Rafael Rachael Alvarez, a contributor to the Christian Science Monitor, pays a visit to Sallisaw, Okla., the home base for the fictional Joad family in the John Steinbeck novel that takes place on Route 66, "The Grapes of Wrath." The first striking observation that Alvarez makes is the recession hasn't hit Oklahoma as hard as … Continue reading A visit to the Joads’ hometown
Category: Books
A life less ordinary
I've read quite a few book reviews of Michael Zadoorian's Route 66 road-trip novel, "The Leisure Seeker." This one from Dan DeWitt of the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times is the best yet. DeWitt's observations about "ordinary, decent" Midwest couples in particular rang true -- especially to a native Midwesterner such as me. For my take … Continue reading A life less ordinary
Riding with Tricky Dick
Ed Nixon, the youngest brother of the late President Richard Nixon, has just published a book, "The Nixons: A Family Portrait." Ed Nixon is plugging the book, and a report in the Everett (Wash.) Herald has an interesting aside during an interview with him: Of all his memories, none were told with more delight than … Continue reading Riding with Tricky Dick
Sign of the times
From an op-ed piece by Rachel Dry in the Washington Post: Seventy years after John Steinbeck published his best-selling tale of the Joad family's journey from Oklahoma to California along Route 66, "The Grapes of Wrath," required reading that never really went out of style, is suddenly in high demand. At the National Endowment for … Continue reading Sign of the times
Notes from the road
We went on a brief trip from Tulsa to Tucumcari, N.M., over the weekend. Here are a few notes from that trip: The Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas, has printed a new edition of "Ugly Crust Pies," a collection of favorite recipes from the restaurant. It's a color, spiral-bound cookbook that goes for $13.99 in … Continue reading Notes from the road
Book review: “Roadside USA: Route 66 and Beyond”
"Roadside USA: Route 66 and Beyond" by Shellee Graham and Jim Ross (64 pages, Ghost Town Press, $10.95) isn't strictly a book as much as a bound collection of their vibrant travel photographs in postcard form. The 30 postcards are detachable from the binding so you can mail them to friends and family. However, "Roadside … Continue reading Book review: “Roadside USA: Route 66 and Beyond”
Scout, R.I.P.
Scout, a beloved female rat terrier that had accompanied Redforkhippie and me on several trips on Route 66 and other highways, died Friday at age 10 after a months-long bout with cancer. Her tribute to Scout is a slide show here, along with a blog post. Scout inspired a Web site, Kids on 66, with … Continue reading Scout, R.I.P.
Smithsonian takes a dour look at the Mother Road
Megan Gambino in the March issue of Smithsonian magazine takes a somewhat dour look at the Mother Road. Here's an excerpt: Writing about the Joad family's journey from the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma to the promised land of California in The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck famously called Route 66 the "mother road." But today … Continue reading Smithsonian takes a dour look at the Mother Road
Lonely Planet to issue new guidebooks
The Lonely Planet, long respected in the travel industry, is launching a new series of guidebooks next month called "Trips." And one of them includes Route 66 as an itinerary, according to the Associated Press. The first six titles in the series are "California," "Pacific Northwest," "Arizona, New Mexico & the Grand Canyon," "New York, … Continue reading Lonely Planet to issue new guidebooks
Director lined up for film version of “The Leisure Seeker”
That didn't take long. Less than a month after Michael Zadoorian's Route 66 road-trip book, "The Leisure Seeker," was published, the Hollywood Reporter says that Jens Jonsson has been enlisted to write and direct the film version for Sharp Independent. The film is expected to follow in the footsteps of a number of recent hits … Continue reading Director lined up for film version of “The Leisure Seeker”