These photos from the Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival in Pontiac, Ill., were shot by Cathie Stevanovich, president of the Illinois Route 66 Association. For all practical purposes, the weekend served as a tribute to Route 66 hippie, artist and Illinois native Bob Waldmire, who died of cancer in December 2009. Festival-goers, including Stevanovich … Continue reading Report from the Waldmire Weekend
A pitch for Pontiac
This is a new tourism video produced by McCoy Studios for the Route 66 town of Pontiac, Ill. https://youtu.be/bSlWGLrP178 It's well done. Chambers of commerce, take note.
Where’s Johnny Depp when you really need him?
Most of these fellows in the Titus chapter of "Route 66: A Road Trip through the Bible" are listed as Cretans, but they look and act as if they walked off a "Pirates of the Caribbean" set. The only one missing is Jack Sparrow. https://youtu.be/5ZxRBVai5EM And the video reminds me of this song (I know … Continue reading Where’s Johnny Depp when you really need him?
Tourist season begins at Blue Whale … and more
Today marked the opening of the souvenir shack at the historic Blue Whale, just off Route 66 in Catoosa, Okla. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, or for special occasions or sizable tour groups. The stand sells postcards (many of them decades old), T-shirts, magnets, coozies, Catoosa creme soda, and … Continue reading Tourist season begins at Blue Whale … and more
Rolling out the Red Carpet
Today produced a plethora of news stories about the Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival. Of course, when you essentially are holding a party in 13 towns along 90 miles of the Mother Road, it will draw media attention. A roundup of the news items: --- WJBC radio filed this report from Pontiac, which … Continue reading Rolling out the Red Carpet
Pearls of news items
Today, I was asked to attend the Route 66 Archives and Research Collaboration at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa. The event was organized by the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. I made my pitch for the ample online news archives of Route 66 News. But, as is typical of such gatherings, I heard a few pearls of … Continue reading Pearls of news items
Mother Road matchmaker
News broke Friday afternoon that music legend Paul McCartney and girlfriend Nancy Shevell are engaged to be married after a four-year courtship. You can read many of the particulars from the Daily Mail in London here, along with seeing a charming photo of the couple. And it's fairly likely a Route 66 trip that McCartney and … Continue reading Mother Road matchmaker
Fun Run attendance down about 15 percent
Participation in the Arizona Route 66 Fun Run was down about 15 percent this year -- from 841 participants signed in 2010 to about 700, reported the Kingman Daily Miner. The story cited higher gasoline prices as a possibility for the drop. Nearby Laughlin, Nev., holding its annual Laughlin River Run motorcycle event the same … Continue reading Fun Run attendance down about 15 percent
A blue tie affair
Tonight, I was volunteer for the Blue Tie Affair, a fundraising dinner for the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Okla. The event featured an outdoor dinner at the Blue Whale grounds, and was catered by the nearby Molly's Landing restaurant. The weather and atmosphere were perfect. It's not often that you see a string orchestra performing … Continue reading A blue tie affair
Historic theater in Lincoln will be honored
The city of Lincoln, Ill., and Main Street Lincoln soon will honor the historic Lincoln Theatre as a part of National Preservation Week, according to the Lincoln Daily News. The theater, now a four-screen movie house, sits just a couple of blocks from Route 66 in downtown Lincoln, at 215 S. Kickapoo St. It's been … Continue reading Historic theater in Lincoln will be honored