School construction puts Kingman Street Drags on hiatus

The annual Kingman Street Drags event in downtown Kingman, Ariz., will be canceled this year because of the construction of a new school, reports the Kingman Daily Miner. Typically, the grounds of the White Cliffs Middle School campus at 400 Granview Ave. served as a staging ground for racers, as well as a place for … Continue reading School construction puts Kingman Street Drags on hiatus

Touting Tucumcari

This is a promotional video created by the Tucumcari-Quay County Chamber of Commerce in Tucumcari, N.M. It touts the town's Route 66 heritage and other attractions. It's an excellent video ... every bit as good what I've seen from much bigger cities.

1 millionth bottle of soda sold at POPS

POPS on Route 66 in Arcadia, Okla., sold its 1 millionth bottle of soda on Saturday afternoon, reported KOKH-TV in Oklahoma City. Marilyn McIntosh bought the landmark bottle -- Round Barn Root Beer, named after the historic Round Barn down the road -- as part of a birthday present for her grandson. She won 66 … Continue reading 1 millionth bottle of soda sold at POPS

“Cars” meets Cadillac Ranch

Be a little patient when you view this Lego stop-motion animation video. You will eventually see toys from the movie "Cars" being used in a re-creation of Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, Texas. So is this were Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater and the rest of the Radiator Springs gang go after they die?

Book review: “Route 66 in New Mexico”

Joe Sonderman is primarily known for two things -- as a radio announcer in the St. Louis area, and as a huge collector of Route 66 postcards. But while reading his latest book, "Route 66 in New Mexico" (soft cover, 128 pages, Arcadia Publishing, $21.99), it occurred to me that Sonderman may have met his … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66 in New Mexico”

From the Mother Road to the Holy Land

Here's a video about Route 66 that appeared last month on an Israeli television program titled "Roim Olam," or "Watching the World." The narration is in Yiddish Hebrew, but I think most will easily follow what's going on. Eyal Tavor, an Israeli TV reporter who filed the story, said this in an e-mail: In autumn … Continue reading From the Mother Road to the Holy Land

60-second man

Here's a video of someone repainting one of the cars planted into the ground at Cadillac Ranch west of Amarillo, Texas. It serves as a primer (pun intended) for those who want to learn how to repaint their car.

The silence of the trains — for real

For the first time in more than a century, trains now will go through the Route 66 town of Flagstaff, Ariz., without sounding their warning horns, reported the Arizona Daily Sun. On Tuesday, trains went through Flagstaff for the first time without blasting their horns. It took several years and hundreds of thousands of dollars, … Continue reading The silence of the trains — for real

Notes from the road

The "East Meets West" sculpture at the Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza at Riverside Drive and Southwest Boulevard (aka Route 66) in Tulsa is inching closer to being installed. Dennis Whitaker at the city of Tulsa gave me this update, via e-mail: [T]he artist is finished with the car group and the foundry has already cast … Continue reading Notes from the road