Timothy O'Grady of The Observer in London writes about his driving journey through the American Southwest, much of it on Route 66. Among the places featured in the story is the Route 66 Motel in Barstow, Calif., and the Monte Vista Hotel in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Category: Road trips
Fodor’s “Essential USA” a disappointment
On Wednesday, I received a copy of Fodor's "Essential USA" (688 pages, $21.95), which is subtitled "Spectacular Cities, Natural Wonders and Great American Road Trips." I requested the book from Fodor's because of this description: The book includes classic road trip itineraries like Route 66 and the Pacific Coast Highway, where to stay and eat … Continue reading Fodor’s “Essential USA” a disappointment
“Culinary zen”
Kevin Sheedy of the Wichita (Kan.) Eagle and his wife, inspired by a recent Food Network episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," went from Wichita to Stroud, Okla. Two Route 66 restaurants -- Cafe on the Route in Baxter Springs, Kan., and the Rock Cafe in Stroud -- were the highlights of their trip. On … Continue reading “Culinary zen”
Scenes from the Route 66 Festival
Here are a few shots I gathered at the Route 66 Festival on Saturday in Litchfield, Ill. More photographs by other bloggers at the festival can be seen here and here. If you know of more, send me an e-mail and let me know. UPDATE: Here's more from Denny Gibson. Here's the car show, set … Continue reading Scenes from the Route 66 Festival
Are high gas prices hurting Route 66 tourism?
The answer seems to be: No. The Pontiac Daily Leader decided to check with the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac to see whether tourism numbers are down from a year ago, when gasoline cost about a $1-a-gallon less. This May, 1,238 people visited it, a 77 percent increase over the … Continue reading Are high gas prices hurting Route 66 tourism?
Checking in
This post comes from a clean, comfortable and inexpensive room at the Gardens Motel in Litchfield, Ill. We got into Litchfield not long after the sun began to dip low on the ripened wheat and sprouting horseradish fields. On the way, we found the concretes at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis are as … Continue reading Checking in
A view from across the pond
Here's an interesting view of Route 66 from Tony Collins of the Birmingham Mail in England. An excerpt: Interest began to grow following publication of a Route 66 book in the 1990s. But the scores of ordinary townsfolk dotted along its path are most indebted to 2006 animated movie Cars. In fact, my amazing two-week … Continue reading A view from across the pond
Virtual road trip
You can't yet travel from Chicago to Los Angeles down Route 66 via Google Street View. But at the rate it's going, it won't be long. Google Street View is a spectacular feature that offers 360-degree views at ground level. When first launched in May 2007, it had only five cities. Now, it's more than … Continue reading Virtual road trip
Arizona considers scenic trails to Grand Canyon
The state of Arizona is considering creating scenic trails from the Phoenix metro area to the Grand Canyon, reports the Arizona Republic. Naturally, such a trail would have to cross Route 66 at some point. One of the segments proposed hits the Route 66 town of Ash Fork. The idea is to create an alternate … Continue reading Arizona considers scenic trails to Grand Canyon
Super weird
From today's San Bernardino (Calif.) County Sun: Four Italian men from an international film crew were showered with a superheroic welcome Friday at the San Bernardino headquarters for Juan Pollo Restaurants as they stopped by the corporate offices and museums. Each was dressed as a comic-book hero.Decked in Robin, Captain America, Flash Gordon and Superman … Continue reading Super weird