Steve Vaught of thefatmanwalking.com returned to San Diego briefly to be with his family at Christmastime. He'll resume his cross-country trek Dec. 26 from Rolla, Mo. He's also enlisting a personal trainer to help strengthen his upper body and shed more pounds during the remainder of his journey. You can read about it here (scroll … Continue reading Fat Man is home for Christmas
Fix ‘er up, roll ‘er out
A couple fellows with Petersen's 4 Wheel and Off-Road magazine were getting cabin fever in Los Angeles. So they acquired a frighteningly dilapidated Jeep pickup free of charge, repaired it and took it out into the Mojave Desert. Their excursion closely paralleled Route 66, as they rolled past Newberry Springs, the Bagdad Cafe, Daggett, Victorville … Continue reading Fix ‘er up, roll ‘er out
Tucumcari motor lodge declared a landmark
The mostly shuttered Cactus Motor Lodge on Route 66 in Tucumcari was voted to the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties, according to a Quay County Sun report. The place had a long history as a gambling haven as well as a place for travelers to sleep. Here's an image of a vintage postcard of … Continue reading Tucumcari motor lodge declared a landmark
“Culinary heritage” on Route 66?
Nicole Weston of the Slashfood blog writes about the Food Network's Alton Brown hitting Route 66 this spring for a new show, "Feasting on Asphalt." Brown will ride the Mother Road on his motorcycle to find good food on the road's truck stops, obscure diners and barbecue shacks. Weston remains a bit skeptical about the … Continue reading “Culinary heritage” on Route 66?
Kia Sorento completes round-the-world trek
Christer Gerlach of Sweden completed his round-the-world trip in a Kia Sorento on Friday, according to a news release. The trek, which included Route 66, took four months. The only unscheduled attention the Sorento required en route to Korea was to fix two punctures, one light bulb and one loose headlamp. During the second half … Continue reading Kia Sorento completes round-the-world trek
Rapper will roll down Route 66
Here's the gist of a complicated story: Roller Rapper, aka Robby Love, has a hot music video, and he's also going to roller-skate down Route 66 this spring. According to a news release, "The Roller Rapper" video hit No. 1 in the rock/pop category on MTV's iFilms, beating out Green Day, Jessica Simpson, Linkin Park … Continue reading Rapper will roll down Route 66
Residents of Atlanta, Ill., come through
Today's Bloomington Pantagraph reports that a group of Atlanta, Ill., residents has made a $10,000 matching offer toward the Atlanta Library centennial campaign. The centennial celebration is raising funds to restore the Downey building (ed. note: it houses the Palms Grill), a National Register property located along old Route 66 in downtown Atlanta. The building … Continue reading Residents of Atlanta, Ill., come through
Former El Vado Motel owner dies
I received word Monday from Michael Taylor, director for the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, that Shiraz "Sam" Kassam, 67, the recent former owner of El Vado Motel in Albuquerque, died of a stroke last week. Taylor forwarded the news from an e-mail by Ed Boles of the City of Albuquerque. It contained this interesting … Continue reading Former El Vado Motel owner dies
Route 66 gets its own marathon
I'm surprised I hadn't heard about this a few weeks earlier, since it's in my back yard. But here it is: Tulsa is hosting the inaugural Route 66 Marathon and Classic Car Parade on Nov. 16, 2006. There is no map of the course, but the Internet site says the 26.2 miles will wind through … Continue reading Route 66 gets its own marathon
Pain Walker strolls into Oklahoma City
Dennis Kinch, the man who's walking Route 66 to raise awareness for the National Pain Foundation, talked Thursday at an OU Medical Center forum about coping with pain. There's not much Route 66 content in the story by the Daily Oklahoman, but state Attorney General Drew Edmondson weighed in and had some interesting things to … Continue reading Pain Walker strolls into Oklahoma City