Dean Walker, a Kansas Route 66 advocate and one of the inspirations for Mater in last summer's animated movie "Cars," will appear on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Wednesday. Prominent Route 66 author Michael Wallis, who's known Walker for years, said that Walker will do his turning-his-feet-backwards trick during an audience segment … Continue reading Dean Walker will appear on Leno
Category: Movies
Lightning meets Mater
The Joplin (Mo.) Globe published a story about four women who are refurbishing a former gas station on Route 66 in nearby Galena, Kan., into a tourism center. On Thursday, a family from Texas with a 1995 Mustang Cobra decked out to resemble Lightning McQueen from the 2006 animated movie "Cars" stopped by to visit … Continue reading Lightning meets Mater
Scenes from the festival
On Saturday afternoon, I took a walk at downtown Clinton, Okla., to check on the activity during the National Route 66 Festival. Inside the Frisco Center, Delbert Trew, who won the Route 66 Lifetime Achievement Award with his wife Ruth on Friday, is displaying one of the letters salvaged from "Rattlesnakes -- Exit Now" sign … Continue reading Scenes from the festival
Remaining drive-ins are thriving
Although there are just 400 drive-in movie theaters left in the country after a peak of about 4,000 five decades ago, the remaining ones are mostly thriving, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Among the survivors cited in the article are the Route 66 Drive-In in Springfield, Ill.; the Skyview Drive-In in Litchfield, Ill.; and the … Continue reading Remaining drive-ins are thriving
“Cars” the movie — one year later
On June 9, 2006, Disney/Pixar released the animated movie, "Cars." It became the second-biggest box-office hit of that year, grossing more than $400 million worldwide. Its four-wheeled characters in the lonely desert town of Radiator Springs earned many millions of dollars for Mattel and other toy companies. It earned two Golden Globes and was nominated … Continue reading “Cars” the movie — one year later
Slide show of Kansas Route 66 Parade
Emily went to last weekend's Kansas Route 66 Parade, which covered the length of Route 66 in Kansas and passed through Galena, Riverton and Baxter Springs. She assembled photographs that she shot into a slide show here, with accompaniment from Chuck Berry's "Maybellene." Included are many classic cars, Michael Wallis, and a couple of inspirations … Continue reading Slide show of Kansas Route 66 Parade
Let’s go for a drive …
... and let John Mayer provide the soundtrack.
Another convert
YouTube contributor crack11974 writes: We started a cross country trip from Columbus, Ohio back home to San Diego, California. When we hit Route 66 territory in Oklahoma, we became obsessed with old 66 and the drive soon became a tour off the freeway seeing everything we could see on Old 66. Here is the video, … Continue reading Another convert
It was one year ago today …
One year ago today, Disney-Pixar released a new animated movie, "Cars." The movie starred Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Bonnie Hunt, George Carlin and Cheech Marin. The film had another star that wasn't listed on marquees, but loomed large -- Route 66. The film grossed $460 million worldwide, won two Golden Globes … Continue reading It was one year ago today …
Former Best Western Trade Winds motel owner dies
On Saturday, I received word from prominent Route 66 author Michael Wallis that Walter "Doc" Mason, former owner of the fabled Best Western Trade Winds Motor Hotel in Clinton, Okla., has died. The Trade Winds is best-known for hosting Elvis Presley for at least four overnight stays during his occasional cross-country drives from Memphis to … Continue reading Former Best Western Trade Winds motel owner dies