Here's a news brief from the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph: The Route 66 Association of Illinois will take nominations for its Hall of Fame from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28. Nominations must include qualities, deeds and history on Route 66. To qualify, nominees must have made significant contributions to the character or history of the Illinois … Continue reading Illinois Hall of Fame taking nominations
Another stocking-stuffer
Mike Gassmann, champion of the historic World's Largest Catsup Bottle in Collinsville, Ill., says he is now selling Christmas ornaments featuring an image the landmark. Each ornament comes with a bright red ribbon and mounted on a decorative card with "Seasons Greetings 2008" and its production unit number on the back. The image of the … Continue reading Another stocking-stuffer
A mother of a footrace
I neglected to mention the Mother Road 100, Part 2 ultramarathon in western Oklahoma last weekend, which went from Elk City to the outskirts of El Reno on old Route 66. More than 150 hardy souls participated. The overall winner was Tim Neckar, 47, of Houston, who finished the 100 miles in 17 hours, 13 … Continue reading A mother of a footrace
Rhythms of the Road update
Remember "Rhythms of the Road," the musical TV show that shot episodes at a number of Route 66 sites a few weeks ago? Brian Greene of Greene HD Productions, which is producing the show, e-mailed to say the tour was a "BIG success" and the company is in the midst of editing footage to get … Continue reading Rhythms of the Road update
Drive, don’t fly
A travel Web site, AboutAnywhere.com, is urging travelers to drive instead of fly during the upcoming holiday season because gas prices have dropped enough in recent weeks to make it economical again. It also cites Amarillo and its share of Route 66 as a holiday destination. From its news release: ... [M]ention holiday travels and … Continue reading Drive, don’t fly
Book review: “Route 66 Backroads”
Jim Hinckley's gorgeous new book, "Route 66 Backroads" (Voyageur, 208 pages, $24.99), is a guide to more than 40 side trips that use historic Route 66 as a jumping-off point. The book's initial focus remains on 66, with seven chapters on each of the states the Mother Road traverses (the 13 miles of Kansas is … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66 Backroads”
Veterans Day tribute
Here is a list of soldiers from Route 66 towns who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. I've also added informative links to each of the fallen military personnel. ILLINOIS Chicago Staff Sgt. Oscar D. Vargas-Medina, died May 1, 2004 1st Sgt. Edward Smith, died April 5, 2003 Sgt. Ivory L. Phipps, died March 17, … Continue reading Veterans Day tribute
“Living at the Aztec Hotel”
This song by Gentlemen's Blues Club and its video footage take place at the historic Aztec Hotel on Route 66 in Monrovia, Calif. (Hat tip: Denny Gibson.)
Cataloging the past
Phil Gordon, who lives in Vancouver, Wash., dropped me an e-mail to let me know about an admirable project that he's undertaking -- he's trying to collect and catalog all the linen postcards that were issued along Route 66. He's set up a Web site to list all of these postcards. He has them grouped … Continue reading Cataloging the past
A nice stocking-stuffer
I was at Apertures Photo in Tulsa on Friday when a group of spiral-bound images on the counter caught my eye. It was an Oklahoma Route 66 2009 desk calendar produced by Mary E. Kell of Kell Cafe. It costs $10, and it contains a dozen images from Oklahoma Route 66 (seen above; clock it … Continue reading A nice stocking-stuffer