Rafael Rachael Alvarez, a contributor to the Christian Science Monitor, pays a visit to Sallisaw, Okla., the home base for the fictional Joad family in the John Steinbeck novel that takes place on Route 66, "The Grapes of Wrath." The first striking observation that Alvarez makes is the recession hasn't hit Oklahoma as hard as … Continue reading A visit to the Joads’ hometown
Where the West begins
When you ask roadies where the West begins during Pacific-bound trips on Route 66, you're bound to get a variety of answers. Many cite the area west of the tiny hamlet of Gruhlkey on the edge of the Texas Panhandle. This is where the flat Caprock suddenly falls away, revealing mesas, cliffs and rock-embedded hillocks. … Continue reading Where the West begins
A life less ordinary
I've read quite a few book reviews of Michael Zadoorian's Route 66 road-trip novel, "The Leisure Seeker." This one from Dan DeWitt of the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times is the best yet. DeWitt's observations about "ordinary, decent" Midwest couples in particular rang true -- especially to a native Midwesterner such as me. For my take … Continue reading A life less ordinary
“What Have They Done to Route 66”
This is a song by folksinger Bill Dobbins. It doesn't contain much material about the actual Route 66. It's a highway song that serves, I think, as a metaphor about getting old. Lyrics for the song are here.
Riding with Tricky Dick
Ed Nixon, the youngest brother of the late President Richard Nixon, has just published a book, "The Nixons: A Family Portrait." Ed Nixon is plugging the book, and a report in the Everett (Wash.) Herald has an interesting aside during an interview with him: Of all his memories, none were told with more delight than … Continue reading Riding with Tricky Dick
Reaping the wind
This is the new 1.5-megawatt wind turbine that was erected a few months ago in the Route 66 town of Tucumcari, N.M. If you're a semi-regular visitor to Tucumcari, it's quite striking to see it for the first time. It's nearly 400 feet tall, so it dominates the area landscape like nothing else except for … Continue reading Reaping the wind
Sign of the times
From an op-ed piece by Rachel Dry in the Washington Post: Seventy years after John Steinbeck published his best-selling tale of the Joad family's journey from Oklahoma to California along Route 66, "The Grapes of Wrath," required reading that never really went out of style, is suddenly in high demand. At the National Endowment for … Continue reading Sign of the times
Blue Dome building will become trolley depot
The T-Town Trolley, a which is actually a nicely decorated bus that gives rides to various entertainment districts throughout Tulsa, is marking its first anniversary. KJRH-TV is reporting on a development with the trolleys that's even more significant to roadies: But Lund is more excited about the location that will serve as the depot for … Continue reading Blue Dome building will become trolley depot
Indie film to soon begin shooting on Route 66
Independent filmmaker Billy Yeager, with his wife Anais, will begin shooting a number of scenes on Route 66 in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona for his upcoming movie "Jesus of Malibu" in the next few weeks. Some excerpts from a couple of e-mails (lightly edited for clarity) that he sent: Growing up in Florida and … Continue reading Indie film to soon begin shooting on Route 66
Try, try again
The U.S. Senate approved the Omnibus Public Lands Bill, which contains a measure to renew the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program for another 10 years, by a 77-20 vote on Thursday. If that sounds familiar, it should. The Senate approved a similar measure a few weeks ago. But the House, under rules that required a … Continue reading Try, try again