This past weekend, volunteers in Tucumcari, N.M., started their latest repainting effort on an abandoned gas station in town. The station, shown above, will be the seventh gas station in Tucumcari that's been repainted in a nostalgic color scheme on the Route 66 corridor. This station will be repainted to resemble a Magnolia station; area … Continue reading Tucumcari’s newest repainting effort … and more
The man behind the bottles
Here's a new video about Elmer Long, proprietor of the Bottle Tree Ranch on Route 66 in Oro Grande, Calif. https://youtu.be/pwAFW0jyapE Elmer's Facebook page is here.
The poop on Bill Freiday
Jim Hinckley pointed me to this recent obituary in the Kingman (Ariz.) Daily Miner of Burnell "Bill" Freiday, who died on Oct. 12 at age 95. The obit convincingly shows that Freiday lived a colorful life, with vocations that included these: [P]ig farmer, squab farmer, wood cutter, movie theater operator, tractor parts inspector, tractor test … Continue reading The poop on Bill Freiday
Lights on at the Luna Cafe
A vintage neon sign -- plus architectural neon -- of the historic Luna Cafe on Route 66 in Mitchell, Ill., were relighted Saturday night during a ceremony attended by about 200 people. Jim Thole of the Route 66 Association of Missouri's Neon Preservation Committee reported that the neon was turned on at 6:44 p.m. Saturday, with … Continue reading Lights on at the Luna Cafe
Roller rink reopens in Sapulpa
When we last checked with the closed Starlite Skate Rink on old Route 66 near Sapulpa, Okla., about 18 months ago, it was being converted into a church. Now the Sapulpa Daily Herald says the roller-skating facility is going back to its old ways. It's been rechristened as the Route 66 Roller Dome, and its … Continue reading Roller rink reopens in Sapulpa
Chandler Baseball Camp named to National Register of Historic Places
Chandler Baseball Camp in Chandler, Okla., renowned for decades for its baseball-only camps run by Bo and Tom Belcher, was listed to the National Register of Historic Places effective Oct. 12, according to an email today from the National Park Service. The complex, at 2000 W. Park Road in Chandler less than a mile north … Continue reading Chandler Baseball Camp named to National Register of Historic Places
First Pontiac race car will be displayed at Pontiac museum
The Pontiac-Oakland Museum & Resource Center, open only for a few months in Pontiac, Ill., soon will have the first-ever Pontiac race car on display at the museum. According to a news release today from Pontiac Tourism: The car is the earliest known Pontiac race car, successfully competing for the first time in August 1926, Pontiac's introduction … Continue reading First Pontiac race car will be displayed at Pontiac museum
A tribute to a historic bridge, from Poland
Artur Pranga, a graphic designer based in Poland, is running a visualization studio named Imitime, used by architects and designers who want to show how a proposal is going to look long before construction begins. Pranga said he recently was researching historic bridges. He explained in an email what happened next: When my eyes came … Continue reading A tribute to a historic bridge, from Poland
A collection from the road
Here's a Route 66-themed slide show of black-and-white images by Mike Severson, whose Flickr account contains plenty of other goodies. Not all of the photos are from the Mother Road, but the vibe certainly comes from there. https://youtu.be/Tcq0NKK6QqE The version of "Route 66" is by Nat King Cole, who made Bobby Troup's song famous.
A word from our sponsor …
Cool Springs Camp, on old Route 66 between Kingman and Oatman, Ariz., is the setting for this Union Wireless commercial: https://youtu.be/bxAglRscwSE The premise is a good idea for a cell-phone company ... although even the best carriers have dead spots along Route 66 in New Mexico, Arizona, far western Oklahoma and in the east Missouri … Continue reading A word from our sponsor …