The Duluth (Minn.) News-Tribune has an interesting story about how two Wisconsin towns survived when U.S. 53 bypassed them. The story starts by comparing them to the fictional Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. In "Cars," the latest big-screen creation from Pixar and Walt Disney, a new highway bypasses a dusty desert town called Radiator … Continue reading How two towns survived the bypass
Category: Businesses
A history through postcards
The Alibi, which is an alternative newspaper in Albuquerque, reports that there is a "Route 66 Through Albuquerque: A Postcard History" exhibit at the Special Collections Library at 423 Central Ave. NE through Aug. 26. Alibi staffer Steven Robert Allen writes: The highlight is a display of vintage Albuquerque postcards mounted beside captions explaining their … Continue reading A history through postcards
Love the Luna Cafe
I started missing the Luna Cafe in the Route 66 settlement of Mitchell, Ill., as soon as I read this first paragraph from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch story: Any time you walk into a bar with Bob Seger playing on the jukebox, you have a pretty good idea of the ambience. Luna Cafe doesn't disappoint, … Continue reading Love the Luna Cafe
Pub opening on Route 66 of Albuquerque
Yeah, I can hear the reactions to that headline. "A bar is opening? So what?" But as Chantal of Duke City Fix wrote earlier, this is different, with higher stakes for Albuquerque and Central Avenue, aka Route 66. O'Niell's Irish Pub is located on the east side of the Nob Hill district, which is distinctly … Continue reading Pub opening on Route 66 of Albuquerque
Tulsa Monument Co. building is safe
There was some fear when a monument company that occupied that historic, Art Deco-designed Tulsa Monument Co. building at 1735 E. 11th St., aka Route 66, moved out a few weeks ago at the behest of the landlord. What would be the future of that landmark building? Not to fear -- the building is safe. … Continue reading Tulsa Monument Co. building is safe
A criticism of “Cars”
A critique of the movie "Cars" has just been posted by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, which describes its mission as to "restore a high place for theory in economics and the social sciences, encourage a revival of critical historical research, and draw attention to neglected traditions in Western philosophy." The argument presented by the … Continue reading A criticism of “Cars”
Wrink’s Market will reopen
March 16, 2005, was a sad day for many Route 66ers. That was the day that Glenn Wrinkle, longtime owner of Wrink's Food Market on old Route 66 in Lebanon, Mo., died at age 82. Wrinkle opened his store in 1950 and ran it until shortly before his death. I met him once, and he … Continue reading Wrink’s Market will reopen
Notes from the road
Here's a few odds 'n' ends I collected during our journey from Tulsa to Albuquerque and back for the Route 66 festival: We've seen a marked decline in Clines Corners, the Route 66 stop that dates to 1937. In the last couple of years we've visited there, prices on merchandise have gone up while the … Continue reading Notes from the road
Albuquerque considering sign-size limits
The Albuquerque Tribune reports that the city is drafting a proposal to limit the size of free-standing signs in the city. Those that are over the proposed size limit of 5 feet in height would have 10 years to replace them. Fortunately, there's this item in the story: Details being worked on include how to … Continue reading Albuquerque considering sign-size limits
Advice for future host hotels
I spent a night at the Hotel Albuquerque, which was the host hotel of the Route 66 Festival. Based on what I saw and heard, I have advice for future hotel hosts of Route 66 festivals: If you have to shut down an elevator for cosmetic remodeling, please do it at a time when dozens … Continue reading Advice for future host hotels