The Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum on old Route 66 in Warwick, Okla. (west of Chandler) held what amounted to a "soft opening" on Sunday afternoon. The museum opens officially on Monday. Seaba Station was built by John and Alice Seaba as a DX gas station in 1924, two years before Route 66 was certified. Sonny … Continue reading Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum holds soft opening
Interesting data from the Clinton museum
The Daily Oklahoman today posted an article about a report from the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton. The museum and curator Pat Smith provided fascinating data I'd never seen before: The museum greeted 33,000 visitors last year, a record. 35 percent of those visitors came from other countries, and nearly half of those from … Continue reading Interesting data from the Clinton museum
The end … and the beginning
Today, 25 years ago, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials officially decertified U.S. 66 as a federal highway. In essence, U.S. 66 ceased to exist. Although few would have thought so at the time, decertification became a good thing for the Mother Road in the long run. It's a counterintuitive thought, but … Continue reading The end … and the beginning
Good news, bad news from Vietnam Wall caravan
First, the good news. There appeared to be a good turnout Saturday morning for the Operation Oklahoma motorcycle rally that was slated to go on old Route 66 from Tulsa to Chandler, Okla., then on to Norman, Okla. Hundreds of motorcyclists that gathered at the University of Tulsa to help escort the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall … Continue reading Good news, bad news from Vietnam Wall caravan
New hotel in a historic site will open this fall
The Hotel Parq Central will open on the site of the historic Memorial Hospital on Route 66 near downtown Albuquerque, according to a news release at Hotel Interactive. Memorial Hospital was built on 806 Central Ave. in 1926 -- the same year that Route 66 was certified -- and is listed on the National Register … Continue reading New hotel in a historic site will open this fall
Motorcyclists to escort Vietnam Memorial on Route 66
About 500 motorcyclists will be escorting a portable Vietnam War memorial on old Route 66 from Tulsa to Norman, Okla., on Saturday morning, according to the Tulsa World. The wall, a three-fourths-size replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall at Washington, D.C., is to arrive in Tulsa on Friday night aboard several trucks. However, the wall … Continue reading Motorcyclists to escort Vietnam Memorial on Route 66
Biofuels plant near Kingman appears kaput
After much brouhaha and controversy last year, it appears a proposed biofuels plant along Route 66 north of Kingman, Ariz., isn't going to happen, according to the Kingman Daily Miner. [County] Supervisor Gary Watson said he was not surprised that the plant, which was slated to be built about 2 miles from Valle Vista, failed. … Continue reading Biofuels plant near Kingman appears kaput
Nice try, but …
Lisa Putnam at Helium put together "The Best Places to Stay on Route 66." It's a decent list of historical motels, especially with the inclusion of the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M.; the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, N.M., and both Wigwam Motels in Holbrook, Ariz.; and Rialto, Calif. But notable exclusions include La … Continue reading Nice try, but …
Preview of the CNG cross-country tour
Mike Easterling, fresh off his Wallis Award a few days ago at the Will Rogers Awards Evening, filed an excellent story in Urban Tulsa about the two Alabama men who seek to drive a 1966 GTO the entire length of Route 66 -- powered solely by compressed natural gas. Mike McConville and Keith Barfield will … Continue reading Preview of the CNG cross-country tour
Virtual road trip
The Desert Dispatch in Barstow, Calif., published a good article about the Cal State-Heyward students who developed a multimedia Route 66 experience. As their masters thesis in multimedia design, the students have outfitted a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle that can take whoever sits in the driver’s seat to any spot on historic Route 66 via video … Continue reading Virtual road trip