen screens, but only seat a small number of people. They are cold and impersonal.”

The MAR routinely hosts multi-generational gatherings, making memories for each family member. “You cannot synthesize that. No multiplex can do that in the same way,” continued Smith.

Longevity in the fickle movie industry is tricky. Pressure to find additional ways to entertain is demanded of every movie [theater] owner. But the MAR has stayed true to itself, no video games, no theater food except popcorn, no grand announcements of upcoming movies.

“The MAR’s future is as good as the whole industry,” Smith said optimistically. He related many current movies are a ‘dayin-date’ release, meaning they are released to movie theaters and streaming services on the same day. “It is difficult to compete against that,” he noted. Still, movie theaters have survived.

Today, the MAR continues to be a part of Wilmington’s regular routine. Billed the community’s cheapest babysitter, the manager knows everyone and keeps an eye on children while parents have an evening out. Little Wilmington, so close to cosmopolitan Chicago, offers a sensation of stepping back in time, to a less generic, and simpler period. The MAR with its flashy marquee is the perfect spot to soak in this small chunk of classic Americana.

QUEEN of the LAKE m

Before the advent of railways or roadways, early pioneers relied upon paddle wheelers to cross waterways. These riverboats, flat bottomed and wide, were designed to float across the surface of the water and boasted of dining areas, a bar, observation decks and in some, private cabins. Those that still remain today have become historic elements of the evolution of boats and water transportation across America.

Out on Lake Havasu in Arizona, the Dixie Belle, a 68 ton, 32-foot-tall double decker iconic replica paddle wheeler, rides at anchor, patiently waiting to sail freely once again, bringing the grand tradition of Mississippi riverboats back for its adoring fans.

Built by commercial fisherman Todd Miller, the Dixie Belle was originally known as the River Queen. Miller, whose grandfather was a Mississippi River steamboat captain, began the construction project in 1981. “[He] came up with the idea, [and] he shipped a barge in from San Pedro, California,” said Dan Delasantos, spokesperson for the Dixie Belle. “I believe it was May of 1983, when the boat [first] went into the water. Todd had exhausted everything he had, every asset, to get his boat finished.” Originally, the craft was meant to be a shuttle for the casino on the California side of the lake. “[When] that fell through, he decided to put the paddle wheel on it and make it look like an old Mississippi steam paddle wheeler,” Delasantos added.

The River Queen, captained by Miller, would set sail from under the famed London Bridge in English Village, offering day cruises through scenic coves, Copper Canyon, Pilot Rock, and Friendly Island, as well as sunset cruises complimented by live entertainment with a grand finale of Lake Havasu’s spectacular sunset.

In a curious turn of events, the River Queen disappeared from its berth on Lake Havasu on the night of March 19, 1986. Todd Miller had sold the boat to developer Al Wulfeck— owner of the Inn at Tamarisk in Lake Havasu – but Wulfeck, according to family spokesman Randy Miller, had defaulted on the purchase agreement. Miller thus acquired a large trailer, performed his own repossession, and was found to be hanging out aboard the River Queen at an undisclosed California cove. The dispute was eventually settled, and the boat returned to Lake Havasu.

The River Queen went through multiple owners until the London Bridge Resort bought it and renamed it the Dixie Belle. The Dixie Belle offered narration tours on the history of the London Bridge and Lake Havasu across Bridgewater Channel well into the 2000s. “Over time, the boat simply deteriorated. There was not enough maintenance given to [it],” said Delasantos. In 2010, the hull was no longer sound, and the Coast Guard could not approve it for operation. “At a certain point, the boat was finally pulled out of the water, and it was dried off. It was in severe damage.” That year, Keith Fernung, who knew the Herculean effort that it would take to get it back to water-ready, expressed interest in the boat.

“Fernung purchased the boat, knowing that he would have to replace the entire hull,” Delasantos said. But that was only one part of the transformation. Damaged wood needed to be replaced and everything needed to be repainted. “The boat has lathe-spun posts all the way around it that hold the decks up on the outside,” explained Delasantos. “Those had to be custom made with a carpenter’s lathe and replaced, which is in itself a daunting task.” The work took hundreds of thousands of dollars. “The last five [years] have been about rebuilding. And [that] is when volunteers came in, the Coast Guard had to be alerted, and several tests had to be accomplished. That’s probably where the biggest challenge has been, is to pass the testing.” Over a hundred volunteers assisted, from the Lake Havasu City Side by Side Association to people like Delasantos, who works as the spokesperson, local historian, and marketer. In March 2021, after being dry docked for a decade, a trailer from Lake Powell was brought down to launch the Dixie Belle back into the water at Windsor Beach. “There was probably a thousand people on London Bridge. People that have gotten married on the boat, you name it, they were all waiting for us.”

