The San Bernardino County Sun has quite a feature about Albert Okura, owner of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain and owner/savior of the Route 66 hamlet of Amboy, Calif., and Roy's. This excerpt shows how driven he is: Today there are three dozen Juan Pollo restaurants throughout Southern California. Okura fully intends to conquer all … Continue reading A driven entrepreneur
Category: Towns
“Gateway to Oklahoma”
"Gateway to Oklahoma" is what the state tourism director Hardy Watkins described Miami, Okla., during that city's chamber of commerce luncheon Wednesday, reported the Joplin (Mo.) Globe. Watkins told the crowd that successful communities know who they are, accept who they are and celebrate who they are. [...] “You’re being incredibly aggressive,” Watkins said, praising … Continue reading “Gateway to Oklahoma”
Reaping the wind
This is the new 1.5-megawatt wind turbine that was erected a few months ago in the Route 66 town of Tucumcari, N.M. If you're a semi-regular visitor to Tucumcari, it's quite striking to see it for the first time. It's nearly 400 feet tall, so it dominates the area landscape like nothing else except for … Continue reading Reaping the wind
Updates from Kingman
Jim Hinckley, an author and roadie in Kingman, Ariz., recently sent me Route 66 updates regarding his town. Demolition has begun on a block of several moribund and closed businesses on Route 66, including the City Cafe, the Imperial Motel and a Texaco gas station that dated to the 1940s. A Walgreens drug store is … Continue reading Updates from Kingman
Pontiac’s prison is saved
The city of Pontiac, Ill., which had been under the imminent threat of the closure of its prison for months, learned Thursday that the nearly 140-year-old facility will remain open. The decision preserves nearly 600 jobs and an estimated $54 million in revenue. The announcement to keep Pontiac Correction Center open was made by new … Continue reading Pontiac’s prison is saved
Sears Tower name change isn’t going over well
I learned late yesterday that the name of the Sears Tower, which is among the world's tallest buildings and is on Route 66 in Chicago, would be changed to the Willis Tower after the British-based Willis Group Holdings acquired naming rights. The first thing I thought was: "Chicagoans aren't going to cotton to this." Apparently … Continue reading Sears Tower name change isn’t going over well
A thorny situation in Seligman
Here's a thorny situation in the Route 66 town of Seligman, Ariz. According to the Arizona Republic, Cemex wants to build a big cement plant on the outskirts of town, thus creating jobs and boosting Seligman's tax base. But folks also are concerned that the plant will be a big-time polluter, fouling the air of … Continue reading A thorny situation in Seligman
Route 66 association re-formed in Kingman
MohaveBusiness.com has details about the newly formed Kingman Route 66 Association, based in Kingman, Ariz. And it's interesting what the association's president has to say: One of our primary goals is to create attractions for people instead of just being a stopover,” association president Tim McDonnell said. “Our motel occupancy is off the chart, but … Continue reading Route 66 association re-formed in Kingman
“Am I Right (or Amarillo)”
Here's Asleep at the Wheel, doing a song featuring one of Route 66's key cities. Be on the lookout for several Route 66 landmarks in this video:
Winslow is adding a museum
A travel article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about attractions in the Southwest -- including a new hotel with incredible views of Monument Valley -- includes information about the Route 66 town of Winslow, Ariz. There's the usual Winslow stuff about La Posada and Standin' on a Corner Park. But there's a tidbit of which … Continue reading Winslow is adding a museum