Chicago Sun-Times writer Dave Hoekstra, a longtime supporter of Route 66, tells about some of the Mother Road's favorite dining haunts from Chicago to St. Louis. Hoekstra focuses first on Scotty's Route 66 Restaurant and Bar in Hamel, Ill. But he also gives detailed shout-outs to Lou Mitchell's in Chicago, Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket in … Continue reading Dining & driving on Route 66 in the Midwest
Category: History
Tulsa’s retro guide to cool
Urban Tulsa, which is that city's alternative weekly, points out some of the best ways to keep cool in Oklahoma's notorious summer heat with a 1950s and '60s flair. Many of these escapes are on old Route 66. For movie-watching, there is the circa 1951 Admiral Twin Drive-In and the restored, circa 1928 Circle Cinema. … Continue reading Tulsa’s retro guide to cool
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
Farm disappears; Magic Lamp Inn keeps going
The Inland Press-Enterprise has a story about Anthony Vernola, owner of the landmark Magic Lamp Inn along Route 66 in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The Vernola family is having a shopping development in Mira Loma named after them. Anthony Vernola's father ran a farm in that area; the farm, like many others, is now long-gone because … Continue reading Farm disappears; Magic Lamp Inn keeps going
DVD shows Route 66 from different era
A new Route 66 documentary, "Old-Fashioned Fun on Route 66," contains familiar sights and sounds of the current Mother Road. But what's remarkable about it is it also contains rare film footage from the road's golden era. In the 1940s and '50s, Patricia and Judy Larry's family had an 8mm motion-picture camera and used it. … Continue reading DVD shows Route 66 from different era
Write to help the Southwest Museum
The Southwest Museum of the American Indian is just off Route 66 and is the oldest museum in Los Angeles, dating to 1913. Some controlling interests want to move the museum's contents to another site; American Indians and other museum advocates want the artifacts to stay where they are. For more background on this complicated … Continue reading Write to help the Southwest Museum
Route 66 Lost and Found, Vol. 2
The new second installment of Russell A. Olsen's "Route 66 Lost and Found" book (160 pages, $32) made me realize how far the renaissance of the Mother Road has come and how very far it still has to go. For those who are unfamiliar with his books, Olsen finds vintage photographs of businesses along Route … Continue reading Route 66 Lost and Found, Vol. 2
Historic Route 66 theatre will reopen
The Gillioz Theatre in Springfield, Mo., opened on Route 66 on Oct. 12, 1926 -- one day after Route 66 was given its name. The Gillioz, which is on the St. Louis Street alignment of Route 66, is set to reopen exactly 80 years after its opening night, after more than 16 years and $10 … Continue reading Historic Route 66 theatre will reopen
New “Our Town” video
It's not officially sanctioned by Pixar or Disney. But I think Scott Leitner's new sideshow to go with the James Taylor song on the "Cars" soundtrack, "Our Town," is certainly relevant and is quite moving. You can view it here. A Windows Media player is required, and it's a big file (22 MGs).
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”