01:55 6 March 2015 Springfield Missouri by GS Jade Barrett; CsbNews.org correspondent
“Me and my wife on Route 66 with a pot of coffee, a cheap guitar, pawnshop tape recorder in a Motel 6, and a car that runs good parked right by the door” – Tom Waits
Historic Highway US Route 66 passes through Springfield, Missouri, on its way from Chicago to California, bordered by hundred year old motels, hotels, shops and service stations filled with Americana of the bygone era. The playing facility for the ACBL sanctioned event this beautiful city is home to is newly built in stark contrast to the small roadside cottages that so frequently appear nearby, but its charm is not lost on the jaded travellers who frequent the contract bridge trail.
Designated as Sectionals, each of these smaller local weekend tournaments have an individual flavor, drawing their character from the resident players. These hometown hosts welcome the few nomadic bridge athletes who pass through, often entertaining them in their homes or lifting a glass or two at a favorite local establishment. As a rule, these local events are a celebration of the membership of its geographic location.
So far this year, the Great American Bridge Tour has competed in Lawrence and Hutchinson, Kansas; St Paul, Minnesota; Burlingame, California; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Sioux City, Iowa, enjoying the camaraderie of all our opponents and the hospitality of the same. The joy of seeing old friends and making new ones never grows old, and as long as we stay playing, neither do we.