A few days ago, "Roamin' Rich" Dinkela texted me to announce an official relighting ceremony for a neon sign of the Shamrock Court motel in Sullivan, Missouri, that will occur on March 19, which is St. Patrick's Day weekend. Dinkela added this text: "Btw, I'm going to make an attempt to run the motel." Dinkela, … Continue reading Shamrock Court relighting set for March 19; motel likely will reopen in 2023
30th-anniversary editions of Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable … with Love” coming in 2022
Several 30th-anniversary editions of Natalie Cole’s megahit "Unforgettable … With Love" album are coming early next year. That record remains best-known for its smash duet single, "Unforgettable," with her deceased father, Nat King Cole. "Unforgettable .... with Love" also contains Natalie's own version of "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," a Bobby Troup-written song made … Continue reading 30th-anniversary editions of Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable … with Love” coming in 2022
Band’s music video features Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios as a backdrop
Oklahoma-based punk-pop band Thru It All recently shot a music video for "Irrelevant," a song from its forthcoming EP, that features that city's Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios on 66 prominently. The moments with Mary Beth Babcock's shop -- and its huge Buck Atom fiberglass statue -- begin about the 30-second mark. https://youtu.be/kx2eFB7lUqA I recognized several … Continue reading Band’s music video features Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios as a backdrop
La Fonda in Santa Fe will mark its centennial in January
The landmark La Fonda on the Plaza hotel in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico, will mark its centennial in January, though records indicate a lodging establishment was there several centuries before that. La Fonda will host a "Party of the Century" on Jan. 22 "as we honor our storied past and look to the future … Continue reading La Fonda in Santa Fe will mark its centennial in January
One of the vintage Airbnb trailers revealed for TeePee Drive-In in Sapulpa
The Sapulpa Times over the weekend revealed in a Facebook post one of the 12 vintage trailers that will be used as Airbnb lodging sites when the long-closed TeePee Drive-In theater in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, reopens in the second quarter of 2022. The news outlet reported the trailer will be one of 12 Spartans designed with … Continue reading One of the vintage Airbnb trailers revealed for TeePee Drive-In in Sapulpa
Mitla Cafe in San Bernardino featured on “CBS Sunday Morning”
The fabled Mitla Cafe in San Bernardino, California, was featured this week during a four-minute segment on "CBS Sunday Morning." https://youtu.be/yI4GLpoTDj0 One little-known angle the network explored was the Route 66 restaurant became an organizational meeting place for desegregation efforts for public swimming pools in San Bernardino. As with Black people across the nation, many … Continue reading Mitla Cafe in San Bernardino featured on “CBS Sunday Morning”
Artist creates “Signs” billboard along Route 66 in western Oklahoma
Oklahoma Baptist University professor Corey Fuller recently created an art billboard titled "Signs" along Route 66 in western Oklahoma. One can see the "Signs" billboard driving west on Route 66 between Weatherford and Clinton, between mile markers 77 and 78 on Interstate 40's north side. The university had more details in a news release: The … Continue reading Artist creates “Signs” billboard along Route 66 in western Oklahoma
Forthcoming parklet in downtown Bloomington will pay tribute to Route 66
Downtown Bloomington, Illinois, by sometime next year will have an interactive parklet that commemorates the city's ties to Route 66. City leaders dedicated and previewed the parklet that's scheduled to be finished by early summer 2022, according to a report by WMBD/WYZZ. Here's the station's video report: A parklet is a sidewalk extension, usually in parking lanes, … Continue reading Forthcoming parklet in downtown Bloomington will pay tribute to Route 66
All 116 episodes of the “Route 66” TV drama from the 1960s are on YouTube
A few episodes of the famed "Route 66" television drama from the early 1960s had been posted online in dribs and drabs over the years. However, earlier this summer, The OTR Collection uploaded all 116 episodes of the drama that starred George Maharis and Martin Milner. The entire playlist is below, starting with the first … Continue reading All 116 episodes of the “Route 66” TV drama from the 1960s are on YouTube
Route 66 Historic Trail bill advances unanimously out of U.S. House committee
A bill to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail under the auspices of the National Park Service passed unanimously this week out of the Natural Resources Committee to the full U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), who is shepherding the bill with U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), announced H.R. 3600's … Continue reading Route 66 Historic Trail bill advances unanimously out of U.S. House committee