I received word Monday that Betty Courtney, 79, one member of the team that helped form the much-praised 4 Women on the Route in Galena, Kan., died Sunday. She, along with Melba Rigg, Judy Courtney and Renee Charles, helped lead the charge to take an abandoned gas station on Route 66 in Galena and transform … Continue reading Notes from the road
What’s next for the Blue Whale?
A story about the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Okla., by KTUL-TV in Tulsa contained the usual angles about the Route 66 icon's colorful history. But it sounds like Jennifer Edwards, the Catoosa Arts & Tourism Council chief, has some new and fresh things in mind for the blue behemoth: Edwards says with a little elbow … Continue reading What’s next for the Blue Whale?
At the drive-in
Joe Williams of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch makes an enjoyable trip up Route 66 to the Skyview Drive-In in Litchfield, Ill., to see the the Steve McQueen classic film, "Bullitt." Apparently Williams owns a 1966 Plymouth Fury. Good for him.
Book review: “Things to Look Out for on Route 66 in St. Louis”
It became apparent while reading Kip Welborn's self-published book that it's not just a guidebook about Route 66 in St. Louis. It's also a love letter to his city. It's that enthusiasm about the Mother Road and his town that lifts "Things to Look Out for on Route 66 in St. Louis" (60 pages, spiral-bound … Continue reading Book review: “Things to Look Out for on Route 66 in St. Louis”
Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum holds soft opening
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