If you're a Route 66 fan and a musician, you could do worse than this functional cigar-box guitar made with a Route 66 license plate: It's made by Chickenbone John Guitars, a one-man shop based in England. The Route 66 guitar isn't on his online shop, but he says on the video notes that he … Continue reading A license to play
“Santa Monica Noir”
I think it's safe to say that Emory Duick's triumphant stroll to the Santa Monica Pier today didn't end like this.
Emory Duick takes a long walk to the Pier
Emory Duick, the 71-year-old man who decided to walk or jog Route 66 to encourage fellow senior citizens to be more physically active, reached the end of his 2,250-mile journey today when he made it to the Santa Monica Pier at the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, Calif. Duick reached the "spiritual" end of Route … Continue reading Emory Duick takes a long walk to the Pier
City will redevelop its Route 66
The Route 66 town of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., will redevelop its portion of the Mother Road, including building a new bridge, that will carry a Route 66 theme, reported the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. As part of a Foothill Boulevard widening project, the bridge near Baker Avenue will be torn down and replaced with a … Continue reading City will redevelop its Route 66
Meditations with music
Here's a remarkable story in the Los Angeles Times about the Church of Beethoven, which is less than a block off an old alignment of Route 66 in Albuquerque and has its beginnings on the Mother Road. The whole thing is worth reading, but this excerpt captures the place's purpose well enough: It's not really … Continue reading Meditations with music
A pie-in-the-sky place
Longtime roadie Dave Hoekstra of the Chicago Sun-Times takes a closer look at the restored and historic Palms Grill Cafe on old Route 66 in Atlanta, Ill. Apparently the restaurant, in addition to its old-time atmosphere, is making a name for itself because of its pies. And an Albanian immigrant named Lumi Bektoshi, who is … Continue reading A pie-in-the-sky place
Merry Christmas, everyone
A Christmas video
I was surfing around for a Yuletide-themed video that takes place on Route 66, and here's a good one. It's a video by reader and occasional contributor Ace Jackalope. It's of City Hall in Joplin, Mo., with its Christmas displays. Ace writes: This is all the cooler because the building used to be Newman's department … Continue reading A Christmas video
A tribute to Bob
Of all of the obituaries I've read since Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire died last week, this one by the Guadalupe County Communicator in Santa Rosa, N.M., is the best. Those who know anything about the Communicator wouldn't be surprised by the story's excellence. But if you aren't familiar with the newspaper, go here.
More scenes from the Mojave
Claudia Heller continues her ongoing series about Route 66 through California's Mojave Desert. The latest edition focuses on a few tiny burgs in the middle of the desert, including this one little stop I'd forgotten about: Traveling west from Fenner on Route 66 the next stop is Essex. Once a bustling town, it historically offered … Continue reading More scenes from the Mojave