I neglected to mention the Mother Road 100, Part 2 ultramarathon in western Oklahoma last weekend, which went from Elk City to the outskirts of El Reno on old Route 66. More than 150 hardy souls participated. The overall winner was Tim Neckar, 47, of Houston, who finished the 100 miles in 17 hours, 13 … Continue reading A mother of a footrace
Month: November 2008
Rhythms of the Road update
Remember "Rhythms of the Road," the musical TV show that shot episodes at a number of Route 66 sites a few weeks ago? Brian Greene of Greene HD Productions, which is producing the show, e-mailed to say the tour was a "BIG success" and the company is in the midst of editing footage to get … Continue reading Rhythms of the Road update
Drive, don’t fly
A travel Web site, AboutAnywhere.com, is urging travelers to drive instead of fly during the upcoming holiday season because gas prices have dropped enough in recent weeks to make it economical again. It also cites Amarillo and its share of Route 66 as a holiday destination. From its news release: ... [M]ention holiday travels and … Continue reading Drive, don’t fly
Book review: “Route 66 Backroads”
Jim Hinckley's gorgeous new book, "Route 66 Backroads" (Voyageur, 208 pages, $24.99), is a guide to more than 40 side trips that use historic Route 66 as a jumping-off point. The book's initial focus remains on 66, with seven chapters on each of the states the Mother Road traverses (the 13 miles of Kansas is … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66 Backroads”
Veterans Day tribute
Here is a list of soldiers from Route 66 towns who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. I've also added informative links to each of the fallen military personnel. ILLINOIS Chicago Staff Sgt. Oscar D. Vargas-Medina, died May 1, 2004 1st Sgt. Edward Smith, died April 5, 2003 Sgt. Ivory L. Phipps, died March 17, … Continue reading Veterans Day tribute
“Living at the Aztec Hotel”
This song by Gentlemen's Blues Club and its video footage take place at the historic Aztec Hotel on Route 66 in Monrovia, Calif. (Hat tip: Denny Gibson.)
Cataloging the past
Phil Gordon, who lives in Vancouver, Wash., dropped me an e-mail to let me know about an admirable project that he's undertaking -- he's trying to collect and catalog all the linen postcards that were issued along Route 66. He's set up a Web site to list all of these postcards. He has them grouped … Continue reading Cataloging the past
A nice stocking-stuffer
I was at Apertures Photo in Tulsa on Friday when a group of spiral-bound images on the counter caught my eye. It was an Oklahoma Route 66 2009 desk calendar produced by Mary E. Kell of Kell Cafe. It costs $10, and it contains a dozen images from Oklahoma Route 66 (seen above; clock it … Continue reading A nice stocking-stuffer
Plan approved for interstate bicycle routes
This is potentially big tourism news for Route 66 -- a cross-country bicycle route that mirrors much of the Mother Road. Here's a portion of the press release, published by the SportsOneSource.com: The United States is on a path to creating what could become the largest official bicycle route network in the world, thanks to … Continue reading Plan approved for interstate bicycle routes
Trainspotting at La Posada
Railroad buff Karl Zimmermann of the Los Angeles Times has written an excellent story about La Posada in Winslow, Ariz., along with the attached Turquoise Room restaurant. The article makes you want to jump in the car and stay for a weekend there.