Back from Springfield, Illinois...

This is a little parade of the cars that made up the National Meet that I attended.  Springfield, IL is also known as one of the cities along the famed Route 66 and displays the following signage along the route through town.

Click here for article on Springfield reaching out to car clubs for tourism - here is a quote.

Organizer Marty Brackin said the decision to bring the national meet of the American Austin Bantam Club to Springfield for the first time was pretty simple.

“We were in Williamsburg (Va.) two years ago, and the club president said we don’t have a place for 2010, but Springfield, Illinois, has sent something. I was dumb enough to say, ‘Let me take that on.’ It’s how we ended up in Springfield. They asked us to come,” said Brackin, who lives in the northern Illinois community of Rochelle.

Something else to think about, if we were to ask car clubs to visit and make Lake Worth their headquarters - some would have hundreds of attendees - where would they stay?  With the Gulfstream Hotel closed and limited space in our fine bed and breakfast inns, there wouldn't be enough "quality" space for these out of town groups to stay.  Palm Beach County would be a great location, but what would make Lake Worth a destination for them?  I can see groups like this spending an evening in our downtown - sort of like "Bike Night", but we really wouldn't be enjoying the full economic benefit of a tour of this type.  So, that says to me, that we need to open up more opportunities for redevelopment beyond the Park of Commerce held out as an economic panacea by the current City Commission.

Dixie Highway?