The beautification of Route 66 through Atlanta, Ill., continues. The Bloomington Pantagraph reports that the town has bought at least six decorative lampposts and may buy up to 10 if enough locals sponsor them. The lampposts will be installed on the alignment of Arch Street, aka Route 66, through downtown. Sponsorships to help the town … Continue reading Atlanta buying decorative lampposts
Category: Towns
‘American Idol’ contestant to perform at Berdoo Bikes fest
Amanda Overmyer, a recently deposed contestant on this season's "American Idol," will perform a show during the inaugural Berdoo Bikes & Blues Festival in San Bernardino, Calif., according to a news release today. Opening ceremonies will include her version of the Star Spangled Banner on Friday, May 2, on the Time Warner "D" Street stage … Continue reading ‘American Idol’ contestant to perform at Berdoo Bikes fest
Thumbs down to poor tourism service
From the "Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down" column today in the Williams-Grand Canyon News in Williams, Ariz.: Thumbs down - Witnessed just last week - a tourist was asking a local store clerk for directions to westbound Historic Route 66 leading to Kingman. The store clerk was unable to provide the directions. Another one of our … Continue reading Thumbs down to poor tourism service
Ambitious plans for Miami
This story from the Miami (Okla.) News-Record about the town's future tourism efforts caught my eye with this excerpt (boldface type is my emphasis): Oklahoma is already investing in international tourism as state tourism officials have partnered with the state of Kansas to commit a half-million dollars to target international travelers. Barger said the investment … Continue reading Ambitious plans for Miami
The end of the road
If you go from east to west on Route 66, you will reach the symbolic end of the Mother Road in Santa Monica, Calif. If you plan to stay there a few days after your journey, here's a good visitor's guide to the city by the Inland Press-Enterprise.
Needles may secede from county or state
The Route 66 town of Needles may break away from San Bernardino County or from California altogether because of its frustration with county government, reports the San Bernardino County Sun. Council members say they are looking into two scenarios: switching the city's state affiliation by becoming a part of Nevada or withdrawing from San Bernardino … Continue reading Needles may secede from county or state
Webb City’s loss may be Route 66’s gain
Webb City, Mo., has decided to pull the plug on its annual Mining Days after 29 years, reports the Joplin Globe. It usually was held in the last week of September. However: In its place, the city wants to put on a series of other annual festivals with different themes in the downtown area, including … Continue reading Webb City’s loss may be Route 66’s gain
“A City at the End of the World”
This is a 1993 broadcast from PBS station KNME-TV in Albuquerque, split into three parts of eight to 10 minutes each. The commentary is by V.B. Price, a University of New Mexico faculty member who is an environmental and architectural preservationist. Because of Albuquerque's massive growth in recent decades, Price was greatly concerned the city … Continue reading “A City at the End of the World”
So much for a good-ol’-boy network
Here's something I didn't know about the Route 66 town of McLean, Texas -- its mayor and five (ahem) aldermen are all women. According to the Associated Press, it's the only town in which all the elected officials are female. And, boy, there are some great quotes with that story: "We have people skills, and … Continue reading So much for a good-ol’-boy network
Southwest American beauty
Here's an excellent video of the Grand Canyon and the Route 66 town of Seligman, Ariz. It was shot by DKY Productions. The music is "May Angels Lead You In," by Jimmy Eat World. The band hails from Arizona, so the song choice is good in more ways than one.