When you ask roadies where the West begins during Pacific-bound trips on Route 66, you're bound to get a variety of answers. Many cite the area west of the tiny hamlet of Gruhlkey on the edge of the Texas Panhandle. This is where the flat Caprock suddenly falls away, revealing mesas, cliffs and rock-embedded hillocks. … Continue reading Where the West begins
Category: Attractions
Reaping the wind
This is the new 1.5-megawatt wind turbine that was erected a few months ago in the Route 66 town of Tucumcari, N.M. If you're a semi-regular visitor to Tucumcari, it's quite striking to see it for the first time. It's nearly 400 feet tall, so it dominates the area landscape like nothing else except for … Continue reading Reaping the wind
A visit to Amboy Crater
This article by Examiner.com about Amboy Crater near the Route 66 hamlet of Amboy, Calif., is worth checking out for the photographs of wildflowers around the cinder cone.
Business is booming
Not content with owning the world's largest rocking chair, the Fanning 66 Outpost and General Store on Route 66 in Fanning, Mo., has added at least one more unusual attraction to its arsenal. Jim Viehman, a reporter for KSDK-TV in St. Louis, interviewed store owners Dan and Carolyn Sanazaro a few days ago about the … Continue reading Business is booming
Sears Tower name change isn’t going over well
I learned late yesterday that the name of the Sears Tower, which is among the world's tallest buildings and is on Route 66 in Chicago, would be changed to the Willis Tower after the British-based Willis Group Holdings acquired naming rights. The first thing I thought was: "Chicagoans aren't going to cotton to this." Apparently … Continue reading Sears Tower name change isn’t going over well
Design phase to begin soon on Tulsa Route 66 center
The design phase of the Route 66 Interpretive Center in Tulsa is set to begin by fall, reported the Tulsa World. The center, near the Arkansas River on Southwest Boulevard, is slated to house offices, a restaurant or two, gift shop and an interactive Route 66 museum. It's hoped the center will be open in … Continue reading Design phase to begin soon on Tulsa Route 66 center
Mark your calendars
An e-mailed update from the City of Tulsa today says that Claude Neon Federal Signs will begin re-erecting the neon-festooned letters of the historic Meadow Gold sign at 11th Street and Quaker Avenue in Tulsa on April 6. Claude estimates it will take about a week to completely install those letters. So, in about a … Continue reading Mark your calendars
Painted Desert Inn photos wanted
Some roadies with photo archives might be able to help with this project. From the Examiner.com: Petrified Forest National Park is looking for photos taken at the Painted Desert Inn during the 1940s and 1950s. Specifically, the park is looking for any photos that show the soda fountain counter and stools in what was known … Continue reading Painted Desert Inn photos wanted
Grand Canyon Park marks 90th anniversary
The Associated Press has a story about the Grand Canyon celebrating its 90th anniversary as a national park. Some highlights of the article: The park was declared several years before Arizona became a state. About 44,000 visited it the first year. Now, 4.5 million visit annually. The Grand Canyon isn't on Route 66, but is … Continue reading Grand Canyon Park marks 90th anniversary
A thorny situation in Seligman
Here's a thorny situation in the Route 66 town of Seligman, Ariz. According to the Arizona Republic, Cemex wants to build a big cement plant on the outskirts of town, thus creating jobs and boosting Seligman's tax base. But folks also are concerned that the plant will be a big-time polluter, fouling the air of … Continue reading A thorny situation in Seligman