Route 66 aficionados who like straying off the beaten path will find dozens of ideas for day trips with "Ghost Towns of the Southwest" (soft cover, 256 pages, Voyageur Press, $21.99). Subtitled "Your Guide to the Historic Mining Camps & Ghost Towns of Arizona and New Mexico," the book by Jim Hinckley and photographer Kerrick … Continue reading Book review: “Ghost Towns of the Southwest”
Category: Road trips
More images from the road
Here's a collection of excellent photos by Cris Mitchell during a trip on Route 66 from Los Angeles to Flagstaff, Ariz. The steeple in that old church in Amboy, Calif., leans more every time I see it.
Reaching out across the pond
The Illinois Times published an interesting report about the state's efforts to boost tourism despite a poor economy. The article includes this excerpt on a novel way that Illinois has reached out to Route 66 travelers who live in Great Britain: They’ve also found that the British have an interest in the 1960s and authentic … Continue reading Reaching out across the pond
Plan your bicycle route on Google Maps
Today, Google announced it added bicycle routes to its Google Maps site in addition to walking, public transit, and driving routes. Bicycle routes by Google Maps is still being beta-tested, and users can make suggestions for changes if they find an error or overlooked bike trail. Here's a demonstration of the technology: According to Wired: … Continue reading Plan your bicycle route on Google Maps
From the Mother Road to the Holy Land
Here's a video about Route 66 that appeared last month on an Israeli television program titled "Roim Olam," or "Watching the World." The narration is in Yiddish Hebrew, but I think most will easily follow what's going on. Eyal Tavor, an Israeli TV reporter who filed the story, said this in an e-mail: In autumn … Continue reading From the Mother Road to the Holy Land
“If I Had It Back”
Here's Mark Maysey, playing a moving song he wrote, titled "If I Had It Back." The song is basically a dedication. Maysey explains in the notes on the video, which have been lightly edited: Dedicated to a lovely Mexican woman named Manueal Nellie Ramos Fyock, who raised me from a child and tragically lost her … Continue reading “If I Had It Back”
Notes from the road
I've tried to glean a deeper look at the crisis in Needles, Calif., over the possible loss of its only grocery store, Bashas'. The grocer chain filed bankruptcy a few months ago, and it is set to close 10 stores in response, including Needles'. This recent story in the Mohave Daily News provides additional information … Continue reading Notes from the road
An interview with Joe Sonderman
Longtime St. Louis-area roadie Joe Sonderman is interviewed by phone regarding his new book from Arcadia Publishing, "Route 66 in New Mexico," and talks about the Mother Road in general. Sonderman's comments about New Mexico itself are especially knowledgeable ... spoken like a person who's been there many times. Sonderman's 66 Postcards site is here, … Continue reading An interview with Joe Sonderman
Director’s cuts
Jim Luning, an accomplished photographer, has delved into filmmaking as well in the past few years. This clip below contains samples of his recent film work, including clips from "Route 66: Ten Years Later" with cohort Tim Steil. The two decided to revisit the Mother Road 10 years after they first began research for their … Continue reading Director’s cuts
More of this, please …
While surfing at the London Telegraph's site, I noted that the newspaper touted Complete North America for its Route 66 driving tours, namely because it worked out a deal in which travelers can rent a car from the starting point in Chicago and not have to pay steep one-way dropoff fees when they finish their … Continue reading More of this, please …