Notes from the road

Richard Talley of the Motel Safari in Tucumcari, N.M., says a lot has been happening in his town lately. Here’s what he said by e-mail (with some minor editing):

Here’s a shot of the new AutoPros auto care center across the street from us on Route 66 (used to be Tucumcari Tire Co., closed for years). They just had their grand opening this week, and are already booked up with business.

La Cita’s Mexican Restaurant on Route 66, has also recently opened a new flower shop out of the restaurant and it seems to be booming, too. So that’s a lot of NEW activity on Route 66 here in Tucumcari this year!

Yvette and Yvonne, who own Del’s and Kix on 66 restaurants, bought the old Dean’s restaurant earlier this year on Route 66, and have reopened it as the Rocking Y’s Roadhouse.

Doug and Sharon Quarles have opened an art gallery on Route 66 as well this year. Things has moved across the street on Route 66, to the old Ranch House Café building, and there’s a few more businesses coming in on Route 66 this summer.

So Route 66 is looking up in Tucumcari, now let’s keep those volcano ashes away!

— The Route 66 Mother Road Museum in Barstow, Calif., now has a Facebook page.

— Michael Wallis, author of “Route 66: The Mother Road” and the voice of the Sheriff in the movie “Cars,” tells me he will be heading into the studio “in the near future” to reprise his role for “Cars 2,” the sequel that will be in theaters in summer 2011. He said he’s also lent his Sheriff voice for the Cars Land amusement park that’s being built at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif.

— The Community News of Pontiac, Ill., has announced the events planned for the Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival on May 1-2, which runs from Joliet to Towanda, Ill. Among them are the opening of the New International Walldog Mural & Sign Art Museum in Pontiac and book-signings by photographer Michael Campanelli at the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum. A full listing of the festival’s events is here.

— The McElroy Tire building on 1545 E. 11th St. in Tulsa is being torn down this week. The business closed late last year after more than 70 years, having been squeezed by the national auto-repair chains. There’s been no word on what will happen to its distinctive blue and yellow sign.

— Megan Gist has begun her quest to travel 1,400 miles on horseback — much of it on Route 66 — to the Mississippi River in St. Louis. At last report, she was heading east from Claremore, Okla. Her blog is here.

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