The Guardian newspaper of London continues its series on retracing the path the Joads took in John Steinbeck's novel, "The Grapes of Wrath." Sunday finds the series in Valle Vista, a subdivision north of Kingman, Ariz., on Route 66. This section of the article stuck out like a bald head in the Arizona sun for … Continue reading Not in my Valle Vista, Part 2
Category: Towns
In the footsteps of the Joads
Chris McGreal of The Guardian newspaper in London is retracing the Route 66 path of the Joad family from John Steinbeck's seminal novel, "The Grapes of Wrath." Day Two of his journey includes a lot of material from Adrian, Texas, and the ghost town of Glenrio on the Texas-New Mexico border. Be sure to check … Continue reading In the footsteps of the Joads
Teen named grand marshal of Duarte parade
The City of Duarte, Calif., has named a 17-year-old boy who doesn't even have a driver's license as grand marshal of the annual Route 66 Parade next month. He's not just any teenager, though. Zac Sunderland of nearby Thousand Oaks is the youngest person to ever sail around the world. According to the Pasadena Star-News, … Continue reading Teen named grand marshal of Duarte parade
A toast to Strafford restaurant
On Thursday, the owners of Bev's Country Kettle restaurant in Strafford, Mo., served wine and beer with its usual fare of hamburgers, pork chops and tenderloin. This shouldn't sound like a big deal. But it was the first time that an eating establishment in the Route 66 town had served alcohol with meals in 53 … Continue reading A toast to Strafford restaurant
Tornado strikes Williamsville
A tornado ravaged the Route 66 town of Williamsville, Ill., on Wednesday afternoon, destroying or damaging at least two dozen homes and businesses. No loss of life has been reported so far. One of the casualties is the Route 66 Antique Mall (photo of the damage is here). According to the Springfield Journal-Register: Jack Caldwell, … Continue reading Tornado strikes Williamsville
Biofuels plant decision may be today
The Kingman (Ariz.) Daily Miner has a pretty good overview about a proposed biofuels plant that would be located near the Valle Vista subdivision off Route 66 north of town. The county's Planning and Zoning Commission may decide today whether to allow a permit for the plant. Proponents say the plant will create jobs and … Continue reading Biofuels plant decision may be today
A day in a ghost town on Route 66
Here's a very atmospheric video about the Route 66 desert hamlet of Amboy, Calif., by F.C. Howard. Fortunately, the town's most visible business, Roy's, has improved considerably since this video was made. Roy's now sells drinks, snacks and even gasoline again, thanks to the dogged efforts of Juan Pollo restaurant chain owner Albert Okura to … Continue reading A day in a ghost town on Route 66
“Our Town”
I've been told that this video is played in 4 Women on the Route in Galena, Kan., and that it moves a lot of Route 66 visitors. I'll let the creator, Jim DeGraff, explain it: My family has lived in or near Galena, KS, for over 100 years. Main Street of Galena is also the … Continue reading “Our Town”
Tulsa to bid for 2020 Olympics?
I've been digesting this for the past day since the story was first reported by the Tulsa World. Here's the gist, in case you missed it: The Tulsa 2020 Committee on Tuesday presented the City Council with the idea of the city making a bid to host the 2020 summer Olympic games. [...] Such a … Continue reading Tulsa to bid for 2020 Olympics?
Kingman logos expand Route 66 role
Deep into this Kingman (Ariz.) Daily Miner about the City Council is this item: Elsewhere on the agenda, councilmembers will review a series of logos designed by Joshua Noble of the Kingman Area Chamber of Commerce to be used in future tourism and economic development efforts. Chamber president Beverly Liles will present the four recently-redesigned … Continue reading Kingman logos expand Route 66 role