One year ago today, I woke up to this at the lovingly restored Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Mo. https://youtu.be/1ukiW5B-whE Music is “Song of Assisi,” by Marc Gunn.
Category: Weather
Winter wonderland
Longtime roadie Jim Hinckley was traveling Route 66 through Seligman, Ariz., on Monday and encountered this snowstorm. Among the businesses in the background is Angel "Guardian Angel of Route 66" Delgadillo's barbershop and his Route 66 gift shop. If you have seasonal or Christmas-themed photos on Route 66, email them to route66news@yahoo.com for consideration to … Continue reading Winter wonderland
Book review: “32 Minutes in May”
Like me, I suspect many will encounter mixed feelings while reading the first comprehensive book about the deadly tornado that ravaged Joplin, Mo., on May 22, 2011. But on further reflection, there are good reasons to buy "32 Minutes in May -- The Joplin Tornado" (142 pages, hardback, Pediment Publishing, $34.95) -- other than a portion … Continue reading Book review: “32 Minutes in May”
Big quake brings little damage to Route 66
Oklahoma experienced its most powerful earthquake in state history Saturday night, but a cursory inspection of the Mother Road in the affected region turned up no apparent damage. The quake struck at 10:53 p.m. Saturday. According to revised figures by the U.S. Geological Society, it measured 5.6 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was near … Continue reading Big quake brings little damage to Route 66
Dormant volcano near Route 66 is still dormant
In recent days, the U.S. Geological Survey put out a press release about Pisgah Crater, a dormant volcano off Route 66 near Ludlow, Calif. The agency said: Inquiries have come to the USGS regarding a potential eruption in the vicinity of Lavic Lake Volcanic Field (LLVF) in Southern California. The inquiries stem from a citizen report … Continue reading Dormant volcano near Route 66 is still dormant
Texas Route 66 group gives donation to Joplin tornado relief
On behalf of the Old Route 66 Association of Texas, Ron Hart of the Route 66 Chamber of Commerce gave a $500 check to the Joplin Salvation Army for tornado relief efforts in Joplin, Mo. More than 150 people died and hundreds were injured in the May 22 twister, which destroyed a third of the town. … Continue reading Texas Route 66 group gives donation to Joplin tornado relief
An Oklahoma tornado casualty
Not long after the awful Joplin tornado, another strong twister struck Oklahoma around the El Reno area. After reading numerous media accounts of the twister, I had assumed that Route 66 landmarks had emerged relatively unscathed. I was wrong. During a eastbound trip Sunday on old Route 66, we'd discovered that an old gas station … Continue reading An Oklahoma tornado casualty
Joplin tornado, continued
Today closed a chapter in the tragic story of the Joplin tornado. Gov. Jay Nixon announced that all of the missing people from the May 22 twister had been accounted for, and that the final death toll stood at 134. The Springfield News-Leader reported: The total of 134 includes 124 people on the unaccounted for … Continue reading Joplin tornado, continued
Joplin tornado, continued
The Joplin Globe newspaper, as usual, provided more excellent coverage of the deadly tornado, including a visit Sunday by President Obama and reactions from locals to the memorial ceremony later that afternoon. This video contains the speeches by both Gov. Jay Nixon and the president at the memorial service: https://youtu.be/qrmjhK_PUmQ A photo gallery of the … Continue reading Joplin tornado, continued
Joplin tornado, continued
The death toll from Sunday's tornado in Joplin, Mo., has risen to 139 as of Saturday morning, according to the Joplin Globe. (Incidentally, the Globe's coverage of the disaster has been stellar, even though a substantial number of staffers have been directly affected, including a copy editor who was killed in the storm.) A memorial … Continue reading Joplin tornado, continued