Bill Kinder, co-owner of the Blue Swallow Motel on Route 66 in Tucumcari, N.M., showed us new murals that recently were painted by a traveling artist. These murals are painted inside the garages that are next to the rooms. The murals really bring vibrant color in an unexpected place.
Updates from Kingman
Jim Hinckley, an author and roadie in Kingman, Ariz., recently sent me Route 66 updates regarding his town. Demolition has begun on a block of several moribund and closed businesses on Route 66, including the City Cafe, the Imperial Motel and a Texaco gas station that dated to the 1940s. A Walgreens drug store is … Continue reading Updates from Kingman
A road trip on Leviticus
The latest chapter of "Route 66: A Road Trip through the Bible" is Leviticus, a book in which the pastor apparently acknowledges is tedious. I don't think it's terribly safe to barbecue goat in a convertible, however.
Salute to a King
Today is what would have been the 90th birthday of singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole, whose version of Bobby Troup's "Route 66" became a big hit in 1946 and helped inspire generations to explore the Mother Road. A number of news outlets have published tributes to the man, including the Los Angeles Times, … Continue reading Salute to a King
Space cowboy
The Examiner.com has posted an article about the Thomas P. Stafford Air & Space Museum on Route 66 in Weatherford, Okla. The museum pays tribute to Weatherford native Stafford, who logged six NASA missions and more than 500 hours in space, including the first manned flight to the moon. The museum is a complete air … Continue reading Space cowboy
Book review: “Roadside USA: Route 66 and Beyond”
"Roadside USA: Route 66 and Beyond" by Shellee Graham and Jim Ross (64 pages, Ghost Town Press, $10.95) isn't strictly a book as much as a bound collection of their vibrant travel photographs in postcard form. The 30 postcards are detachable from the binding so you can mail them to friends and family. However, "Roadside … Continue reading Book review: “Roadside USA: Route 66 and Beyond”
Skippy’s restaurant keeps making improvements
Skippy's Route 66 Restaurant, near the Mother Road in Leasburg, Mo., has a new sign to beckon travelers and will open its Gravel Bar patio for the season next month. Skippy's is a story of a proprietor learning on the job and making continual improvements. From a news release: The Gravel Bar boasts its own … Continue reading Skippy’s restaurant keeps making improvements
A visit to Amboy Crater
This article by Examiner.com about Amboy Crater near the Route 66 hamlet of Amboy, Calif., is worth checking out for the photographs of wildflowers around the cinder cone.
Route 66 national monument proposed in Mojave
The fledgling national Route 66 Alliance is proposing making a national monument out of an area of Mojave Desert in Southern California to protect 70 miles of Route 66, reports the Press-Enterprise. According to the newspaper, the proposal would: -- Designate "Mother Road National Monument," which could be twice as big as Joshua Tree National … Continue reading Route 66 national monument proposed in Mojave
Business is booming
Not content with owning the world's largest rocking chair, the Fanning 66 Outpost and General Store on Route 66 in Fanning, Mo., has added at least one more unusual attraction to its arsenal. Jim Viehman, a reporter for KSDK-TV in St. Louis, interviewed store owners Dan and Carolyn Sanazaro a few days ago about the … Continue reading Business is booming