Students from Oklahoma State University helped design what will be called Mickey Mantle Monument Park and other related projects in the Route 66 town of Commerce, Okla., where Mantle grew up, according to a story in the Tulsa World. A 9-foot-tall Mickey Mantle statue dedicated last summer stands at Mickey Mantle Field, next to a … Continue reading Students help design Mickey Mantle projects
Category: Attractions
A pitch for Pontiac
This is a new tourism video produced by McCoy Studios for the Route 66 town of Pontiac, Ill. https://youtu.be/bSlWGLrP178 It's well done. Chambers of commerce, take note.
Tourist season begins at Blue Whale … and more
Today marked the opening of the souvenir shack at the historic Blue Whale, just off Route 66 in Catoosa, Okla. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, or for special occasions or sizable tour groups. The stand sells postcards (many of them decades old), T-shirts, magnets, coozies, Catoosa creme soda, and … Continue reading Tourist season begins at Blue Whale … and more
Pearls of news items
Today, I was asked to attend the Route 66 Archives and Research Collaboration at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa. The event was organized by the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. I made my pitch for the ample online news archives of Route 66 News. But, as is typical of such gatherings, I heard a few pearls of … Continue reading Pearls of news items
A blue tie affair
Tonight, I was volunteer for the Blue Tie Affair, a fundraising dinner for the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Okla. The event featured an outdoor dinner at the Blue Whale grounds, and was catered by the nearby Molly's Landing restaurant. The weather and atmosphere were perfect. It's not often that you see a string orchestra performing … Continue reading A blue tie affair
Kingman releases tourism survey
A survey from around the Kingman, Ariz., area revealed that tourism accounted for $165 million in direct expenditures and 2,100 jobs to the local economy in 2010, according to a report in the Kingman Daily Miner. That impact grows dramatically to $268 million and 3,101 jobs for Mohave County when including indirect and induced expenditures: … Continue reading Kingman releases tourism survey
Project seeks to install art murals on Oklahoma Route 66
Organizers have launched a Kickstarter fundraiser for a project that aims to create art murals on several sites along Oklahoma's Route 66. The Dwelling Spaces store in Tulsa and El Reno resident Rick Sinnett want to place 11 murals along the Mother Road in the Sooner State, and hope to raise $6,600 in 28 days. … Continue reading Project seeks to install art murals on Oklahoma Route 66
Good support for bras on the ceiling
This report in the Pulaski County Daily contains some off-kilter banter between officials at a Pulaski County (Mo.) Tourism Board meeting a few days ago. Officials were talking about how area restaurants could draw visitors from far away, instead of just locals. The discussion turned to an old business along an old alignment of Route 66 … Continue reading Good support for bras on the ceiling
Schifferdecker Park in 1959
Ace Jackalope, one of our favorite bloggers, posted this neat little find on YouTube -- footage of Schifferdecker Park's amusement park in 1959. Schifferdecker Park is on the west side of Joplin, Mo., and has always been next to Route 66. https://youtu.be/QUdfIVicH9U Ace explains the video: Tinker Town was a children's amusement park in the … Continue reading Schifferdecker Park in 1959
Putting their best clip forward
This video about the Route 66 town of Elk City, Okla., does a good job telling potential tourists about the city's strengths: https://youtu.be/wJKM-xWwhWM Expect smart chambers of commerce to do a lot more of this in the future.