New Operation Route 66 trailer

A new trailer for Operation Route 66, which will raise funds in May 2012 for U.S. veterans of the Middle East wars, was posted a few hours ago: https://vimeo.com/33673314 More about this charity road trip can be found here. I'm nearly 100 percent certain the narrator is "Route 66: The Mother Road" author Michael Wallis. It … Continue reading New Operation Route 66 trailer

Tribute to Bob Waldmire

This video popped up in my YouTube feed today, and it hit me like a ton of bricks, especially the last 30 seconds or so. https://youtu.be/IwY5GmoXUYE In case you're new to the site, here's more about Bob Waldmire. We're fast approaching the second anniversary of Waldmire's death from abdominal cancer on Dec. 16, 2009. The … Continue reading Tribute to Bob Waldmire

Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame seeks 2012 nominations

The Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame Committee is seeking nominations of people, attractions, businesses, and events for its Class of 2012, according to a recent news release. The Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame, based in Pontiac, will be accepting applications for the honors between Jan. 1 and Feb. 28. The release says: To … Continue reading Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame seeks 2012 nominations

Bottletree Ranch featured in L.A. Times

Elmer Long's Bottletree Ranch along Route 66 near Oro Grande, Calif., is so unusual, it seemed inevitable the Los Angeles Times would come calling. And it has. And an interesting admission by Long: By his own account, Long was once judgmental of people, easy to anger, a man who settled scores. But a decade of … Continue reading Bottletree Ranch featured in L.A. Times

Time to groom some heirs

Esley Hamilton, historian for St. Louis County and a longtime preservation advocate, likely will be forced to retire soon because of budget cuts to the county's parks department, according to a story Wednesday in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Hamilton has been a tireless champion for historic structures in St. Louis, including at least one notable … Continue reading Time to groom some heirs

British celebrity couple is traveling Route 66

A celebrity couple from Great Britain is traveling on a portion of the Mother Road for three weeks, according to a story in The Daily Mirror of London. Jason Orange, a member of the UK-based pop band Take That, and British comedian Catherine Tate reportedly are dating, and decided to take some time together on … Continue reading British celebrity couple is traveling Route 66

A tourism director worth watching

Those who are in charge of chambers of commerce on Route 66 probably should observe closely the guy who's just been hired for the same sort of job in Springfield, Ill. -- Fred Puglia. Puglia still needs City Council approval to be named chief of the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. But, rest assured, the … Continue reading A tourism director worth watching

“My Dad’s car”

I've been seeing a wonderful Chevrolet commercial in recent days, about two sons who tracked down their father's 1965 Impala and bought it back for him. Here's the extended video of that moment: https://youtu.be/bz-nO6WvOYw Chevrolet.com posted some of the back story behind the video: In the fall of 1964, Herb Younger bought a brand-new Chevy … Continue reading “My Dad’s car”

Group plans Route 66 trip to raise funds, awareness for veterans

Operation Route 66 is planning a Route 66 trip in the May 2012 to raise funds and awareness for U.S. veterans of the Middle East wars. Appropriately enough, the website for this effort launched today, Veterans Day. Here a video that explains the project: https://vimeo.com/28799828 The website says: The mission of Operation Route 66 is to … Continue reading Group plans Route 66 trip to raise funds, awareness for veterans

Veterans Day tribute 2011

Here is a list of military personnel from Route 66 towns who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq. I’ve also added informative links to each of the fallen, wherever possible. Although the Iraq conflict is winding down, U.S. soldiers are still fighting in Afghanistan. In fact, this was a very bad summer for Oklahoma National … Continue reading Veterans Day tribute 2011