One of the fabled moments of Route 66 history was 1928's Transcontinental Foot Race, better known as the Bunion Derby. Going more than 3,200 miles from Los Angeles to New York City, it gave early publicity to the fledgling U.S. Highway 66 and provided fame and $25,000 in prize money to Oklahoma native Andy Payne, … Continue reading Event revives the Bunion Derby
Category: Books
Book about “Route 66” TV show has been revamped
James Rosin, who published a book about the "Route 66" television drama a few years ago, in mid-January published an extensively revised and augmented edition. "Route 66: The Television Series" (286 pages, softcover, Autumn Road, $21.95) contains about 100 more pages than its 2007 predecessor. (A review of the first book can be read here.) … Continue reading Book about “Route 66” TV show has been revamped
Newest edition of Dining and Lodging Guide is out
In the mail Monday, we received a copy of the 15th edition of the "Route 66 Dining & Lodging Guide," published by the National Historic Route 66 Federation. According to federation Executive Director David Knudson, the newest edition contains 48 additional pages (for a total of 166), is printed on better-quality paper, and boasts 200 … Continue reading Newest edition of Dining and Lodging Guide is out
Longtime Route 66 researchers endorse GPS product
Longtime Route 66 researchers Jim Ross and Jerry McClanahan have endorsed the "Route 66 Attractions" global-positioning system download that became available in December for Nuvi, Zumu, Oregon, Dakota, or StreetPilot GPS units by Garmin. This is a nice coup for the GPS program. Ross and McClanahan developed the popular "Here It Is!" map series for Route … Continue reading Longtime Route 66 researchers endorse GPS product
Book published on Mojave’s Route 66
Kevin Wong, a photographer based in Joshua Tree, Calif., who sought to create a book about Route 66 in the California desert, has just published "Route 66: The Mojave Experience." The 40-page, full-color photograph book retails for $29.95, and can be ordered here. A description of the book from the author: Unlike many books which … Continue reading Book published on Mojave’s Route 66
Cahokia Mounds featured in National Geographic
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, located on an older alignment of Route 66 near Collinsville, Ill., is featured in an excellent article in the current issue of National Geographic. The story reportedly has boosted number of visitors at Cahokia Mounds and prompted a follow-up story by the Suburban Journals of St. Louis. The National Geographic article … Continue reading Cahokia Mounds featured in National Geographic
British author sets novel in Tucumcari, Route 66
Brendan Yates, an BBC researcher based in Manchester, England, has written a novel that's set on Route 66 and the town of Tucumcari, N.M. Several retail websites are not carrying a street date for the book yet, but it is available for pre-order in the United Kingdom. According to an article in the Quay County … Continue reading British author sets novel in Tucumcari, Route 66
Crossroads at the crossroads
Sandy Clark, a Dine on Our Dime columnist for the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader, reviewed a restaurant off old Route 66 that's flown under our radar. It's the Crossroads Restaurant, on the crossroads of Missouri Highway 96 (old Route 66) and Missouri 39, behind an old gas station. It's listed in some directories as being in … Continue reading Crossroads at the crossroads
DVD review: “Route 66: Ten Years After”
The documentary "Route 66: Ten Years After" was meant as a travelogue. But, unexpectedly, this flawed but fascinating 52-minute film winds up also as an emotional journey. In 1999, veteran writer Tim Steil and young photographer Jim Luning traveled together from Chicago to Santa Monica to gather material for a new Motorbooks International publication. The … Continue reading DVD review: “Route 66: Ten Years After”
“Travels with Charley” is deemed fiction
Bill Steigerwald, a writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, did some research and retraced the cross-country journey recounted in John Steinbeck's popular me-and-my-dog road book, "Travels with Charley," and came to this conclusion: Steinbeck's nonfiction book actually is fiction. He made it up. The first part of Steigerwald's critique -- that Steinbeck's meetings with vividly colorful … Continue reading “Travels with Charley” is deemed fiction