Los Angeles Downtown News has published a comprehensive article about efforts to revitalize downtown Los Angeles, which includes the original western terminus of Route 66. Unlike previous efforts to boost downtown, Councilman Jose Huizar and the 10-year Bringing Back Broadway initiative seem to actually be making some headway. Among the initiatives quests is to establish a … Continue reading Reviving downtown Los Angeles — for real
Category: Towns
Sign project gets going again in Miami
A bunch of Route 66-related sign projects for Miami, Okla., are on the front burner again after an environmental review was completed and other agreements were signed two weeks ago, according to a report in the Joplin (Mo.) Globe. Here's what's slated: --- The reconstruction of a historic 40-foot wide “Miami, Oklahoma — The Gateway” … Continue reading Sign project gets going again in Miami
Two Guns as a movie location
Billy and Anais Yeager spent some months in the Route 66 ghost town of Two Guns, Ariz., to film footage for their forthcoming independent film, "Jesus of Malibu." Here's an edited section of a report by the Bravo Television about the Yeagers' experience in Two Guns. (Warning: one brief scene near the end of the … Continue reading Two Guns as a movie location
New attraction opening near Oatman
A new Western-themed attraction is being built near Oatman, Ariz., called Route 66 Ranch, according to an article in the Mohave Daily News. It's the brainchild of Tom and Jennifer McCarthy, who also own the Oatman Stables horseback-riding business. Plans for the Route 66 Ranch include 10 shops each with a different theme, a petting … Continue reading New attraction opening near Oatman
Notes from the road
A public hearing has been scheduled regarding the future of the Bird Creek Bridge on Oklahoma 66 near Catoosa. The westbound Bird Creek Bridge, which dates to 1936, is part of the so-called Twin Bridges part of Route 66 there. The meeting by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation is set for 6 p.m. April 20 … Continue reading Notes from the road
Notes from the road
The neon sign of the historic Tower Theater in Oklahoma City will be relighted during a ceremony Friday evening. The theater, at 425 NW 23rd St. in Oklahoma City, will see its restored neon blazing away again at 6:30 p.m. that day after decades in the dark. Here's more about the theater, according to records … Continue reading Notes from the road
Albuquerque touts Route 66 for ultra high-speed broadband
Albuquerque is making a strong pitch to be one of Google's test markets for ultra high-speed broadband, and the Duke City is citing Route 66 in its efforts, according to the New Mexico Business Weekly. Google promises the networks will offer speeds of one gigabit per second, which is 100 times faster than what most … Continue reading Albuquerque touts Route 66 for ultra high-speed broadband
Grocery in Needles will remain open
The endangered Bashas' store, the only remaining grocery still operating in the Route 66 town of Needles, Calif., will remain open for the foreseeable future, reported the Needles Desert Star this week. The Bashas' chain had filed for bankruptcy months ago, and the closure of the Needles location and nine other stores was part of … Continue reading Grocery in Needles will remain open
Notes from the road
A final meeting for public comment will be Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Clinton Middle School in west Tulsa about the Route 66 Master Plan: Red Fork Streetscape Improvements, according to Greater Tulsa Reporter Newspapers. The project area includes Southwest Boulevard between 25th West Avenue and 27th West Avenue. [...] Citizens are welcome to comment … Continue reading Notes from the road
Book review: “Ghost Towns of the Southwest”
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”