Tulsa roadie Brad Nickson dropped me an e-mail about El Rancho Grande, the longest-surviving restaurant on 11th Street, aka Route 66, in Tulsa. Nickson said the owner is giving a face-lift to its distinctive and vintage neon sign. The neon is off and the re-painting is almost complete. Owner (John) said it should have the … Continue reading Tulsa restaurant refurbishing neon sign
Category: Signs
T-U-L-S-A straight ahead
This is pretty neat. The Reservoir Hill Neighborhood Association in Tulsa re-created an enormous sign made of crushed rock laid on the base of the hill. It spelled "TULSA" with an arrow pointing in the direction of the now-defunct McIntyre Airport on old Route 66, which was what is now Sheridan Road and Admiral Boulevard. … Continue reading T-U-L-S-A straight ahead
Kingman association gets grant to restore sign
The Kingman Route 66 Association announced Monday that it has received a $10,000 matching grant from the city to restore a Packard neon sign (seen in a vintage photo above) at the Old Trails Garage in downtown. The money also will be used to restore an original glass-top gas pump near the garage. The group … Continue reading Kingman association gets grant to restore sign
A last of the breed
In my first Route 66 trips, I noticed on dozens of businesses and billboards in eastern New Mexico the signs of a distinctive lettering by a sign painter. The signs were notable because of their lettering -- often a thick, squat, easily read style that I'd seen nowhere else. Some of the letters were shadowed … Continue reading A last of the breed
Back in business
The Kingman (Ariz.) Daily Miner has a story about the resurrection of the Kingman Route 66 Association. The goals, according to association President Tim McDonnell: The first is to establish a new Web site promoting the city's proximity to other Arizona attractions, including Oatman, Peach Springs and the Grand Canyon. The Web site, dubbed "Destination … Continue reading Back in business
Wishing Well Motel memorabilia installed at museum
This week, not only is the Illinois Route 66 Museum and Hall of Fame in Pontiac celebrating its fifth anniversary, but the sign and wishing well from the gone-but-not-forgotten Wishing Well Motel of Countryside, Ill., has been installed on the museum's property. A large Route 66 mural also has been added to the building's south … Continue reading Wishing Well Motel memorabilia installed at museum
Exhibit explores Route 66 and U.S. 41
For you roadies out east, the Booth Western Art Museum in the Atlanta suburb of Cartersville, Ga., soon will be hosting an exhibition by artist Chuck Middlekauff that explores Route 66 and U.S. 41, which goes from Chicago Michigan to Miami, Fla. Middlekauff, as noted by the image of the sign of the Sands Motel … Continue reading Exhibit explores Route 66 and U.S. 41
What the Kingman association wants to do
Tim McDonnell, president of the newly revived Kingman Route 66 Association of Kingman, Ariz., sent an image of this vintage photo of Duke's Packard dealership that once operated in town. The association's plan is to repair the neon on the sign, put it back on the original building, and paint murals on the walls and … Continue reading What the Kingman association wants to do
In the Mother Road mood
Here's a good video from a YouTube poster from Norway.
Meadow Gold glow
The dedication for the rebuilding of the historic Meadow Gold sign in Tulsa was Friday morning. However, the real treat was to come later, when night would fall on 11th Street and Quaker Avenue, and the sign's neon lighting would be revealed. Here it is ... Here's the view from the rear of the structure: … Continue reading Meadow Gold glow