Gaylord Rt. 66 Summer Road Trip

Two professors (Sherry Kast and Carla Holmes) from the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication embarked on a 7-day Rt. 66 Summer Road Trip from Norman, OK to Santa Monica, CA on July 1. The professors used this as an opportunity to conduct interviews with community leaders and cultural experts on Rt. 66 in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. This road-trip research was shared with students to help them strategically develop Rt. 66 Centennial initiatives to promote tourism and economic development in Oklahoma. This project helped bring a love of the Mother Road to a whole new generation!

In addition to Kast and Holmes, Prof. Scott Hodgson, Gaylord Hall Productions, and a three-student production crew also joined us to document this trip and create professional high-quality content for social media and TV newscasts. The content was also shared with media outlets and across social media platforms for OU and Gaylord Alumni Associations, Gaylord College, Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation, Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and others.

We were thrilled that Landers Chevrolet, a proud OU supporter, graciously agreed to provide vehicles for this trip. We looked forward to collaborating to help promote this partnership on social media, etc. It was a great way to tie in the iconic ad campaign - "See the USA in a Chevrolet."