I'm a fairly big music nut, but confess to never hearing about the British pop band Christie and its 1970 single, "San Bernadino," which was a worldwide hit but barely scraped the bottom of the U.S. Billboard 100. Incidentally, the spelling of the song's title is correct, if not accurate. And after much lobbying to … Continue reading “San Bernadino”
Category: Towns
When Two Guns was Canyon Diablo
The Route 66 ghost town of Two Guns, Ariz., has a rather ominous name. But its former moniker was Canyon Diablo, essentially meaning Devil's Canyon in Spanish. Clay Thompson, who answers history questions to the Arizona Republic, recounts the town's rather colorful history.
Victorville has a plan … sort of
This story in the Victorville (Calif.) Daily Press tells about the city's continuing purchases of Old Town properties in an effort to revitalize the neighborhood. However ... Nothing has yet been put to paper as to what the purchased properties will become. Metzler said they will be eliminating the existing plan for Old Town’s revitalization … Continue reading Victorville has a plan … sort of
Ghost Road
Here is a segment of "Return to the Road" documentary, a look at modern-day Route 66 starring Martin Milner before he became ill a few years ago. Using the near-deserted Rock Cut segment and the quiet village of Devils Elbow in Missouri, this segment looks at the more contemplative stretches of a once-bustling Mother Road. … Continue reading Ghost Road
Flagstaff bringing back parking meters
The Flagstaff City Council voted 5-2 this week to reintroduce parking meters to 400 spaces in the downtown area, which includes Route 66, reports the Arizona Daily Sun. I'm not necessarily against parking meters, especially if they stop those who squat on spaces for hours or even days at a time. But there's reason to … Continue reading Flagstaff bringing back parking meters
Rialto wants state-owned stretch of Route 66
The city of Rialto, Calif., wants to take over a three-mile stretch of Foothill Boulevard, aka Route 66, that's owned by the California Department of Transportation, reports the Inland Press-Enterprise. The city assumes that Caltrans has bigger fish to fry -- notably the maintenance of a new stretch of Highway 210 -- than worrying about … Continue reading Rialto wants state-owned stretch of Route 66
Book review: “San Bernardino”
The sprawl in the Los Angeles metro area is so extensive that one is tempted to describe San Bernardino, Calif., as simply one of its many suburbs. It may surprise some that San Bernardino was founded in 1810 and was incorporated just three years after the City of Angels. With more than 200,000 people, San … Continue reading Book review: “San Bernardino”
Joplin tourism director wants better signage
Carol Stark, editor of the Joplin (Mo.) Globe, talked to Vincent Lindstrom, the new director of the Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau. Most chamber and tourism folks usually take an "everything is beautiful" tone with the local media. But Lindstrom seems willing to address the area's weaknesses (with the bold type as my emphasis). With … Continue reading Joplin tourism director wants better signage
Racing and reclining
The Mohave Daily News has a wrapup story about the 17th annual Great Oatman Bed Race in Oatman, Ariz., on Saturday. Oatman, a little Route 66 town nestled in the Black Mountains, periodically holds these goofy but lovable contests, including a sidewalk egg-frying event on the Fourth of July. The Mohave Family Health Care team … Continue reading Racing and reclining
Boom to bust to boom again
Heather Clark of the Associated Press takes a look at the Route 66 town of Grants, N.M., which is undergoing a boom of economic activity again because of a rise in uranium prices. With uranium prices approaching $100 a pound, it's anticipated that Uranium Resources Inc. will create the nation's largest uranium mill and draw … Continue reading Boom to bust to boom again