Tucumcari, N.M., is betting that another horse-racing license will come open in the next two years and has decided to keep its option on purchasing land between Interstate 40 and Route 66, reports the Quay County Sun. Tucumcari lobbied hard last year to get the racetrack, but the state awarded the license to Raton, N.M. … Continue reading Tucumcari may make another bet on racetrack
Category: Businesses
The mother of sucker traps, Part 2
Here's the second part of Car and Driver magazine columnist Patrick Bedard's interview with a longtime gas station owner on Route 66 in Williams, Ariz., and the car-repair scams that his employees foisted on the public for decades. An excerpt: My mind leaps to the possibilities. (“Sir, your radiator is leaking real bad!”) It would … Continue reading The mother of sucker traps, Part 2
Sights along the Southwest
Here's a couple's video of them touring Route 66 in Arizona and New Mexico. I like it because it contains footage beyond the usual vacation fare (checking out a well-stocked Mexican grocery in Albuquerque, for instance). And the 1970s song "Afternoon Delight" seems appropriate with the New Mexican landscape.
Blue Dome to house Tulsa trolley operations
T-Town Trolley, a transportation system that takes passengers around Tulsa's entertainment districts, is moving its operations into the historic Blue Dome gas station on Route 66 in downtown Tulsa, reports the Journal Record. [Blake] Lund is meeting with interior designers to help spruce up the inside, but the building will retain its original structure. “We … Continue reading Blue Dome to house Tulsa trolley operations
“Race to the Rocker” footrace set for April
A four-mile "Race to the Rocker" footrace is scheduled on Route 66 in and west of Cuba, Mo., at 9 a.m. April 4. The inaugural race starts at Britton Funeral Home in Cuba and ends at Fanning 66 Outpost General Store, home of the proclaimed World's Largest Rocker. The race is sponsored by the store … Continue reading “Race to the Rocker” footrace set for April
Update on Bristow Motor Co. fire
A month ago, a fire that started in the repair-shop area of Bolin Ford in Bristow, Okla., was believed to have destroyed the historic Bristow Motor Co. building that was part of the complex. For reasons that are too boring to recount here, I wasn't able to check the scene until Sunday. What I saw … Continue reading Update on Bristow Motor Co. fire
Only in America
Here's a letter to the editor by Larry Matulich, which was printed in the Marysville (Calif.) Appeal-Democrat: Is there still a Ford in America’s future? Not only is the question for one American car company, it goes for GM and Chrysler too. The future of American truck and car brands like Ford, Chevy and Dodge, … Continue reading Only in America
Craft sales help Indian families
If you're itching to buy American Indian jewelry or crafts and won't be able to soon travel Route 66 to the desert Southwest to buy them, you ought to look at getting them by mail order from the Southwest Indian Foundation. This article by the Associated Press lays out the reasons why: When Margie Lee's … Continue reading Craft sales help Indian families
The mother of sucker traps
Car and Driver magazine columnist Patrick Bedard got a longtime gas-station owner on Route 66 in Williams, Ariz., to come clean about repair scams his crew foisted on travelers for decades. The fellow's name is Roy Killinsworth, 78, who started with a Tidewater Oil Co. station in the early 1960s and eventually had a Chevron. … Continue reading The mother of sucker traps
End of an era approaches
Thanks to some regular readers, we were the first to report the impending closure of the Riviera Road House in Gardner, Ill. Today, the Joliet Herald News has some more details about the Riviera's colorful history and why co-owners Bob and Peggy Kraft are shutting it down after Jan. 2.