Academia Hernando to Celebrate Route 66 Legacy Feb. 18 in Spring Hill

Academia Hernando will continue its Spring 2026 Lecture Series on Wednesday, Feb. 18, with a presentation titled "Route 66 – The Mother Road" beginning at 10 a.m. at the WellCome OM Center, 4260 Lake in the Woods Drive in Spring Hill. The program is scheduled as Route 66 approaches its 100th anniversary on April 30, 2026.

The lecture will examine the road’s role in early and mid-20th century travel, with particular attention to its importance during the Great Depression and its effect on the growth of towns and roadside attractions. Attendees will learn how Route 66 shaped American car culture and why preservation efforts and state associations continue to celebrate the roadway’s landmarks and its place in folklore and music.

Rick Kistner will lead the presentation. Kistner is identified as a longtime Academia Hernando lecturer who has been sharing educational programs since 2017. His background includes nearly five decades in higher education, teaching at colleges in Ohio and Kansas, and academic credentials that include a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Dayton. After a 30-year career in Criminal Justice Administration, Kistner shifted his focus to lifelong learning and has delivered close to 600 presentations.

Kistner’s regional and national teaching experience appears in the lecture series’ materials: he has lectured for Boston’s Elder Hostel Program, Eckerd College’s OLLI classes, Ocala’s Master the Possibilities program, and the Center for Life Enrichment in North Carolina. Those program affiliations underscore the speaker’s experience presenting historical and cultural topics to community audiences.

Historical context for the lecture includes several key facts about the highway: often called "The Main Street of America," Route 66 was one of the nation’s first numbered highways and the first fully paved transcontinental route, stretching from Chicago to the Pacific Coast. The roadway was officially decommissioned in the mid-1980s, yet preservation efforts and state associations keep its story alive. The nickname "Mother Road" was popularized by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath.

The announcement for the Feb. 18 presentation lists the start time and venue but does not specify admission fees, RSVP or registration details, nor a contact phone or email for more information. With the centennial on April 30, 2026 approaching, the Academia Hernando lecture offers a local opportunity in Spring Hill to explore why Route 66’s history still resonates across towns, attractions and American car culture.