Month: December 2006

That was an eventful parade

Galena, Kan., held its annual Christmas parade Saturday. Larry and Judy Courtney were grand marshals. Larry owns the C&A Corp. in town, and he and his wife are helping restore an old Marathon gas station along old 66 in town and acquired an old boom truck that was the inspiration to Tow Mater in the … Continue reading That was an eventful parade

Part 2 of Melissa McClelland podcast is online

Melissa McClelland, the Canadian singer-songwriter who traveled Route 66 this summer with a film crew, has posted the second part of her podcast. "Guardian Angel of Route 66" Angel Delgadillo and longtime Pig Hip restaurant owner Ernie Edwards get a lot of time in the eight-minute segment. McClelland performs "Solitary Life" behind the historic Wagon … Continue reading Part 2 of Melissa McClelland podcast is online

Lastest issue of Route 66 Pulse is out

The latest issue of the Route 66 Pulse newspaper is making its way down the Mother Road as we speak. In it, you'll see articles about: The 100th anniversary of the Petrified Forest National Park The Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa and the Mother Road 100 ultra-marathon in Oklahoma The Little Tin Barn in Chelsea, … Continue reading Lastest issue of Route 66 Pulse is out

More Harley and Annabelle

Here's a short clip on YouTube of Harley and Annabelle Russell, aka the Mediocre Music Makers, performing "Route 66" at their Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick, Okla. The person who posted the video listed them as the "Singing Hill Billy's." Doggone it, they're not hillbillies, they're rednecks. They do live in the "Redneck Capital of … Continue reading More Harley and Annabelle

Another man is going to walk Route 66

Jay Link, lead singer for the Los Angeles rock band Death and Taxes, weighed as much as 550 pounds just five years ago. He's lost 200 pounds with diet and exercise, and wants to lose 200 more in the next two years. Link recently wrote me to announce that in March, he would start walking … Continue reading Another man is going to walk Route 66

Cancer rider update

Michelle Thompson, the bicycle rider who's trying to raise awareness of oral cancer because of her brother's serious health struggles, has made it on her cross-country Route 66 trip to Albuquerque. A local TV station, KRQE, interviewed her there. You can view it here. Thompson's Web site is here.

Fabulous Freddie’s

We decided to check out a new eating spot on the 11th Street alignment of Route 66 in Tulsa, even though the restaurant itself isn't new. Freddie's Hamburgers has been a favorite of Tulsans since 1954. It has spent most of its years at 802 S. Lewis Ave. But in May, it opened another location … Continue reading Fabulous Freddie’s

“Cars” soundtrack gets Grammy nods

John Mayer's performance of "Route 66" from the "Cars" movie soundtrack was nominated for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance of the Grammy Awards, which will be Feb. 11 on CBS. For a complete list of Grammys, go here. UPDATE: Sheesh. I missed two other nominations. "Our Town," written by Randy Newman, was nominated for Best … Continue reading “Cars” soundtrack gets Grammy nods

Spirit of Aviatrix Ballroom revived

Carlton Scales, a former big-band leader, started the Aviatrix Ballroom on Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, in 1939. The venue drew such performers as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Jimmy Dorsey. Sadly, the Aviatrix closed in 1988 after business dwindled for years. Now the Amarillo Globe-News (free registration required) reports that Scales' daughter, Maggie, 49, … Continue reading Spirit of Aviatrix Ballroom revived