Lou Mitchell's Restaurant, a Route 66 icon near the eastern terminus of the Mother Road in Chicago, is set to begin selling franchises for the first time, reports NBC Channel 5 in Chicago. I'm not sure this can be pulled off easily. The interesting thing is that Lou Mitchell's president feels the same way. "We've … Continue reading Lou Mitchell’s restaurant will franchise
Roiled Riviera
The good news is that the Riviera Roadhouse, a seminal Route 66 business in Gardner, Ill., reopened about 10 days ago after longtime owners Bob and Peggy Kraft retired earlier this year, with the new owner using the Riviera's old recipes. The bad news is that the Riviera received a "shut-down letter" from the City … Continue reading Roiled Riviera
Debate in the desert
USA Today has an interesting article about a simmering controversy over a proposed solar-power plant in the Mojave Desert near the Route 66 hamlet of Amboy, Calif. I would recommend reading it all, but wanted to call attention to an excerpt: PG&E project manager Alice Harron says she is "comfortable" with the solar power plant … Continue reading Debate in the desert
Live from Erick
Harley and Annabelle Russell, aka the Mediocre Music Makers, perform "Don't Be Angry" at their Sandhills Curiosity Shop just off Route 66 in Erick, Okla. It must have been hot that day; Harley didn't wear a shirt with his overalls.
Pistol-packing princess
The title of this post will become apparent while you watch the latest installment of "Route 66: A Road Trip through the Bible." Esther's cute, but don't mess with her.
Packard passion
This is a video that shows the Packards on display at Afton Station on Route 66 in Afton, Okla.
Santa Monica Pier centennial
The Santa Monica Pier, the symbolic western end point of Route 66, will get a lot of attention this week when it marks its 100th anniversary on Wednesday. National Public Radio has an excellent story about the pier and its history, including this: Fishermen have been flocking to the pier's edge since its early days. … Continue reading Santa Monica Pier centennial
The sad story of Chavez Ravine
Most people know of Chavez Ravine, located just off the Arroyo Seco Parkway (aka Route 66), as the site of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. But many don't know what was there before the baseball park. This video helps explain it. The saga inspired one of Ry Cooder's most-acclaimed albums, "Chavez Ravine."
Book review: “A Visual Journey Down America’s Main Street”
Photographer Stephen Giangreco, based in Lenexa, Kan., is a fan of old vehicles, has been shooting images of Route 66 for years, and has a Web site called Route66Forever.com. Giangreco has just published a fine-art book of his choicest Mother Road images titled "A Visual Journey Down America's Main Street" (118 pages, self-published, $66 hardcover, … Continue reading Book review: “A Visual Journey Down America’s Main Street”
Shuttered Winslow tavern is torn down
The long-closed Prairie Moon tavern in Winslow, Ariz., finally was torn down and the rubble hauled away a few days ago, reported AzJournal.com. Here's a photo of the bar before it was razed. According to several people quoted in the article, the Prairie Moon also was known for prostitution. Longtime Winslow resident Gabe Martinez grew … Continue reading Shuttered Winslow tavern is torn down