Enjoying the welcome celebration were Dixie Belle owners Keith and his dad Rick Fernung, and their partner, engineer Aaron Ashbaugh, who steered the boat through its grueling renovations.

With so much history behind this iconic Lake Havasu mascot, and as the only paddle wheeler on the lake, it’s no wonder that people are already waiting to begin celebrating onboard. Couples who were married on board want to renew their vows, and new couples want to begin their lives together on this evocative vessel. The Belle is once again ready to set sail into its rightful prominence and continue to keep the river tradition alive.

Crystal HOWARD

Placed perfectly between Chicago and St. Louis, Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, is the perfect blend of old and new. Right along Old Route 66, the bustling downtown of Bloomington and reinvigorated uptown of Normal are great places to stop and spend a few days. The area is home to several historic sites like the McLean County Museum of History and a ton of great Route 66 stops. Alongside award-winning art festivals, fabulous restaurants, and unique shops, there’s something there for everyone. Working hard behind the scenes is a woman who is passionate about her city and works to uphold and promote the unique and diverse nature of the area. Meet Crystal Howard.

What is the most memorable place you’ve visited on Illinois Route 66 (besides BN)? Route 66 Museum in Pontiac. What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a teacher, but the hospitality industry is the best career choice I could have made. Most famous or noteworthy person you have ever met? President Ronald Reagan. What characteristic do you respect the most in others? Honesty. Dislike in others? Narcissism. What characteristic do you dislike in yourself? I tend to be cautious and conservative. Who would you want to play you in a film based on your life? Kate Winslet. She tends to play headstrong and complicated women. Talent that you WISH you had? I wish I could play the piano. Best part about getting older? Having grandchildren that love you unconditionally. What would the title of your memoir be? Oops, I Did It Again! First music concert ever attended? The Temptations. What makes a visit to BloomingtonNormal worthwhile? Our attractions, festivals, restaurants, and entertainment are diverse so there is something for everyone! What is the weirdest roadside attraction you’ve ever seen? Those Volkswagen Spider sculptures you see in several states. Coolest Muffler Man on Route 66? Carl the Ice Cream Muffler Man in Normal, IL. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would do more: charity, family, church, work, community. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Making the move to Bloomington-Normal as the new CEO of the Bloomington-Normal Convention and Visitors Bureau. Most memorable gift you were ever given? A white Ford Mustang, when I was 16. What is the secret to a happy life? Having a positive outlook, believing in God, honesty. What breaks your heart? Children and

animals not being taken care of. What is the last TV show you binge watched? Yellowstone with Kevin Costner. What is still on your bucket list? Visiting Yellowstone National Park. What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives? Drink Tequila. What fad or trend do you hope comes back? Bangs. What movie title best describes your life? Shining Through. Ghost town or big city person? A ghost town within distance of a big city. Lake or ocean person? Lake. What does a perfect day look like to you? Coffee, lunch or dinner with friends, shopping or visiting an attraction with my granddaughters. What is your favorite place on Route 66? Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup, it’s interesting to see the maple sirup come from the trees. What is the most unexpected surprise about Bloomington-Normal? The diversity of our community is a pleasant surprise. What would your spirit animal be? A pink flamingo. Which historical figure — alive or dead — would you most like to meet? Abraham Lincoln. If you won the lottery, what is the first item you would buy? A vacation home for my family. What meal can you not live without? Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn. Bizarre talent that you have that most people don’t know about? I am very good at playing flippy cup. What surprises you most about people? Selfishness. What makes you laugh? Playing games. Most unknown (but should be) stop in Illinois? Green Gables restaurant for their cheeseburgers. What do you think is the most important life lesson for someone to learn? Don’t depend on others to make you happy. Depend on yourself. What is one thing you have always wanted to try, but have been too afraid to? Zip lining. What do you want to be remembered for? Integrity, humor and contributions to the tourism industry in Illinois.