Ron "Tattoo Man" Jones, an Oklahoma resident who sports dozens of Route 66-inspired tattoos on his body, will make an appearance Tuesday night in the History Channel's "Counting Cars" reality series. The 30-minute episode, titled "Get Your Kicks" (a common reference to the Mother Road), will air at 9 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday. The show's … Continue reading Tattoo Man to appear on “Counting Cars”
Category: People
Caretakers to Frontier Motel announced
The new owner of the Frontier Motel and Restaurant complex in Truxton, Ariz., announced on its Facebook page this week that two New Mexico residents -- Allen Greer and his fiancée Stacy Moores -- will become the historic Route 66 motel and cafe's managers. New Zealand resident Sam Murray, owner of Gilligan's Wild West Tours, announced … Continue reading Caretakers to Frontier Motel announced
Pete Seeger, R.I.P.
Folk singer and social activist Pete Seeger died Monday night in New York City hospital at age 94, according to various media outlets. We'll let the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers report about Seeger's impact on music and America in general, his triumphs and his controversies. One should remember that in addition to writing the … Continue reading Pete Seeger, R.I.P.
Another sign painter with a long history on Route 66
A few years ago, I tracked down Rudy Gonzales of Tucumcari, N.M., who hand-painted signs along the Route 66 corridor in the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico for five decades. Another sign painter has operated along Route 66 for about as long in eastern Arizona. According to an article in the Arizona Journal, Severo Barela of … Continue reading Another sign painter with a long history on Route 66
The man behind the Triangle Motel
KC Keefer's latest clip in his ongoing "Genuine Route 66 Life" series consists of an interview with Alan McNeil, owner of the long-closed Triangle Motel in Amarillo, Texas. https://youtu.be/P1D3I7h95Vw You have to give McNeil credit -- he keeps plugging away nearly eight years after he started and with not a lot of money in hand. A … Continue reading The man behind the Triangle Motel
Williams marijuana dispensary plans move to bigger building
The Route 66 Wellness Center, the only medical marijuana dispensary in the Route 66 town of Williams, Ariz., plans to move to a bigger facility behind its current building, according to the Williams-Grand Canyon News. Now the dispensary's owners hope to move to a site behind its existing building, to 324 E. Railroad Ave. "The … Continue reading Williams marijuana dispensary plans move to bigger building
Tai chi on the Mother Road
Personal trainer Dianna Dimmitt recently demonstrated TaijiFit -- a form of tai chi -- on a traffic island in the middle of Central Avenue (aka Route 66) in Albuquerque, near the Frontier Restaurant. https://youtu.be/Nw_xw_oyfck Dimmitt said on Twitter that no one yelled or tried to stop her during her performance. It's probably because if you … Continue reading Tai chi on the Mother Road
“American Giants,” Episode 8
Here is the eighth episode of Joel Baker's ongoing "American Giants" series about roadside fiberglass giants, also known as Muffler Men. https://youtu.be/nHZekubninc This episode covers the last of the Muffler Men in Chicago, including one extensively modified into a Frankenstein monster. Baker told me that the next episode will take place in Dodge City, Kan.
New sex-abuse lawsuit filed against Stanley Marsh 3
Seven anonymous men have filed a new lawsuit alleging sex abuse by Stanley Marsh 3, the proprietor of the Cadillac Ranch landmark and other whimsical art projects in the Amarillo area, reported the Amarillo Globe-News on Monday. The suit alleges that between November 2009 and June 2011 Marsh 3 enticed the teens with cash or … Continue reading New sex-abuse lawsuit filed against Stanley Marsh 3
Former owner of the Elms Motel of Miami dies
James Leonard Swinney Jr., the former owner of the long-gone Elms Motel on Route 66 in Miami, Okla., and son of the founder of the closed Swinney's Hardware on Route 66 in Tulsa, died at age 98 on Dec. 28 in Albuquerque, according to an obituary in the Grand Lake News in Oklahoma. Swinney owned … Continue reading Former owner of the Elms Motel of Miami dies