(Editor's note: This is my Catch Up from the Memorial Day Holiday Edition.) Actor and director Dennis Hopper died over the weekend after a long bout with prostate cancer. He was 74. A memorial service and burial was held Wednesday at a church in his beloved Taos, N.M., where he lived for years. Although a … Continue reading Notes from the road
Category: Road trips
Rugby player rolls down 66
If you see a big, scruffy-looking guy with a Triumph motorcycle and an English accent on the Mother Road, it just might be rugby star and World Cup winner Steve Thompson, according to the Daily Mail in London. The 31-year-old is tackling the fabled Route 66 on a Triumph motorbike which has been parked outside … Continue reading Rugby player rolls down 66
Hiking for his fellow soldiers
Iraq War veteran Troy Yocum is hiking a small part of Route 66 during his cross-country quest to raise money for Soldiers’ Angels, a charity that provides financial aid to military families, according to the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph. Yocum was hiking south and banging his drum on old Route 66 to Pontiac, Ill., on Monday, … Continue reading Hiking for his fellow soldiers
Spirit of America and Route 66
Here's a good video that stars a patriotically decked out 1967 Corvette Stingray and Angel "Guardian of Route 66" Delgadillo.
Reports from the Route 66 Rally
The Route 66 Rally from Chicago to Los Angeles started yesterday, and a number of teams in the event have been filing reports from along the way. Team Scion posted a number of photos from its first day, including images of the Ambler-Becker Texaco Gas Station in Dwight, Ill. The group ended its day at … Continue reading Reports from the Route 66 Rally
“Samantha Brown” episode on Route 66 is tomorrow
Samantha Brown, who has her own show on the Travel Channel, filmed an episode on Route 66 in Arizona and New Mexico that will air at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time on Thursday. According to a news release: On Thursday, Sam will be taking a road trip from Albuquerque to Arizona down Route 66 where she runs into … Continue reading “Samantha Brown” episode on Route 66 is tomorrow
Book review: “Riding America’s Backroads”
Here's an idea that I can get behind: a motorcycle travel magazine compiling articles on 20 of its top U.S. tours, including Route 66, into one well-illustrated book. Motorcycle tourism has steadily grown as baby boomers approach retirement, so the market for such a book is there. RoadRunner Motorcycle Touring & Travel magazine, on its … Continue reading Book review: “Riding America’s Backroads”
Route 66 included in Harley ‘dream trip’ promotion
U.S. motorcycle maker Harley Davidson rolled out a "Start Something" campaign, which includes supermodel Marisa Miller as a spokeswoman and Route 66 among the options for a "road trip of a lifetime" sweepstakes, according to a company news release today. Surfing the "Start Something" site, it's clear that Harley is trying to attract customers who've … Continue reading Route 66 included in Harley ‘dream trip’ promotion
Scenes from the Fun Run
Here's a very good slide show by Jeff Rucker from last week's Historic Route 66 Fun Run in western Arizona. Songs from the "Cars" soundtrack are included.
One long bicycle trip
Claudia Heller, in her ongoing series about Route 66 in Southern California, tells the story of Dan Hyke, who bicycled part of Route 66 and beyond from Santa Monica, Calif., to Virginia Beach, Va., in 1982. Hyke was moved to try the cross-country feat after the death of his father. Averaging a little less than … Continue reading One long bicycle trip