Here's a novel way to travel Route 66 for a charity -- a few blokes are going to drive a tractor from Los Angeles to Chicago this fall. The money that Kevin Curran, his team, and his tractor, Betsy, will raise will be given to the Irish Cancer Society. The road trip begins in L.A. … Continue reading Raising money, not crops
Where Cars Land got its inspiration
Lest you still think the soon-to-open Cars Land at Disney California Adventure is a pale imitation of Radiator Springs from the movie "Cars," this video will dispel that notion: https://youtu.be/5j4Cgv13VfU Disney Imagineers' tour of Route 66 from Erick, Okla., to Needles, Calif., took place in 2008. According to the Disney Parks Blog: We followed in … Continue reading Where Cars Land got its inspiration
Route 66 News, catch-up edition
I've been out of town for about 10 days traveling Route 66 and more. Here are the stories from the Mother Road that broke while I was away ... --- The biggest news was the announcement that the historic Aztec Hotel in Monrovia, Calif., would undergo extensive renovations with its new owners, reported the Monrovia … Continue reading Route 66 News, catch-up edition
“Panama”
I see Van Halen was back on tour, with David Lee Roth in tow. Here's the band's motorcycle hit, just before Roth left the band: https://youtu.be/w-NshzYK9y0 The recent story about guitarist Eddie Van Halen in Esquire magazine is excellent. Read it. The song comes from Van Halen's now-classic "1984" album (Amazon download here).
“Broke Down”
Slaid Cleaves took an old phrase and turned it into a country-music classic and an unexpected regional hit in 2000. At one point that summer, you couldn't drive around south Texas without hearing it on the radio. https://youtu.be/O8u7CVVmybU The "Broke Down" album can be downloaded from Amazon here.
Get your motor running
I really like this video about a couple of pals on motorcycles touring Arizona, California, and Nevada, including Route 66: https://vimeo.com/42322087 Music is by Mumford & Sons.
“Born to Be Wild”
This swell remake of the Steppenwolf motorcycle classic is by The Cult, circa 1987: https://youtu.be/ZswHjqKGqFo The song comes from The Cult's "Electric" album, where producer Rick Rubin wanted largely an AC/DC sound. (Amazon download of the album is here.)
A trip through Cajon Pass
This speeded-up video by FreewayTitan shows Interstate 15 as it goes through Cajon Pass from San Bernardino to Hesperia in southern California. https://youtu.be/PC9gocVXMm8 The clip delves into a lot of the history of Cajon Pass, including Route 66.
“Ten Second News”
This song from Son Volt, circa 1995, was inspired by the now-abandoned Route 66 town of Times Beach, Mo., and the flood and resulting dioxin contamination that killed it. https://youtu.be/gqdMTkrFN7s The entire album, "Trace," was inspired by a lot of road trips in the St. Louis region, and remains the best the band's ever done. … Continue reading “Ten Second News”
Impressive authors and artists list at Tucumcari festival
A few days ago, Kevin and Nancy Mueller at the Blue Swallow Motel asked me to check out the list of authors and artists slated to appear at the inaugural Wheels on 66 festival on June 7-9 in Tucumcari, N.M. I have to admit, for a first-year event, the list is pretty darned impressive: Christopher Robleski, … Continue reading Impressive authors and artists list at Tucumcari festival