I remember when Vice TV’s “Abandoned” episode about Route 66 first aired in 2016, but the full 43-minute program was uploaded to YouTube just a few weeks ago. The gist is two skate punks travel Route 66 from west to east, seeking assorted abandoned places to use their skateboards (natch), talk to the locals, and … Continue reading A look back at Vice TV’s “Abandoned” episode in 2016 about Route 66
Brennen Matthews’ detailed travelogue, “Miles to Go: An African Family in Search of America Along Route 66” (Amazon link), explains the spark that led him to found and edit ROUTE Magazine. Because his multiracial family has roots in Kenya or Canada, the 280-page book published by University of New Mexico Press also provides a glimpse … Continue reading Book review: “Miles to Go: An African Family in Search of America Along Route 66”
A note to readers: Stories here might be sparse in the next few days because, as of this writing, I’m moving west to the classic Route 66 town of Tucumcari, New Mexico. I’ll approve comments periodically through my phone, but story-writing probably will take a back seat for a while. Cross-country moves tend to eat … Continue reading Moving on to the Land of Enchantment
Ray Hascall of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, dreamed for decades of riding horseback hundreds of miles to visit the area where he grew up in southwestern Missouri. But when the time finally came to do so, Hascall, now 72, compromised a bit and made the round-trip journey of more than 700 miles by horse-drawn covered wagon — … Continue reading Seeing Route 66 from a covered wagon
Anthony Reichardt recently uploaded several more videos from Route 66 trips he took in the early to mid-1990s in a 1959 Cadillac. The highlight video of this bunch is several visits with Lillian Redman, longtime owner of the iconic Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico. It’s the most extensive video I’ve seen of her. https://youtu.be/TS9fp-Tndq0 Reichardt’s … Continue reading Visits with Lillian Redman at the Blue Swallow Motel
A viral video that pokes fun at travelers tending to take the same image at famous landmarks includes Route 66 among those images. “Instatravel,” created on Vimeo by Oliver KMIA, includes the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Christ the Redeemer, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Mona Lisa, passport photos and spots in the Southern California desert where … Continue reading Route 66 included in “Instatravel” parody video
The good folks at the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, flagged this video the other day on Facebook, saying: Giacomo and Giulia from Italy traveled Route 66 on their Honeymoon earlier this year, and we were honored to have them as our guests. They’ve just released this fun video of their trip. I … Continue reading Honeymooners’ trip down Route 66
A Slovakian company has developed the first Route 66 app for iPhones that offers turn-by-turn directions, and an Android version should be ready in the coming weeks. Route 66 Navigation’s full abilities will cost $49.99 for a yearly subscription — a price that may make some roadies blanch. But its many features might lessen the … Continue reading New Route 66 Navigation app offers turn-by-turn directions
A trip on Route 66 often changes the life of the person taking that journey. Andy Warhol’s trip from New York City to Los Angeles in 1963 — much of it on 66 — probably didn’t change his career, but it accelerated it into him becoming a Pop Art icon. Deborah Davis makes the case about … Continue reading Book review: “The Trip”
The Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue — which includes a prominent section about Route 66 — hit the magazine’s website Monday and was scheduled to be on newsstands this week. Here’s a behind-the-scenes video from the magazine’s Route 66 photo shoot: So far I’ve seen these landmarks in the shoot and other photos Sports Illustrated posted … Continue reading A listing of Route 66 sites used in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue
