Here's a clip of western-swing band Asleep At the Wheel performing "Route 66" and a few other songs at Farm Aid in 1993. https://youtu.be/IS_oEz7TJqM This is one of the classic incarnations of the band, with Cindy Cashdollar on the pedal steel.
A high-speed trip on Oatman Road
No, the driver wasn't doing anything dangerous. He mounted a video camera on the side of his vehicle, drove that winding stretch of Route 66 from Oatman, Ariz., to the Cool Springs Camp at normal speed, than compressed the 18 minutes of footage to under 5 1/2 minutes. https://youtu.be/928cwNEZ8ZU The video was created by Norman … Continue reading A high-speed trip on Oatman Road
“My father taught me how to drive and dream”
This 13-minute film by Karla Berry from 2004 is well worth watching all the way through. But in particular it contains footage of the Coral Court Motel in St. Louis shortly before the bulldozers came. https://vimeo.com/34475388 The Coral Court footage begins around the 7 1/2-minute mark.
Shimmering in the night
Here's a short-but-sweet new video of the great neon sign at the Supai Motel, along Route 66 in Seligman, Ariz. https://youtu.be/V7BistQ0xv4 The video was created by Andrew Wood, a professor at San Jose State University and a longtime roadie. He owns the Motel Americana website, and published "City Ubiquitous," in which Route 66 played a … Continue reading Shimmering in the night
Programming note
If you see a few funky things on Route 66 News in the coming days, there's probably good reason for it. Route 66 News is moving from WordPress.com to a hosted site using the WordPress.org platform. It should be a fairly seamless transition, and you shouldn't have to update your route66news.com bookmarks. News coverage of … Continue reading Programming note
Sad end to The Java Stop
One of the eye-catching businesses along Route 66 in Dwight, Ill., in recent years was The Java Stop coffee stand, which used two rail containers stacked on top of each other and a fancy paint job. The Java Stop was so striking that an architectural firm honored it for its design. However, Java Stop was … Continue reading Sad end to The Java Stop
Historic Joplin pawnshop closes
A pawn shop in Joplin, Mo., closed for good. But it wasn't just any pawn shop. It was the Ben Milgrim Pawnshop, which had operated near the Mother Road for 78 years, acording to the Joplin Globe. The contents of the business were being auctioned today at Joplin's Jack Lawton Webb Convention Center. The auction company, … Continue reading Historic Joplin pawnshop closes
The end and the beginning
As the final hours of 2011 wind down, let's take a look at the two symbolic end points of Route 66. The first is Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park in Chicago: https://vimeo.com/11493912 The second is the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica: https://vimeo.com/10918229 Either could be the beginning or end of Route 66, depending on … Continue reading The end and the beginning
A tour of John’s Modern Cabins
This well-produced video gives you a tour and a history of the abandoned and fast-decaying John's Modern Cabins, located near Arlington, Mo., off old Route 66. https://youtu.be/wQBIbvEOdrM The video was produced by Texas-based Synergy Media. Most of the historical information about John's Modern Cabins was gathered by Emily and me a decade ago. The story … Continue reading A tour of John’s Modern Cabins
Manning’s Coffee sign being restored
The historic Manning's Coffee Store rooftop sign in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles is being restored, reported the Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch. Manning's Coffee went out of business in the 1960s, and the sign's neon lighting hasn't functioned for many years. Las Cazuelas restaurant now occupies the building. The area is part of the … Continue reading Manning’s Coffee sign being restored