Tulsa voters yesterday passed a third-penny sales-tax extension by a 2-to-1 margin. It was approved by an even greater margin than what a poll indicated a few weeks ago. Kudos to Tulsa residents for showing abundant good sense. (I would have reported this last night, but thunderstorms necessitated shutting down the home computer for a … Continue reading Tulsa easily passes third-penny extension
Category: Attractions
Sleeping with the stars (sort of)
Buck Wolf of ABC News has a list of places where you can sleep where movie and music stars once laid their heads. Two are on Route 66. One is at the Oatman Hotel in Oatman, Ariz., where Carole Lombard and Clark Gable honeymooned in 1939. It's Room 15, and it can be yours for … Continue reading Sleeping with the stars (sort of)
Please vote yes on Tulsa’s third-penny
Tuesday is an election in Tulsa to extend a third-penny sales tax for capital improvements throughout the city. It's not a sales-tax increase; it's an extension of the current third-penny sales tax that's in effect. The old third-penny is set to expire, and the election Tuesday will allow voters to decide whether to extend it, … Continue reading Please vote yes on Tulsa’s third-penny
New murals being painted in Barstow
The San Bernardino County Sun has a story about a volunteer group called Main Street Murals and its efforts along the main drag of Barstow, Calif. Already, colorful murals in the area of Main Street depict the image of William Barstow Strong, for whom the city is named; the historic Harvey House depot, built in … Continue reading New murals being painted in Barstow
Columnist tells of Missouri Route 66’s scenery
In the wake of Missouri's Route 66 being declared a scenic byway, columnist Hank Billings of the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader reflects on the scenery that once could be seen on the Mother Road.
About 700 participate in Arizona’s Fun Run
So much for high gas prices. The Kingman (Ariz.) Daily Miner reports that about 700 vehicles participated in the Arizona Route 66 Association's 19th annual Fun Run. I don't know whether that's a record, but such healthy participation indicates that people are willing to get their kicks, high pump prices or not.
Here’s to roadside kitsch
Columnist Tom Wharton of the Salt Lake Tribune expresses his fondness for the weird and wacky in roadside attractions: I love everything about driving the older parts of Route 66, especially some of the classic old motels still standing in places including Flagstaff, Ariz., and Gallup, N.M. Besides, where else can you stay these days … Continue reading Here’s to roadside kitsch
Acoma Sky City Center to open this month
When Route 66 travelers cruise through western New Mexico, one of the common stops just off the road is the amazing and beautiful Sky City of Acoma Pueblo. Today, the Gallup Independent reports that the news $10.4 million Sky City Cultural Center, which houses the Haaku Museum, is set to open May 27. The opening … Continue reading Acoma Sky City Center to open this month
Bottoms up for Pops
About 100 people showed up on a rainy Thursday in a tent on the western edge of Arcadia, Okla., to attend a groundbreaking Thursday for a new gas station on Route 66. But it’s not going to be just any gas station. It’s going to feature a 66-foot-tall soda bottle festooned with LED lights so … Continue reading Bottoms up for Pops
Parking fees coming to Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge that connects Madison, Ill., and north St. Louis, Ill., is part of an old alignment of Route 66. It's now used as part of a Trailnet walking and bicycling trail that connects the St. Louis Riverfront Trail and the MCT Confluence Trail. On Monday, Trailnet will begin fees of … Continue reading Parking fees coming to Old Chain of Rocks Bridge