If you live or pass through the Detroit area in the next week, you ought to go see Michael Campanelli‘s Rotue 66 photography exhibit in Royal Oak, Mich.
According to the Detroit News, Campanelli’s photos will be on display at the Shrine of the Little Flower Conference Center in Royal Oak (map here) through Aug. 22.
But for Campanelli, and uncounted others, Route 66 is homey motor courts, desolate stretches of desert, Tee Pee motels, leaning water towers, Meteor Crater, dusty, dried-up drive-in movie theaters, cowboys, coyotes and diners offering 72-ounce steaks.
“And the people you meet are incredibly friendly all along the route,” Campanelli said.
“If you see someone leaning up against their pickup in Oklahoma and ask them how they’re doing, you’d better be ready for a 45-minute conversation.” […]
“This isn’t about me, it’s about Route 66 and what it represents,” Campanelli said. “Small-town mom-and-pop America is still out there: make sure you go and visit it.”
Campanelli gets it.