The Bushyhead Pasture Roping and Barrel Race, long presided over by rodeo legend Clem McSpadden, is moving away from the Route 66 hamlet of Bushyhead, Okla., to Bristow, Okla., and away from the Mother Road, reported the Pryor (Okla.) Daily Times. The longtime event on Route 66 between Chelsea and Claremore, Okla., went on a … Continue reading Bushyhead rodeo event moving away from Route 66
Category: Sports
Sooners football owes a debt to John Steinbeck
A report by J. Robert Byrom at Bleacher Report makes a fairly compelling case of why John Steinbeck's famous Depression-era novel "The Grapes of Wrath" paved the way to the University of Oklahoma becoming a college football powerhouse, even to this day. The story is too long and multifaceted to summarize briefly here. Just go … Continue reading Sooners football owes a debt to John Steinbeck
66 Bowl will get a big twist-off
The 66 Bowl in Oklahoma City will be sold to an India grocer in a matter of days. To give the historic bowling alley a proper farewell party, it will host the annual Okie Twist-Off hot rod and music festival next weekend. According to the Daily Oklahoman: The annual event has drawn some of the … Continue reading 66 Bowl will get a big twist-off
Endurance athlete suffers serious injury on Route 66
James Cracknell, the British Olympic gold-medalist who was attempting to traverse the United States by bicycle and running in a mere 18 days, suffered a fractured skull Tuesday on Route 66 when he was hit by a truck in Arizona, reports The Independent of London. The 38-year-old was filming for the Discovery Channel on a … Continue reading Endurance athlete suffers serious injury on Route 66
Ultramarathoner takes a big challenge
Ultramarathoner John Radich is running down Route 66 for a Scientology-based charity, according to a story in the Redlands (Calif.) Daily Facts. Radich is taking the path of Route 66 from Santa Monica to Chicago, then heading east to the ocean in Atlantic City, N.J. If he's got the energy, he'll also run to New … Continue reading Ultramarathoner takes a big challenge
Notes from the road
I received word Monday that Betty Courtney, 79, one member of the team that helped form the much-praised 4 Women on the Route in Galena, Kan., died Sunday. She, along with Melba Rigg, Judy Courtney and Renee Charles, helped lead the charge to take an abandoned gas station on Route 66 in Galena and transform … Continue reading Notes from the road
A big statue for The Mick
Four decades after his retirement and nearly 15 years after his death, baseball legend Mickey Mantle finally received a larger-than-life tribute in his Route 66 hometown of Commerce, Okla. Although Mantle was born in Sallisaw Spavinaw, Okla., his family moved to Commerce when he was 4 and remained there well after the New York Yankees … Continue reading A big statue for The Mick
Golf star Montgomerie wants to drive 66
Professional golf star Colin Montgomerie of Scotland wants to drive Route 66 on a motorcycle this fall -- but only after he leads the British team to a Ryder Cup victory over the U.S., reports the Daily Record of Glasgow. Despite his posh persona, Monty has always fancied himself as an Easy Rider clad in … Continue reading Golf star Montgomerie wants to drive 66
Should have stuck with bowling
OKC Biz published a story today about the pending sale of the historic 66 Bowl in Oklahoma City to a Spices of India grocery. The article contained this tidbit that I hadn't seen reported elsewhere: Owner Jim Haynes says he’s owned the 51-year-old, 25,880-square-foot bowling alley for 32 years. “I just had to (sell the … Continue reading Should have stuck with bowling
Last frame coming for 66 Bowl
The historic 66 Bowl of Oklahoma City has been sold to an India grocer, and its last bowling frame will occur in mid-August. Spices of India, down the road from the 66 Bowl on the Northwest 39th Street alignment of Route 66, has bought the bowling center and concert venue, reported Oklahoma Route 66 expert … Continue reading Last frame coming for 66 Bowl