A lot has been going on lately. I'll try to summarize the goings-on as best as I can: A tentative opening date of May 20 has been set for the Boothill Saloon and Grill in Vega, Texas. That's the new restaurant owned by Rory Schepisi, a runner-up in CMT's "Popularity Contest" reality show. She's also … Continue reading Mother Road news and notes
Category: Attractions
New lodging in Lincoln
Route 66 travelers soon will have a new option for overnight sleeping in Lincoln, Ill. It's the Windswept Manor bed-and-breakfast, and it opens for business on Friday, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph. The Windswept Manor is at 227 N. Logan in Lincoln (map here). It's on a 1926-40 alignment of Route 66, which goes more through … Continue reading New lodging in Lincoln
Arizona kicks
Mike Di Paola of Bloomberg News drives down Route 66 in Arizona, focusing on the vintage 150-mile stretch of the Mother Road in the western third of the state and the town of Seligman. Check it out.
Blue Whale changes owners
The Blue Whale in Catoosa, Okla., a Route 66 landmark for over 35 years, changes owners effective today. Owner and caretaker Blaine Davis has transferred ownership to his brother-in-law, Dick Belt. "He intends to leave everything as it is," Davis said of his brother-in-law. "It's just a transfer of the estate. I'm not getting any … Continue reading Blue Whale changes owners
Seat belts … yum
This very strange story from the Associated Press tells how the Cadillac Ranch west of Amarillo, Texas, was supposed to be used for a photo shoot by the Texas Department of Transportation to promote the use of seat-belt use. But a llama on the premises chewed up part of the Styrofoam seat belt that was … Continue reading Seat belts … yum
Bowling for peace
Richard Branaman has a vision. He wants to build a 21-foot-tall pyramid made of 8,400 bowling balls, set atop a 77-foot-tall concrete quasi-tripod. It's called the World Peace Monument, and he wants it in the middle of a traffic circle at Mingo Road and Admiral Place (aka Route 66) in Tulsa, reports the Tulsa World. … Continue reading Bowling for peace
Canyon views and music
The Route 66 Road Musical has posted yet another video, this time of the awesome views of the Grand Canyon. The footage of the eagle soaring over the chasm is excellent, too. Natalie Merchant's "Motherland" is in the first half of the video. The second half is the atmospheric music of Arizona band Calexico.
Palms Grill sign relighted
The old neon sign of the Palms Grill in downtown Atlanta, Ill., was relighted in a ceremony this week, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph. The sign was restored in part with a grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. The newspaper didn't have any photos of the new sign, but here's an artist's rendering. The … Continue reading Palms Grill sign relighted
Tractor tippin’ or Combine Ranch?
It appears to be a mix of both, actually. Richard Etchells recently posted these photos on the Route 66 yahoogroup of what appear to be harvesters planted into the ground at an angle. This is a few miles south of Route 66 near Amarillo, Texas. It appears to be a homage to the "tractor tippin'" … Continue reading Tractor tippin’ or Combine Ranch?
More money for The Mick
A recent banquet in Commerce, Okla., to raise money for a statue and other attractions paying tribute to native son and Baseball Hall-of-Famer Mickey Mantle cleared about $12,000 in profit, reported the Miami (Okla.) News-Record. More than 350 people attended the event. I'm certain the appearance of Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins drew a … Continue reading More money for The Mick