Alan McNeil, the man who seeks to restore the long-closed Triangle Motel at 7954 Amarillo Blvd., aka Route 66, in Amarillo, Texas, recently put up his Web site about his renovation efforts for the 1940s motel. You can find the site here. I held some initial skepticism about McNeil's ability or will to restore it. … Continue reading Triangle Motel Web site is up
Month: July 2006
Dining & driving on Route 66 in the Midwest
Chicago Sun-Times writer Dave Hoekstra, a longtime supporter of Route 66, tells about some of the Mother Road's favorite dining haunts from Chicago to St. Louis. Hoekstra focuses first on Scotty's Route 66 Restaurant and Bar in Hamel, Ill. But he also gives detailed shout-outs to Lou Mitchell's in Chicago, Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket in … Continue reading Dining & driving on Route 66 in the Midwest
Tulsa’s retro guide to cool
Urban Tulsa, which is that city's alternative weekly, points out some of the best ways to keep cool in Oklahoma's notorious summer heat with a 1950s and '60s flair. Many of these escapes are on old Route 66. For movie-watching, there is the circa 1951 Admiral Twin Drive-In and the restored, circa 1928 Circle Cinema. … Continue reading Tulsa’s retro guide to cool
Property for sale update
While checking a few things with my "Route 66 Properties for Sale" link, I saw the following things have occurred: The Apache Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., is under contract. It was in bad shape, as its for-sale price of $59,000 attests. Hopefully, the buyer can do something with it. The price on the historic Palomino … Continue reading Property for sale update
Pain Walker in Pasadena
The Pasadena (Calif.) Star-News caught up with Dennis Kinch, the man who's walking Route 66 for the National Pain Foundation. Here's the money quote from him about his physical ailments: "I'm blessed to have pain," he said. "It's made me a stronger person than before." Kinch also has a new entry in his Notes from … Continue reading Pain Walker in Pasadena
I like the other possible name better
The Desert Dispatch newspaper in Barstow, Calif., has an article about a new sushi restaurant at 116 E. Main St., called Main Street Sushi and BBQ. Apparently the owners considered calling it Route 66 Sushi, since the Mother Road runs right outside, but went with the Main Street moniker instead. Too bad.
Keith Olbermann gets the Harley & Annabelle Experience
Harley and Annabelle Russell, aka the Mediocre Music Makers, of Erick, Okla., are featured on MSNBC's "Keith Olbermann's Countdown" show. The link to the video is on the upper right, along with the New York Shakespeare item. (Note: Internet Explorer 7 is required; guess it doesn't support Firefox.)
Why did George Maharis leave “Route 66”?
Karen Funk Blocher, a published author, had done years of research during the 1980s about the "Route 66" television show. She was going to write a book about the '60s show and its involvement with the true Mother Road, but the project was eventually abandoned. One of the reasons the book was never finished was … Continue reading Why did George Maharis leave “Route 66”?
His favorite places
Gary A. Warner of the Orange County Register has traveled to all 50 states. He listed his favorite memory in each state. Two of them are on Route 66. Here are the two: Arizona: Meteor Crater, Winslow. When worlds collide. Luckily this one was a lot smaller than ours. The lack of water in the … Continue reading His favorite places
Roller Rapper gets rolling on Route 66 tour
Robby Love, aka the Roller Rapper, rolled into Springfield, Ill., on Sunday during his Route 66 tour, according to the Springfield Journal-Register. Love is skating from Chicago to L.A. to help plug his "Roller Rapper" album, shoot a documentary, and raise money for St. Jude Children's Cancer Center and local charities as he makes his … Continue reading Roller Rapper gets rolling on Route 66 tour