Road correspondent Mark Potter reports that the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., has been returned to its original 1939 color scheme of blue. For many years, the motel was mostly of a coral color. Folks in Springfield, Mo., who are fighting the proposed relocation of Missouri 266, aka Route 66, in their town have … Continue reading Notes from the road
Category: Road trips
Another fundraiser on the road
Three men in their 60s from Pennsylvania are traveling Route 66 westward to San Bernardino, Calif., as a fundraiser for KidsVoice, an advocacy program for neglected or abused kids in Allegheny County, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The three have a plastic dinosaur mascot called Carnie that's tagging along for the ride. They take pictures of … Continue reading Another fundraiser on the road
“On the Road” again
On the 50th anniversary of the publication of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road," longtime roadie Dave Hoekstra of the Chicago Sun-Times takes a look at "On the Road: The Original Scroll," which contains the original text Kerouac typed during a caffeine-fueled marathon session. The never-before-published scroll anchors the second half of the book in one … Continue reading “On the Road” again
Return to the road
Last year, cancer survivor Rodger Fox of Jacksonville, Ill., and a small group of other motorcycle riders drove all of Route 66 for the Ride for the Relay cancer-research fundraiser. Fox had so much fun, he's doing it again. This year's 12-day Ride for the Relay, which will generate money for the Tri-County Relay for … Continue reading Return to the road
In the Land of Lincoln
A freelance writer for the Waterloo Record in Canada recently drove Route 66 in Illinois and filed this report. It contains a few minor errors, but overall it's a nice mix of Mother Road history and what the road is like now.
Filmmakers to do a Route 66 tour
The producers of an independent film, "Commute," are planning a tour on Route 66 next year to open their film and shoot a documentary. Here's the plot summary by co-director Marc Wasserman, as posted on the International Movie Database site: The film follows the COMMUTER, as he embarks on his daily drive from Orange County … Continue reading Filmmakers to do a Route 66 tour
Images from the road
Here's a new slide show of art and photos from Route 66. I don't know what singer or band is doing that jazzy version of "Route 66." If you know who it is, chime in in the comments section.
Riding for peace
The Pontiac Daily Leader caught up with Vietnam War veteran Lane Anderson as he and other members of Veterans for Peace ride bicycles down old Route 66 from Chicago to St. Louis to attend an anti-war convention. Anderson is an environmentalist -- not because he's a treehugger, but so America will use less oil and … Continue reading Riding for peace
Notes from the road
Seaba Station near Wellston, Okla., has been put up for sale. I'd been aware that Sue Preston and her husband, Sonny, had moved nearly 50 miles away to Yukon and that the operating hours of the Route 66 antique store had become sporadic. The well-maintained Seaba Station sits on more than an acre, and the … Continue reading Notes from the road
“Easy Rider’s” opening credits
Many a road trip on Route 66 has been inspired by the opening credits of the 1969 movie, "Easy Rider," with its sweeping cinematography by Laszlo Kovacs (who died a few days ago) and Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" pulsing over the soundtrack. Here it is: Longtime roadies will recognize a few Route 66 spots … Continue reading “Easy Rider’s” opening credits