Ron "Tattoo Man" Jones, an Oklahoma resident who sports dozens of Route 66-inspired tattoos on his body, will make an appearance Tuesday night in the History Channel's "Counting Cars" reality series. The 30-minute episode, titled "Get Your Kicks" (a common reference to the Mother Road), will air at 9 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday. The show's … Continue reading Tattoo Man to appear on “Counting Cars”
Route 66 makes brief appearance in Chrysler Super Bowl ad
The advertisement Chrysler aired tonight during the 2014 Super Bowl will forever be labeled as the "Bob Dylan Chrysler ad" -- mostly because of the surprising appearance by the famously reticent singer-songwriter. But a Missouri Route 66 shield also makes an appearance. You'll see it about the 20-second mark. https://youtu.be/KlSn8Isv-3M Chrysler has produced a few … Continue reading Route 66 makes brief appearance in Chrysler Super Bowl ad
Museum seeks Route 66 postcards for exhibit
The Cibola Art Gallery and Artifacts Museum in Grants, N.M., is seeking vintage Route 66 postcards -- especially from west-central New Mexico -- for an upcoming exhibit, according to a letter to the editor in the Cibola County Beacon. The letter from the museum's staff says the exhibit will be titled "Postcards from Route 66." They … Continue reading Museum seeks Route 66 postcards for exhibit
Caretakers to Frontier Motel announced
The new owner of the Frontier Motel and Restaurant complex in Truxton, Ariz., announced on its Facebook page this week that two New Mexico residents -- Allen Greer and his fiancée Stacy Moores -- will become the historic Route 66 motel and cafe's managers. New Zealand resident Sam Murray, owner of Gilligan's Wild West Tours, announced … Continue reading Caretakers to Frontier Motel announced
Hello from Belgium
Here's an oldie but goodie from Belgium native Burt Blanca and his King Creoles. I'm guessing this version of Bobby Troup's most famous song was recorded in the early 1960s. https://youtu.be/JBx5OU5poPs Blanca is nearly 70 years old, and according to his website he's still playing gigs.
Electric vehicle group to support Route 66 festival
The Historic Electric Vehicle Foundation will bring electric vehicles and lend its support to the International Route 66 Festival on Aug. 14-17 in Kingman, Ariz., according to a news release from the group. After reviewing the information on the festival the HEVF Board of Directors voted unanimously to not only attend, but to support the concept … Continue reading Electric vehicle group to support Route 66 festival
How to play “Route 66” on ukulele
Bueno Chen gives in-depth instructions on how to play Bobby Troup's "Route 66" on ukulele, so you can try it at home. https://youtu.be/7p7B3gtNfTs https://youtu.be/9dO3Nj_Grzc Chen provides a lot of online courses in the instrument and is an instructor at the University of Hawaii.
A feature on Maldaner’s, one of Route 66’s oldest restaurants
The Springfield State Journal-Register in Springfield, Ill., soon will publish a section on area businesses that are at least 100 years old. One of them is Maldaner's Restaurant in downtown Springfield, which has operated since 1884. It sits on Sixth Street (aka Route 66), which makes it one of the rare still-operating restaurants that predate … Continue reading A feature on Maldaner’s, one of Route 66’s oldest restaurants
TripAdvisor ranks Blue Swallow among top bargain motels
The Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., ranked among the top 25 "bargain" motels in the United States in TripAdvisor's 2014 Traveler's Choice Awards. The Blue Swallow is listed at No. 6. TripAdvisor said the average nightly rate in its bargain group is $91. Random observation: Four of the 25 motels in that category are … Continue reading TripAdvisor ranks Blue Swallow among top bargain motels
Pete Seeger, R.I.P.
Folk singer and social activist Pete Seeger died Monday night in New York City hospital at age 94, according to various media outlets. We'll let the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers report about Seeger's impact on music and America in general, his triumphs and his controversies. One should remember that in addition to writing the … Continue reading Pete Seeger, R.I.P.