It's always a treat to visit to Henry's Rabbit Ranch, located on old Route 66 in Staunton, Ill. Not only is proprieter Rich Henry an affable host, but it's fun to pet the ever-mellow Montana, one of his 37 pet rabbits, and see the new stuff Henry has acquired or planned. Henry's has a well-stocked … Continue reading Down at the ol’ Rabbit Ranch
Category: People
“Guy with the horns” dies
Arlen Strehlow's name probably doesn't ring a bell for most people. It probably wouldn't even jolt memories for many of his fellow Harley-Davidson motorcycle riders. However, Harley owners knew of him because of his look -- wearing a helmet fitted with a pair of outlandishly long Texas longhorns. He was known as "The Guy with … Continue reading “Guy with the horns” dies
“I Have a Dream”
This is the full version of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963. So what does King have to do with Route 66? Well, there's this passage: There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" [...] We can never be satisfied as … Continue reading “I Have a Dream”
The mother of “The Mother Road”
Remember last summer's PBS-TV documentary, "The Mother Road," where filmmaker Lauren Cardillo and her mother, Irene, traveled Route 66? The Cape Cod (Mass.) Chronicle interviewed Irene shortly before a re-airing of the one-hour program this Sunday on a local station. The story contains quite a bit of background about the film, which was originally shot … Continue reading The mother of “The Mother Road”
A death in the family
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch today tells the tragic story George F. "Fred" Kiesel. Kiesel lived in one of the rooms at the Wayside Motel, one of the few surviving vintage motels along old Route 66 in the suburb of Marlborough. The Wayside is across the road from the famed Coral Court Motel, which was torn … Continue reading A death in the family
Live chat with the Cancer Rider
American Road magazine is going to have a live Internet chat at 8 p.m. EST Jan. 14 with Michelle Thompson, the woman who recently cycled Route 66 to raise awareness of oral cancer and raise funds for her stricken brother. To participate or read the comments, you have to go to this site, then click … Continue reading Live chat with the Cancer Rider
Ring was lost; now it’s found
Here's a story from the Tulsa World that involves the iconic Blue Whale of Catoosa, Okla., on Route 66. A woman lost her class ring at the site in the early 1970s, when the Blue Whale was still a swimming hole. She searched for it at least one time, but assumed it was gone for … Continue reading Ring was lost; now it’s found
Life can provide kicks, too
A few days ago, Staci Sturrock of the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post wrote about her obsession with Route 66, Abraham Lincoln and finding true love, in no particular order. The article's a bit self-indulgent, but so is this site at times. 😉 So go read it, and let Sturrock take you on a ride.
Bent Door update
I e-mailed Ramona Kiewert, asking them how she and her husband, Roy, were coming on their plans of moving from Nacogdoches, Texas, to Adrian, Texas, so they could restore and reopen the historic Bent Door. The Kiewerts bought the long-closed Route 66 business last summer. Here is what she told me: We haven't moved as … Continue reading Bent Door update
A thank-you from the Cancer Rider
Now that she's had a couple of days of rest from her cross-country bicycle trip on Route 66, Michelle Thompson has posted her post-ride thoughts and thank-yous on her Web site.