Willem Bor of the Netherlands won't be in Lebanon, Mo., until June to dedicate his painstakingly detailed diorama of the old Nelson Tavern in the Lebanon/Laclede County Route 66 Society's museum. However, Bor made a video that shows how the Nelson Tavern diorama was done. Bor's Web site about his upcoming Route 66 trip is … Continue reading Remaking the Nelson Tavern
Category: People
Wich’s wabbits
The Alton (Ill.) Telegraph tells the tale of Rich Henry and his Henry's Rabbit Ranch, a favorite attraction for Route 66 travelers in Staunton, Ill., for years. Henry keeps several dozen rabbits on the premises as pets, and also keeps quite a bit of Route 66 memorabilia on display. Here's how the rabbit ranch started: … Continue reading Wich’s wabbits
Bob Waldmire’s last mural
A mural that was designed by recently deceased Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire for a gas station in Topock-Golden Shores, Ariz., was finished a few days ago. The mural of old Route 66 is on a replica 1970s Shell gas station on 12888 Oatman Highway (aka Route 66) owned by Ned Leuchtner, who also owns … Continue reading Bob Waldmire’s last mural
Notes from the road
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association is sponsoring a clean-up day on Saturday, April 17, at the old Ozark Trail section of Route 66 west of Sapulpa. This project is in conjunction with the Great American Cleanup and Keep Oklahoma Beautiful programs. Work will begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m. The association wants … Continue reading Notes from the road
French president, first lady want to cruise Route 66
Tucked into a story from Forbes.com about French President first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's visit to America this week is a snippet that caught my eye: The couple went around the room to greet each of their guests and spent about 10 minutes chatting with those in attendance. Bruni-Sarkozy charmed a group of besotted women, telling … Continue reading French president, first lady want to cruise Route 66
The way of Waldmire
A YouTube poster by the name of "dguerraphoto" just uploaded this moving short film about Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire, when he was dying of abdominal cancer in November. I commend it to your attention: I'll post more information about the filmmaker as soon as I get it. UPDATE: I got this message from the … Continue reading The way of Waldmire
Notes from the road
A final meeting for public comment will be Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Clinton Middle School in west Tulsa about the Route 66 Master Plan: Red Fork Streetscape Improvements, according to Greater Tulsa Reporter Newspapers. The project area includes Southwest Boulevard between 25th West Avenue and 27th West Avenue. [...] Citizens are welcome to comment … Continue reading Notes from the road
Footage from the past
A few days ago, the C-SPAN network announced it put all of its video archives online, dating back more than 20 years. The archive, which contains more than 160,000 hours of video, will be a boon for muckrakers. But considering that C-SPAN also gave plenty of air time to historians, I thought maybe some Route … Continue reading Footage from the past
A visit to the Grants Cafe
The Cibola County Beacon published an interesting feature about the Grants Cafe in Grants, N.M., which has been serving customers along Route 66 since 1949. And get this: The restaurant has had the same cook for more than 50 years, and the owner has been there more than 30. Alice Rose Johnson, a cook for … Continue reading A visit to the Grants Cafe
Quite a milestone
According a Reuters article, Ray Benson's Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel is making its 40th year this month. During a four-decade career, the band has earned nine Grammy Awards, launched a critically acclaimed theatrical production, performed with everyone from Willie Nelson to President Obama to the Fort Worth Symphony, released more than 25 … Continue reading Quite a milestone