Much of the early 1990s for me was spent sleuthing, charting, documenting, and mapping Route 66 from Chicago to L.A. Jerry McClanahan was a major contributor to this effort and together we reached a point where virtually every pathway of Route 66, past and present, was in our congested and ever-expanding archives.

One day I received a call from a reporter in Florida asking me questions about the fabled highway, and it suddenly occurred to me that I had unwittingly become something of an authority on the subject. Similar calls soon became common, and as time went on I was asked to speak at various venues such as highway organizations, universities, museums, and the like.

I have appeared on a variety of news broadcasts and television productions, including The Learning Channel, CBS, the French Travel Channel, and the History Channel. I've been quoted in the New York Times and served as a consultant during the development of the Smithsonian's "America on the Move" exhibit for the National Museum of American History.

I have been referred to as everything from an expert to a guru to a historian. I'm not sure how accurate any of those terms really are, but I do find the lectures and consulting aspect of my involvement particularly rewarding, as it gives me an opportunity to help keep the record straight and to continue spreading the gospel of Route 66.