Rugby player rolls down 66

If you see a big, scruffy-looking guy with a Triumph motorcycle and an English accent on the Mother Road, it just might be rugby star and World Cup winner Steve Thompson, according to the Daily Mail in London. The 31-year-old is tackling the fabled Route 66 on a Triumph motorbike which has been parked outside … Continue reading Rugby player rolls down 66

Hiking for his fellow soldiers

Iraq War veteran Troy Yocum is hiking a small part of Route 66 during his cross-country quest to raise money for Soldiers’ Angels, a charity that provides financial aid to military families, according to the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph. Yocum was hiking south and banging his drum on old Route 66 to Pontiac, Ill., on Monday, … Continue reading Hiking for his fellow soldiers

Nat King Cole revisits an old hit

Yes, it is Nat King Cole, and, yes, it is "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66." But there are subtle differences. I'll let Nocaro, the person who posted this to YouTube, explain: The Nat King Cole Trio was the first to record this Bobby Troup tune on March 15, 1946, and almost fifteen years to … Continue reading Nat King Cole revisits an old hit

Spirit of America and Route 66

Here's a good video that stars a patriotically decked out 1967 Corvette Stingray and Angel "Guardian of Route 66" Delgadillo.

The unseen “Route 66” TV pilot

Take a few seconds to watch this clip below. It'll look familiar, then you'll see something you won't expect: OK ... so roadies probably know that Dan Cortese and James Wilder co-starred in a short-lived television remake of "Route 66" in 1993. But those two aren't Cortese or Wilder. The description of the clip provides … Continue reading The unseen “Route 66” TV pilot

Michael Wallis elected to Tulsa Hall of Fame

Michael Wallis, author of the seminal "Route 66: The Mother Road" and 14 other nonfiction books, was elected to the Class of 2010 for the Tulsa Hall of Fame, according to an article in the Tulsa World today. "Route 66: The Mother Road" became a best-selling book shortly after it was published in 1992 and … Continue reading Michael Wallis elected to Tulsa Hall of Fame

Salute to a Mother Road advocate

A flattering profile was written by Layne Rider of FavoriteRoad.com about longtime Route 66 champion Jim Conkle. Conkle is chairman of the Preservation for Historic Roads and Corridors, the Route 66 Preservation Foundation, the Route 66 Alliance, Highway 99 Alliance, and general manager and editor of the Route 66 Pulse newspaper. But it was Conkle's … Continue reading Salute to a Mother Road advocate

“Rawhide” was once filmed in Tucumcari area

"Rawhide," the TV western that helped launch the long career of Clint Eastwood, used the Route 66 town of Tucumcari, N.M., as a base to film five episodes in 1959, according to a story in the Quay County Sun. If you have fuzzy memories of "Rawhide," this might jolt your brain: The Sun reports: Actors … Continue reading “Rawhide” was once filmed in Tucumcari area

Walking in the name of fallen police

The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader tells about three men -- one of them an Evansville, Ind., cop -- walking in cities from Evansville to Santa Monica, Calif., as part of Relay for a Cause Route 66 "to honor the nearly 19,000 officers across the United States that have given the ultimate sacrifice for our safety." The … Continue reading Walking in the name of fallen police

One long bicycle trip

Claudia Heller, in her ongoing series about Route 66 in Southern California, tells the story of Dan Hyke, who bicycled part of Route 66 and beyond from Santa Monica, Calif., to Virginia Beach, Va., in 1982. Hyke was moved to try the cross-country feat after the death of his father. Averaging a little less than … Continue reading One long bicycle trip