Amid the hubbub of La Posada Hotel co-owner Alan Affeldt recently buying the historic Castaneda Hotel in Las Vegas, N.M., one thing that's been often overlooked is he wants to buy the historic Plaza Hotel in town, too. Following up on an editorial Sunday in the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper, I found this excerpt … Continue reading La Posada owner wants to buy another historic Las Vegas hotel
Month: April 2014
“The Grapes of Wrath” was published 75 years ago today
John Steinbeck's famous novel about the Great Depression and a family's Moses-like journey on Route 66, "The Grapes of Wrath," was published 75 years ago today. The National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, Calif., is marking the anniversary all year, and I'll post a review of a new book about the writing of the novel when … Continue reading “The Grapes of Wrath” was published 75 years ago today
“Route 66” available on Hulu today
The first season of the critically acclaimed 1960s drama "Route 66" and part of the second season are free to watch today to the Hulu online platform. Shout! Factory, which acquired the rights to the series in late 2011, pledged to make the television show available for streaming online, in addition to releasing all four … Continue reading “Route 66” available on Hulu today
Fundraiser launched for proposed Route 66 television series
Steve Brown, host of PBS-TV's "The Real Desert, with Steve Brown" and longtime Route 66 enthusiast Jim Conkle in recent days launched an IndieGoGo fundraising campaign for a 13-part documentary about Route 66 for the network. Here's the video for the campaign: https://youtu.be/m7VGfD-DwtI Brown and Conkle hope to raise $66,000 by June 6. The price … Continue reading Fundraiser launched for proposed Route 66 television series
“4th of July”
This music video for Denmark singer-songwriter Esben Kronborg was shot in a variety of places in the United States last month, including Route 66. If you look closely, you'll see the historic railroad depot in Kingman, Ariz. https://youtu.be/lYXTQ0ozn9Y Kronborg may be Dutch, but the song he wrote is an American tale -- one you'd probably … Continue reading “4th of July”
Rehab of Devil’s Elbow Bridge progresses
The rehabilitation of the historic Devil's Elbow Bridge on old Route 66 in Devil's Elbow is proceeding smoothly and will reopen to traffic by August at the latest, according to a report in the Rolla Daily News. The newspaper included a photo of the work being done on the bridge. It added: According to the … Continue reading Rehab of Devil’s Elbow Bridge progresses
Route 66 added to Oklahoma’s endangered places list
Preservation Oklahoma unveiled its annual Endangered Places in Oklahoma list on Tuesday night, and Route 66 was included among them. David Pettyjohn, executive director for the group, explained why in an Enid News and Eagle report: “When we look at Route 66, it’s not just the road. It’s the structures along the road. It’s the … Continue reading Route 66 added to Oklahoma’s endangered places list
Holbrook marketing Route 66 more aggressively
The Route 66 town of Holbrook, Ariz., is going to tout its Mother Road ties even more in the coming months, including a new festival, according to an article in the Arizona Journal. The article contained a lot of interesting tidbits about Holbrook and nearby Winslow, Ariz., including these: A number of new businesses have … Continue reading Holbrook marketing Route 66 more aggressively
La Posada owner completes purchase of Hotel Castaneda
As expected, Allan Affeldt, co-owner of historic La Posada in Winslow, Ariz., on Monday closed on his purchase of the long-closed Hotel Castaneda, aka La Castaneda, in Las Vegas, N.M. Affeldt said in a Facebook post: Purchased Fred Harvey's 1898 Hotel Castaneda today. It closed as a hotel in 1948 so we have one week … Continue reading La Posada owner completes purchase of Hotel Castaneda
Enhancements coming to U-Drop Inn
The historic U-Drop Inn gas station in Shamrock, Texas, will undergo some improvements before tourism season begins, according to a post Monday on its Facebook page. First, the gift shop has moved to the main area next to the café. This unites the two areas and gives us more room to expand, especially in the "Made … Continue reading Enhancements coming to U-Drop Inn