New video cites Route 66 as a reason for Tulsa to land a Tesla truck plant

Tulsa is vying to land a new Tesla Motors truck plant against Austin, Texas. Tulsa looked for a way to separate itself from its competitor. With the help of the Route 66 Alliance and founder Michael Wallis, they came up with this two-minute video: https://youtu.be/2xKWhn66Fbc Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, voiced his approval of Tulsa's efforts … Continue reading New video cites Route 66 as a reason for Tulsa to land a Tesla truck plant

A journey on how Disney’s Cars Land was developed

Disney Parks a few days ago uploaded a video where two people from Disney and Pixar were interviewed on how they came up with the inspirations for Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park. Pixar’s Roger Gould and former Disney Imagineer Kathy Mangum provide an under-the-hood look of what went into the development and creation … Continue reading A journey on how Disney’s Cars Land was developed

Fabled elm trees west of Clinton may not be around much longer

Elm trees west of Clinton, Oklahoma, documented in Michael Wallis' seminal 1990 book "Route 66: The Mother Road" have died at an alarming rate in recent years and may not be long for this world. A longtime reader with a keen eye alerted me to this a few days ago and shot a short video … Continue reading Fabled elm trees west of Clinton may not be around much longer

Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios in Tulsa throws the switch on its new neon sign

Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios on Route 66 in Tulsa threw the switch on its new neon signs Wednesday evening during an event broadcast live on the internet because of the coronavirus pandemic. About 300 people tuned in on Facebook Live to watch the ceremony, which included honky-tonk music from Jacob Tovar and a documentary about … Continue reading Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios in Tulsa throws the switch on its new neon sign

Charles Custer, a photographer of Route 66 in the early 1950s, dies at age 91

Charles Custer, a retired Chicago lawyer whose startlingly detailed photographs of Route 66 businesses that he and his wife Irene took in the early 1950s were recently re-discovered, died at age 91 in January. The Chicago Sun-Times described Custer's remarkable life and photographic legacy in an obituary last week. A memorial service had been planned … Continue reading Charles Custer, a photographer of Route 66 in the early 1950s, dies at age 91

Despite losing $6M in funds, backers still push for building Route 66 Experience

The supporters of a Route 66 Experience complex near the banks of the Arkansas River in Tulsa still want to proceed with the project despite recently losing $6 million in funding from the city, according to one report. Public Radio Tulsa seems to be the first media outlet reporting the loss of the $6 million … Continue reading Despite losing $6M in funds, backers still push for building Route 66 Experience

Newspaper editorial floats National Park idea for Route 66

In the wake of the ongoing struggle to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail, a newspaper along the historic highway has floated an intriguing idea -- make Route 66 a national park instead. The editorial board of the Joplin Globe in Missouri published an editorial with that proposal a few days ago. Below … Continue reading Newspaper editorial floats National Park idea for Route 66

Tulsa radio station looks at Route 66’s past, future

KRMG, a prominent radio station in Tulsa, recently produced a special about that city's extensive link to Route 66 and its role in the historic highway's future. The three-part segment, which totals less than eight minutes, includes interviews with Michael Wallis, author of the seminal "Route 66: The Mother Road"; Ken Busby of the Route … Continue reading Tulsa radio station looks at Route 66’s past, future

Oklahoma senator says he’ll withdraw bill to rename a part of Route 66 for Trump

One day after the bill was introduced, an Oklahoma state senator withdrew a proposal to rename a stretch of Route 66 as President Donald J. Trump Highway after the measure received widespread criticism from Route 66 fans and fellow lawmakers, including Trump's supporters. State Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow) said Wednesday he would withdraw the … Continue reading Oklahoma senator says he’ll withdraw bill to rename a part of Route 66 for Trump

More screenings announced for “Almost Ghosts” Route 66 documentary

The filmmakers of the "Almost Ghosts" documentary have announced more screenings of the film at several historic theaters on or near Route 66. A screen-capture image of Angel Delgadillo in the "Almost Ghosts" film. The Flagstaff screening will feature one of the film's subjects, Angel "Angel of Route 66" Delgadillo, speaking before the movie. At … Continue reading More screenings announced for “Almost Ghosts” Route 66 documentary