Dale Bakke, a co-owner of the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, during a crucial time for the Route 66 landmark's preservation, died Jan. 4, a month short of his 61st birthday. Dale Bakke and his wife, Hilda, bought the motel in 1999, not long after owner Gene Shelton bought it from its longtime matriarch, Lillian Redman. … Continue reading Former co-owner of Blue Swallow Motel dies
Category: People
This shows why black people aren’t nostalgic about Route 66
Interest in the history of Route 66 largely is fueled by the memories of people who traveled the Mother Road from 1946 to the mid-1960s. It's nostalgia. Black people don't share nostalgia as enthusiastically. I surmised it was because Jim Crow laws kept African-Americans at least uncomfortable or, at worst, fearful for their lives until the civil-rights … Continue reading This shows why black people aren’t nostalgic about Route 66
Melba Rigg retires from Cars on the Route
Melba Rigg, one of the original four women of the 4 Women on the Route station in Galena, Kansas, before its name changed to Cars on the Route, announced her retirement over the weekend. Rigg wrote on a Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/melba.rigg/posts/944043785674648 This video by KC Keefer on his Genuine Route 66 Life video series interviewed Rigg couple … Continue reading Melba Rigg retires from Cars on the Route
A profile of Bagdad Cafe’s owner
A lot of people -- especially Europeans -- know about the Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs, California, and its draw as the setting for the 1987 film "Bagdad Cafe." But not many know about Andree Pruett, owner of the Route 66 restaurant for about 20 years. The Victorville Daily Press published a profile of Pruett. … Continue reading A profile of Bagdad Cafe’s owner
Natalie Cole, R.I.P.
Natalie Cole, a daughter of music legend Nat King Cole who became a music star in her own right, died Thursday of heart failure. She was 65. Cole earned several platinum albums and nine Grammy awards during her career, but she probably will be best known for her smash-hit "Unforgettable" album, where studio wizardry allowed her to … Continue reading Natalie Cole, R.I.P.
Jim Hinckley presentation will help neon-sign initiative
Author Jim Hinckley of Kingman, Arizona, has done his share of tours and presentations about the history of Route 66. However, at 5 p.m. Jan. 16, the proceeds from his "Armchair Tour Along Route 66 -- The Main Street of America" at Beale Celebrations in Kingman and a walking tour in downtown will benefit the … Continue reading Jim Hinckley presentation will help neon-sign initiative
A New Year’s greeting from the Kocevars
Frank and Lynne Kocevar, former owners of Historic Seligman Sundries in Seligman, Arizona, put together this video featuring a few Route 66 business owners and aficionados you might recognize. New Year 2016 from Route 66 Experience on Vimeo.
Gallup’s black eye
The Route 66 town of Gallup, New Mexico, again finds itself in the news -- this time, nationally -- after the Associated Press focused on the abnormal number of exposure deaths there during the winter months. The news service put together these facts: Fourteen people succumbed to the cold between October 2014 and April, setting the … Continue reading Gallup’s black eye
A Christmas card from the Kocevars
In what has become an annual Christmas tradition, Frank and Lynne Kocevar put together this video Christmas card from their home base in Arizona. The Kocevars, you may remember, are the former owners of Seligman Sundries in Seligman, Arizona. Christmas 2015 in Arizona from Route 66 Experience on Vimeo. Frank said many of the Christmas … Continue reading A Christmas card from the Kocevars
Needles group likely will help with military monuments
For almost five years, Jim and Starr Nickel have built rock monuments near Needles, California, dedicated to United States military branches. The monuments sit near the KOA campground at 5400 National Old Trails Road, an old alignment of Route 66. It appears the Needles Downtown Business Alliance will aid the couple in maintaining the monuments after its Jan. 7 … Continue reading Needles group likely will help with military monuments