Harley Russell, during the course of his entertaining and sometimes eccentric Mediocre Music Makers shows with wife Annabelle, will tell his audience, "Welcome to Erick, Oklahoma, the Redneck Capital of the World." But the Oklahoman newspaper, in a lighthearted article, reports that East Dublin, Ga., was bestowed the "redneck capital" title by the "Jeopardy" game … Continue reading Which town truly earns the “Redneck” title?
Category: Attractions
Joplin makes a case for Mickey Mantle Museum
Perhaps growing impatient at the slow progress of a Mickey Mantle Museum in his Route 66 hometown of Commerce, Oka., Joplin Globe guest columnist Scott Haar makes a pitch for putting the Mick museum in nearby Joplin, Mo., instead. I'm not persuaded by Maar's argument. I'd rather have the museum in Mantle's actual home state … Continue reading Joplin makes a case for Mickey Mantle Museum
Videos spotlight southwest Missouri and Kansas
The good folks at Route 66 TV Online tell us about two 25-minute films about Route 66 in southwest Missouri and Kansas filmed by Passport America, which is a site geared to RV users. If you don't mind sitting through the obligatory RV plugs, the videos are pretty good. They contain stories about the Joplin … Continue reading Videos spotlight southwest Missouri and Kansas
A new place to tee it up
The Stonebridge Golf Club recently opened in Claremore, Okla., at the intersection of Oklahoma 266 and old Route 66, reports WorldGolf.com. Award-winner Randy Heckenkemper designed the 6,510-yard course, and it's managed by Billy Casper Golf. Here's the golf club's Web site. The Tulsa area already is blessed with superb courses. Southern Hills Country Club has … Continue reading A new place to tee it up
Grand opening set for Elk City museum
The Route 66 Transportation Museum in Elk City, Okla., will have its grand opening Aug. 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. It's reportedly going to be a casual event, and Borden's ice cream will be served. The Transportation Museum is next-door to the town's National Route 66 Museum. Kathy Anderson, former president of the Oklahoma … Continue reading Grand opening set for Elk City museum
Fiction and fact
Eugene Baak of the Renaissance Boy Go! blog recently discovered that the Ramone's House of Body Art toy from in the "Cars" movie bears a strong resemblance to the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas. To show us, he displayed photos of both. Heck, I could have told you that. 😉
Flagstaff, land of … volcanoes?
Spud Hilton (yes, that's his name) of the San Francisco Chronicle decided to visit the Route 66 town of Flagstaff, Ariz., for a different reason than most tourists would -- he wanted to explore the region's volcanoes. Volcanoes? Yes, and not just a few of them, either. ... Flagstaff sits at the center of the … Continue reading Flagstaff, land of … volcanoes?
A new preservation target — barns
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that a group called the Illinois Barn Alliance is trying to preserve what's left of the state's historic barns. The group is encountering two problems. One, it's not sure how many old barns are even left in Illinois. Second, farmers tend to be a practical lot and often tear … Continue reading A new preservation target — barns
More meetings like this are needed
The Lincoln (Ill.) Courier has an article about a panel discussion concerning Route 66 in Lincoln and Illinois in general. Attending were representatives from the Illinois Bureau of Tourism, Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project. The Courier reported: The three women on Wednesday's panel explained that it's important for Route … Continue reading More meetings like this are needed
Onyx Mountain Caverns closes
Onyx Mountain Caverns, a tourist attraction for years near Route 66 in Pulaski County, Mo., closed about a month ago and has been sold to the U.S. Forest Service. "I lost my husband (Harry) about a year ago ... I didn't want to monkey with it anymore," said former co-owner Agnes Thiltgen, who's in her … Continue reading Onyx Mountain Caverns closes