Here's a very good slide show by Jeff Rucker from last week's Historic Route 66 Fun Run in western Arizona. Songs from the "Cars" soundtrack are included.
Walking in the name of fallen police
The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader tells about three men -- one of them an Evansville, Ind., cop -- walking in cities from Evansville to Santa Monica, Calif., as part of Relay for a Cause Route 66 "to honor the nearly 19,000 officers across the United States that have given the ultimate sacrifice for our safety." The … Continue reading Walking in the name of fallen police
Devil’s Elbow Bridge lands a USDA grant
Pulaski County, Mo., has been scrounging for a couple of years for money to repair the aging Devil's Elbow Bridge in the Route 66 hamlet of Devil's Elbow, Mo. It looks like the county has landed more cash for the bridge, courtesy of the federal government. From KOLR-TV in Springfield: The U.S. Department of Agriculture … Continue reading Devil’s Elbow Bridge lands a USDA grant
Reviving downtown Los Angeles — for real
Los Angeles Downtown News has published a comprehensive article about efforts to revitalize downtown Los Angeles, which includes the original western terminus of Route 66. Unlike previous efforts to boost downtown, Councilman Jose Huizar and the 10-year Bringing Back Broadway initiative seem to actually be making some headway. Among the initiatives quests is to establish a … Continue reading Reviving downtown Los Angeles — for real
Firm chosen for historical study of California’s Route 66
Mead & Hunt, an engineering and architecture firm, was chosen by the California Preservation Foundation to help prepare a comprehensive history of Route 66 in California in the next year, according to a news release today. Mead & Hunt, which has offices in Sacramento, was chosen from 16 firms. Here is a list of the … Continue reading Firm chosen for historical study of California’s Route 66
Mystery band
This band, called Sayonara, does a version of Bobby Troup's "Route 66." The YouTube listing has no information about this group. Has anybody heard of them or the band's background?
One long bicycle trip
Claudia Heller, in her ongoing series about Route 66 in Southern California, tells the story of Dan Hyke, who bicycled part of Route 66 and beyond from Santa Monica, Calif., to Virginia Beach, Va., in 1982. Hyke was moved to try the cross-country feat after the death of his father. Averaging a little less than … Continue reading One long bicycle trip
Time-lapse trip on Oatman Road
Here's a cool look at Oatman Road, aka Route 66, in Arizona as seen from a time-lapse camera during the recent Laughlin River Run. Extremely brief footage of one of the motorcycles crashing off the side of the road can be seen about the 2:17 mark, but barely. Be careful driving out there, kids.
Anxiety in Arizona
Like others, I've been watching with morbid fascination the reaction to Arizona's new illegal immigration law. It makes failing to carry immigration documents a crime, and gives police broad power to detain those suspected of being in the country illegally. Because the issue seemed to be peripheral to Route 66, I initially decided to observe from … Continue reading Anxiety in Arizona
Route 66 from horseback
Here's something you don't see too often ... a look at Route 66 from the back of a horse. This is on an old alignment of Route 66 near Foyil, Okla. This is part of Megan Gist's quest to go from Oklahoma to St. Louis on Route 66 by horseback.