Bob Waldmire saying goodbye

Artist Bob Waldmire, famous for his intricate Route 66-inspired artwork and being the unofficial inspiration to hippie van Fillmore in the Disney/Pixar movie "Cars," has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, reports Dave Bakke of the Springfield (Ill.) State Journal-Register. Waldmire, 64, usually lives in the southern Arizona mountains during the wintertime and spends the rest … Continue reading Bob Waldmire saying goodbye

New mural in Cuba

Cuba, Mo., which now is being called Mural City for good reason, sports a new mural at My Place Tires, at 1203 W. Washington St. (aka Route 66). According to the Cuba Free Press, the mural was painted by Missouri artist Ray Harvey. “The location on Route 66 and the attention the art will receive … Continue reading New mural in Cuba

San Fidel property named to National Register

The former Acoma Curio Shop on Route 66 in the tiny Route 66 settlement of San Fidel, N.M., was named to the National Register of Historic Places effective Oct. 7, according to an e-mail Thursday from the National Park Service. The shop is now home for Mary Trask's Gallery66.us, an art gallery that sells and … Continue reading San Fidel property named to National Register

Notes from the road

Some stray news items ... The Tulsa World has a recent update on Emory Duick, the senior citizen who is traveling Route 66 by foot. He's already worn out two sneakers, and he still has 1,400 miles to go. The New Mexico firefighters who were traveling Route 66 by motorcycle to raise funds for families … Continue reading Notes from the road

Roadie opening art gallery in Amarillo

Longtime Texas Route 66 enthusiast Bob "Crocodile" Lile is holding a grand opening of his new Lile Art Gallery in Amarillo on Aug. 7. The event is being held in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk. Lile Art Gallery is at 3701 Plains Blvd. (map here) in the Sunset Shopping Mall, the first mall … Continue reading Roadie opening art gallery in Amarillo

Cadillac Ranch takes on unintended meaning

Mitch Potter of the Toronto Star talks to Stanley Marsh 3, the Amarillo tycoon who created the art landmark that is Cadillac Ranch just off Route 66 on the west side of town. But in the summer of 2009, this iconic row of classic Cadillacs jutting skyward from a farm field in the Texas Panhandle … Continue reading Cadillac Ranch takes on unintended meaning

A view from the passenger side

Los Angeles artist and photographer Jason Paul Bennett embarked on a Route 66 trip from Chicago to L.A. last year, and shot more than 5,400 images to document it. Bennett has a dedicated site, Passenger Side, to those photos. For a donation, yYou can download all 5,40o or so high-definition photos. You also can see … Continue reading A view from the passenger side

Notes from the road

A few things to move off my plate: --- One of the beneficiaries of federal stimulus package passed earlier this year is a Route 66 bicycle trail in Illinois. According to an Associated Press report, $25,000 in such funds will be used to build a four-way stop signal at an intersection for the Route 66 … Continue reading Notes from the road

Notes from the road

A few things to clear off my plate: -- Dawn Welch, owner of the Rock Cafe in Stroud, Okla., told me today that her restaurant would be closed for the July 4 holiday. Roadies who wish to go to their favorite Route 66 hangout on that day are advised to call ahead to make sure … Continue reading Notes from the road

Tribute to a king

Emily read this Tulsa World article after Michael Jackson's death on Friday. The key passage: Hours after learning of Jackson's death, Paul Yeakey, a Tulsa artist, spray-painted a mural of Jackson on a wall outside a liquor store at 9347 E. 11th St. Eleventh Street in Tulsa is Route 66. She went to the Mad … Continue reading Tribute to a king