Scott Piotrowski recently uploaded a 20-minute documentary from 1998, "158 Miles to Yesterday," that he directed and produced. The film, shot in 16 mm film and uploaded from the VHS tape, examines the longest unbroken stretch of original Route 66 from in Arizona, from about Crookton Road to Topock. Now over 20 years old, the … Continue reading Scott Piotrowski’s “158 Miles to Yesterday” now on YouTube
Category: People
Joplin Hall of Fame athlete, restaurateur Gary “Cat” Johnson dies
Gary "Cat" Johnson, a former pro basketball player who returned to his hometown of Joplin, Missouri, to briefly open a Southern-cooking restaurant on Route 66, died Tuesday. He was 59. A friend of Cat Johnson's Taste of the South page on Facebook posted this message late Tuesday: According to the Joplin Globe, Johnson led Memorial … Continue reading Joplin Hall of Fame athlete, restaurateur Gary “Cat” Johnson dies
Buddhist monk walking much of Route 66
If you're in the western half of Route 66 and see what appears to be a orange-clad Buddhist monk walking on the side of the road, it probably because it is a Buddhist monk. The Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff caught up with Sutham Nateetong when he was in town last week. The Thai Buddhist … Continue reading Buddhist monk walking much of Route 66
“Almost Ghosts” documentary to premiere in U.S. in Arizona next month
The "Almost Ghosts" Route 66 documentary will have its U.S. premiere next month at the 28th Arizona International Film Festival. "Almost Ghosts," a film from Spain directed by Ana Ramon Rubio, will be screened at 6 p.m. April 18 at The Screening Room in Tucson, Arizona. It is an official selection of international documentaries in … Continue reading “Almost Ghosts” documentary to premiere in U.S. in Arizona next month
Hal Blaine, drummer on dozens of hit records, dies at 90
Hal Blaine, a member of the Los Angeles-based Wrecking Crew of studio musicians who played drums on thousands of songs during the 1960s and '70s, died Monday. He was 90. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member played on albums by Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, the … Continue reading Hal Blaine, drummer on dozens of hit records, dies at 90
The sad saga of the Western Scene Motel of Santa Fe
The Western Scene Motel, formerly the Western Holiday Motel, in Santa Fe likely would be struggling because of the motel's age and a glut of lodging in New Mexico's capital city. But as the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper describes it, the motel faces an even cloudier future because of a feud between two sects … Continue reading The sad saga of the Western Scene Motel of Santa Fe
Public TV station profiles writer Michael Wallis
RSU Public TV, based at Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma, recently completed this 25-minute profile in its "Perspective" series about author, actor and speaker Michael Wallis. Wallis remains best-known for two things -- writing the best-selling "Route 66: The Mother Road" that sparked the renaissance of the historic highway and providing the voice of … Continue reading Public TV station profiles writer Michael Wallis
Bob Lehman, co-owner of the Munger Moss Motel, dies
Bob Lehman, the longtime co-owner of the Route 66 landmark Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon, Missouri, died Thursday after a bout with cancer. He was 81. Bob and Ramona Lehman, who are Iowa natives, took possession of the Munger Moss Motel on June 1, 1971, after a fact-finding trip to Springfield, Missouri, to look for … Continue reading Bob Lehman, co-owner of the Munger Moss Motel, dies
See Michael Wallis, Desert California and Two Guns from early 1990s
A new batch of Anthony Reichardt films from the 1990s shows Two Guns, Arizona; a long stretch of Route 66 in the California desert to Oatman, Arizona; and Michael Wallis, author of the best-selling "Route 66: The Mother Road." Below is Wallis in 1993 during a meeting of the California Historic Route 66 Association at … Continue reading See Michael Wallis, Desert California and Two Guns from early 1990s
Launching Pad Drive-In likely will be fully open by April
The wait for the once-closed Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Illinois, to become a full-service restaurant again won't be much longer. When I asked the new owners, Tully Garrett and Holly Barker, by text when the Route 66 restaurant next to the famed Gemini Giant statue would be fully open, they replied: "Sometime in March no later … Continue reading Launching Pad Drive-In likely will be fully open by April