Coffee With Jim, August 31, 2025

Take one high school built in 1929. Transform it into a 30,000 square foot antique shopping mall. Add the ambition and imagination of Tonia and Wayne Pickerill. The result is one of the quirkiest family fun stops on Route 66, The Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston Illinois. An ecclectic collection of historic fiberglass giants, the Mother Road Fudge Factory and Candy Shop and The Twistee Treats Diner provide a glimpse at what makes this a destination for kids of all ages.

And then there are the festivals that celebrate UFO's, Bigfoot, and Route 66. Curious? Today's conversation with Wayne Pickerill will surely inspire a road rip or two. Come along for the ride. After all, it's a shared adventure!

Next week on Coffee With Jim we will be visiting with Rhys Martin, President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and manager of the Preserve Route 66 Initiative at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Martin's infectious enthusiasm will have you looking at Route 66 and your community in a whole new way. Invite your friends!