The fellows in Cars for a Grand managed to drive that $1,000 Cadillac all the way on the Route 66 corridor from Chicago to Los Angeles, according to a news release this morning. Chris and Jorge purchased the car on April 9th in Thomson, IL where it was reportedly kept in a barn and summer … Continue reading Looks like they made it
Child actor in “The Grapes of Wrath” dies
I missed this a few weeks ago, but Shirley Mills Hanson, 83, who portrayed a young Ruthie Joad in the 1940 classic film "The Grapes of Wrath," died on March 31 from complications of pneumonia at a hospital in Arcadia, Calif., according to the Los Angeles Times. Known during her acting career as Shirley Mills, … Continue reading Child actor in “The Grapes of Wrath” dies
Vendors roiled by Route 66 trademark claim
A company in the Netherlands that claims trademark ownership of "Route 66" and its shield has persuaded Zazzle.com, an international retailer of custom-made products, to remove the listings of least two American vendors who have tried to sell Route 66-related products on the website. The company making the claim is TemptingBrands.com, aka Route66Licensing.com. The domain owner, … Continue reading Vendors roiled by Route 66 trademark claim
Trial date set for McCook road closure lawsuit
A lawsuit involving the closing of a one-mile section of Joliet Road, aka Route 66, in the Chicago suburb of McCook, Ill., finally will go to trial next month nine years after it was filed, according to David Clark, aka Windy City Road Warrior. The Illinois Department of Transportation alleges that Vulcan Materials seriously undermined … Continue reading Trial date set for McCook road closure lawsuit
Don’t argue with the driver
Here's the latest of "Route 66: A Road Trip through the Bible," starring Habukkuk. I saw the punchline coming from a mile away.
Journalist dies in train-car crash near Amboy
I saw a story in the San Bernardino County Sun yesterday in which a man from Las Vegas had been traveling Route 66 west of Amboy, Calif., and suddenly stopped his car on the railroad tracks, where he died when a freight train hit it. The article didn't mention it at the time, but the … Continue reading Journalist dies in train-car crash near Amboy
A “green” refueling stop
Urban Tulsa published a long, wide-ranging article about Michael Wallis, Tulsa and the Route 66 Alliance, and two guys who want to drive Route 66 this summer in a 1966 GTO that's been converted to run on compressed natural gas. But the most newsworthy part of the article is Albert "Albee" Thomas' plans for building … Continue reading A “green” refueling stop
The story behind Ozark Trail obelisks
The Plainview (Texas) Daily Herald posted a fascinating story about the obelisks that once dotted the length of the Ozark Trail highway system, which parts of which became early alignments of Route 66. According to the Drive The Old Spanish Trail Web site (www.drivetheost.com), various trail associations were formed early in the 20th century to … Continue reading The story behind Ozark Trail obelisks
Next on the Mother Road
Next, a fashion website based in Great Britain, recently had a film shoot on Route 66 in West Hollywood to the Mojave Desert. Here's a behind-the-scenes video: Here's the finished product: Dig the soundtrack by the Dandy Warhols.
Catching up on my biblical road trips
A reader noted that I'd missed a couple of new installments of "Route 66: A Road Trip through the Bible." The first is about the Book of Micah, in which God must be one heck of an accountant: The second is a hep-cat installment from the Book of Nahum. It reminds me why many people … Continue reading Catching up on my biblical road trips