John Sharpe, chef/owner of the acclaimed Turquoise Room restaurant attached to the historic La Posada hotel in Winslow, Ariz., recently announced that the cookbook he's been working on will be hitting bookstores next month. The book launching will be at the historic La Posada at 3 p.m. Nov. 16. Please RSVP your intention to attend … Continue reading La Posada chef readies cookbook
“Route 66 Railway” book is out
Railroad buff Elrond Lawrence long-gestating book about Route 66 and its historical relationship with Santa Fe/BNSF, "Route 66 Railway" (176 pages, $49.50, Los Angeles Historical Railroad Foundation) is now being shipped. An article in the Salinas Californian, Lawrence tells about how and why the book came about: "My goal was to recall the days when … Continue reading “Route 66 Railway” book is out
Mustang tour will break record
The Mustangs Across America tour, which will trace part of Route 66, isn't for another six months, but it has already broken the event's record for most cars that will be participating. According to TheMustangNews.com, 345 cars have already been signed up for the mid-April tour. That breaks the record of 334 cars in 2004. … Continue reading Mustang tour will break record
Converting a skeptic
David Landsel of the New York Post wasn't planning on driving Route 66 between Albuquerque and Flagstaff, Ariz., and had regarded driving the old road as "unnecessary and hardship." But he did, and is now kicking himself for not spending more time in Gallup, N.M., and eating at (and staying overnight) at La Posada in … Continue reading Converting a skeptic
Preview: “A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway”
The Lincoln Highway is not Route 66. Instead of going from Chicago to L.A., it traverses the country from New York City's Times Square to San Francisco. The Lincoln is 1,000 miles longer. And it predates the Mother Road by more than a decade. However, Mother Road aficionados will find a lot to love during … Continue reading Preview: “A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway”
Going Dutch
Dries Bessels of the Netherlands has just created the Dutch Route 66 Association and has a Web site for it. The site contains plenty of photos, history of the route, and other information. Bessels, who's driven the route by motorcycle, told me the association has just a handful of members now, but is hopeful the … Continue reading Going Dutch
It’s an election year …
... so the presidential candidates both were on Route 66 in the same town on the same day. Democratic candidate Barack Obama held a rally at the University of New Mexico on Saturday evening. Earlier that morning, Republican candidate John McCain held a rally at the New Mexico fairgrounds. Both are right on Central Avenue, … Continue reading It’s an election year …
Portion of original National Road found
This isn't on Route 66, but still significant for lovers of historic highways. After all, we're talking about the granddaddy of the entire bunch. From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: While excavating for construction of a new bridge overpass near the Brownsville Drive-In, PennDOT workers discovered what turned out to be a 200-year-old portion of the original … Continue reading Portion of original National Road found
Election Day for Atlanta
Nov. 4 is the day that Americans will choose a new president. It's also the day in which the residents of Atlanta, Ill., are considering a property-tax hike to boost the operations of a new museum. From the Lincoln Courier: Residents in the Atlanta Public Library District will be asked to approve a tax levy … Continue reading Election Day for Atlanta
William Least Heat-Moon writes another road-trip book
Back in 1982, William Least Heat-Moon wrote one of the great books about the road, "Blue Highways: A Journey into America." The 13,000-mile itinerary of "Blue Highways" didn't follow Route 66. But the author's willingness to explore the nation's backroads and its people -- and his refusal to patronize the interstates and fast-food joints -- … Continue reading William Least Heat-Moon writes another road-trip book