Route 66 websites come and go. But I thought this one is particularly noteworthy. DrivingRoute66.com, which describes itself as "one-stop resource for planning the road trip of a lifetime," comes from the brain and computer of Steve Bellamy of Wales. He and his wife drove all of Route 66 in 2007. He explains the purpose … Continue reading New Route 66 informational site launched
Category: Web sites
Programming note
It appears Route 66 News was down for more than an hour on Thursday night. The hosting service, WordPress.com, suffered a systemwide outage, taking 10 million sites -- including this one -- with it. However, it appears the problem has been fixed, and no data has been lost.
Notes from the road
(Editor's note: This is my Catch Up from the Memorial Day Holiday Edition.) Actor and director Dennis Hopper died over the weekend after a long bout with prostate cancer. He was 74. A memorial service and burial was held Wednesday at a church in his beloved Taos, N.M., where he lived for years. Although a … Continue reading Notes from the road
Programming note
I just got back home from traveling during the Memorial Day weekend, with very little Internet access the entire time. So I'll be playing catch-up on the news along Route 66 in the next day or so. Nothing really big or urgent had occurred, but I think you'll find some of the items I'll be … Continue reading Programming note
Trademark turmoil update
The controversy between Route 66 vendors, retailer Zazzle.com and a firm in the Netherlands that is claiming trademark ownership of the Route 66 shield morphed from aggravating to surreal. It was reported a few days ago that Route66Licensing.com and a sister site, Tempting Brands.com, is claiming a trademark of “Route 66″ and its shield. Subsequently, … Continue reading Trademark turmoil update
Vendors roiled by Route 66 trademark claim
A company in the Netherlands that claims trademark ownership of "Route 66" and its shield has persuaded Zazzle.com, an international retailer of custom-made products, to remove the listings of least two American vendors who have tried to sell Route 66-related products on the website. The company making the claim is TemptingBrands.com, aka Route66Licensing.com. The domain owner, … Continue reading Vendors roiled by Route 66 trademark claim
Notes from the road
Richard Talley of the Motel Safari in Tucumcari, N.M., says a lot has been happening in his town lately. Here's what he said by e-mail (with some minor editing): Here's a shot of the new AutoPros auto care center across the street from us on Route 66 (used to be Tucumcari Tire Co., closed for years). … Continue reading Notes from the road
Wagon Wheel Motel is now on Facebook
The new owner of the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Mo., has set up a Facebook page for that historic Route 66 motel. From a news release from Viva Cuba: According to the new owner Connie Echols, “The Facebook page offers a little history, some construction updates, and information about what the gift shop has … Continue reading Wagon Wheel Motel is now on Facebook
We don’t do that
I like practical jokes as much as the next guy. The ones by these folks and anything involving Brad Paisley are pretty funny. But doesn't it seem counterproductive for news outlets to engage in such foolishness, even if it is April Fool's Day? (Yeah, Science magazine, I'm looking at you.) I've invested a lot of … Continue reading We don’t do that
FedEx takes electric vehicle down Route 66
FedEx has decided to demonstrate its new all-electric urban delivery van with stops along Route 66 from Monday through April 6. It's part of the "Charge Up Route 66" tour. The tour is planning stops in St. Louis, Joplin, Oklahoma City, Amarillo and Albuquerque, in addition to the Mother Road's bookend cities of Los Angeles … Continue reading FedEx takes electric vehicle down Route 66