This video by AmericaJR.com at the recently completed Rendezvous Back to Route 66 car show at San Manuel Stadium in San Bernardino, California, is illuminating. In short, this year's event -- presented by the San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce -- is an effort to keep a smaller version of the Route 66 Rendezvous alive. … Continue reading A semblance of the Route 66 Rendezvous
Month: October 2014
Co-founder of Manhattan Transfer dies
Tim Hauser, a co-founder of the Manhattan Transfer jazz vocal quartet in 1969 and the only original member still with the group, died at age 72 this week, reported JazzTimes and other media outlets. The cause of death was not disclosed, but a post through the group's Facebook page confirmed his passing. We spent more than 40 … Continue reading Co-founder of Manhattan Transfer dies
Route 66 in Mojave may reopen by late November
Long sections of historic Route 66 that were closed in mid-September because of extensive flood damage may reopen by late November, reported The Press-Enterprise. The newspaper had more details about the damage: In some spots there are holes large enough to swallow one of the motorcycles belonging to tourist groups that regularly retrace the Western … Continue reading Route 66 in Mojave may reopen by late November
A visit to Ollie’s Station
DiscoverOklahoma, which is part of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, recently uploaded this video about Ollie's Station restaurant on the southwest side of Tulsa. https://youtu.be/Yx5wE4sOgi0 As you might guess, the restaurant and its toy trains are a big hit with children. If you go there, don't miss the big train set in the back … Continue reading A visit to Ollie’s Station
Aztec Hotel may reopen next year
The Aztec Hotel on old Route 66 in Monrovia, California, may reopen sometime in 2015, reported the Pasadena Star-News. However, with the report about the historic building containing caveats -- plus the owner's problems in managing the property -- one has to wonder whether the hotel will reopen at all next year. Excerpts from the … Continue reading Aztec Hotel may reopen next year
Former trooper tells about experiences in Mojave Desert
A former officer with the California Highway Patrol has published a book about his experiences during the 1940s in the Mojave Desert -- much of it on Route 66 -- in a memoir. L.A. "Buzz" Banks has published "Policing the Mojave Desert," mining his stories from the time the highway patrol assigned him to Victorville, California, … Continue reading Former trooper tells about experiences in Mojave Desert
Santo Domingo Trading Post wins a large grant
The historic Santo Domingo Trading Post along old Route 66 in Santo Domingo Pueblo, New Mexico, earned a half-million-dollar federal grant for its renovations, according to a news release from U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. The $511,118 comes from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The project revives an historic Native … Continue reading Santo Domingo Trading Post wins a large grant
New road would partly restore old section of Route 66
The Phelps County commissioners may apply for a grant to build a north outer road near Interstate 44 that would partially restore an old section of Route 66 near Rolla, Missouri, according to The Leader Journal newspaper in St. James, Missouri. The new section of road would run between U.S. 63 and Missouri Highway V. The board would … Continue reading New road would partly restore old section of Route 66
A tour of the Tower Theatre
A few days ago, The Oklahoman newspaper provided a tour for 30 subscribers to the historic but long-closed Tower Theatre along Route 66's Northwest 23rd Street alignment in Oklahoma City. As you will see, the tour contained a few former employees or patrons of the Tower. The tour also included a Q&A with the developers … Continue reading A tour of the Tower Theatre
A visit to the Ariston Cafe
Continuing with his Genuine Route 66 Life video series, KC Keefer sat down with Paul Adam, a third-generation manager for the historic Ariston Cafe on Route 66 in Litchfield, Illinois. This video comes out during the restaurant's 90th anniversary. It started a couple of years before Route 66 existed in Carlinville, Illinois, which wound up … Continue reading A visit to the Ariston Cafe