WEIU-TV spends about 20 minutes of this 26-minute "Heartland Highways" program telling about the embrace of Route 66 tourism by the town of Atlanta, Ill. https://youtu.be/uzyFfgF6Gdw It makes an impression when the mayor says sales-tax revenues rose 43 percent from 2008 to 2012. And he attributes that entirely to tourism. And you also get a peek … Continue reading TV program examines Route 66 renaissance of Atlanta, Ill.
Month: February 2013
Part of historic sign near St. Louis removed
A huge and historic sign that advertised the Diamonds Restaurant and the Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge, Mo., saw the Diamonds part of the sign removed in recent weeks, reported Norma Maret Bolin, author of the well-researched book "Route 66 St. Louis." Bolin said she discovered the partial removal of the sign on Feb. 10. … Continue reading Part of historic sign near St. Louis removed
Blue Swallow Motel gets its own song
Musician Stephen Conrad apparently likes the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., so much, he wrote a song about it for this slide-show video: https://youtu.be/gSDV8rDF8Yo Conrad created another slide-show video for the Blue Swallow and New Mexico in general, called "In the Sunshine Glow." https://youtu.be/e2967LQGT30
Turning a VW into a hippie bus
The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton shows in a time-lapse video how volunteers gave a new paint job to a 1969 Volkswagen minibus during the museum's renovations last year. https://youtu.be/vEFhI_UxPhY The minibus was christened with a brief road trip before going back into the museum: Though she was on a flat bed trailer as … Continue reading Turning a VW into a hippie bus
The coming Chinese invasion (continued)
I've reported that Route 66 businesses and tourist centers should ready for what will likely be an influx of Chinese tourists in the coming years, due to that country's rising affluence. Here's more evidence over the weekend from the Amarillo Globe-News: An Amarillo company has become the first North American tourism destination to be promoted by … Continue reading The coming Chinese invasion (continued)
Sunrise at Cars Land
The folks at the Disney Parks Blog shot this at dawn at Cars Land, when the crowds haven't arrived yet and everything is peaceful. In a lot of ways, this is much like a small Route 66 town on an early Sunday morning. https://youtu.be/uBbibhspvpI Cars Land, inside Disney's California Adventure Park in Anaheim, is based … Continue reading Sunrise at Cars Land
PBS station pays a visit to the Turquoise Room in La Posada
KAET-TV, a PBS affiliate based in Phoenix, produces the "Check, Please! Arizona" program that places the spotlight on notable restaurants in the state. Recently, the program took a closer look at chef John Sharpe and his Turquoise Room, inside the historic La Posada Hotel on Route 66 in Winslow, Ariz. https://youtu.be/weHubtWKI40?t=17m44s I embedded the video … Continue reading PBS station pays a visit to the Turquoise Room in La Posada
Galena’s “Murder Bordello” being resurrected
A long-abandoned former bordello on Route 66 in Galena, Kan., owned by a serial-killer madam is being restored and will reopen next month as a site for guided tours. Russ Keeler, who operates After Midnight Paranormal Investigations, or AMPI, in Siloam Springs, Ark., persuaded the home's co-owners in January to spend thousands of dollars to restore … Continue reading Galena’s “Murder Bordello” being resurrected
Home movies of a 1950 road trip
A reader alerted me about this home-movie footage of a family vacation in 1950 that was preserved by the Prelinger Archive. The Route 66 material doesn't start until about the three-minute mark, when the family starts to cross the Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis. You'll also see footage along the Mother Road in … Continue reading Home movies of a 1950 road trip
Documentary about Route 66 will air Friday on European TV
For our European readers, Oscar-nominated director Katja Esson's five-part "Backroads" documentary is airing this week on the European television Arte channel, including the "Route 66 in the South West" segment on Friday. According to Arte's online channel guide, the program will air at 6:25 p.m. local time. Translated from German, the description of the program … Continue reading Documentary about Route 66 will air Friday on European TV