I overlooked this story a few weeks ago, but the neon Route 66 sign at Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza in Tulsa was damaged by a thief or vandal. The sign has been taken down for repairs and will be re-erected when it's completed. --- Season 3 of the original "Route 66" television series will be … Continue reading Notes from the road
Palm Springs Follies opens Route 66-themed season
The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies opened its "Get Your Kicks!" season on Tuesday. The entire season (through mid-May) uses the music and history of Route 66 as its inspiration. The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif., interviewed Route 66 advocate and Follies technical adviser Jim Conkle about the production and the Mother Road. Some excerpts: … Continue reading Palm Springs Follies opens Route 66-themed season
Senator may block Route 66 Corridor program’s renewal
The well-regarded Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program is up for a 10-year renewal by the U.S. Senate. However, one man -- Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) -- is threatening to scuttle the measure. Ironically, Coburn's constituents in Oklahoma have directly benefited from the program, which sunsets in late 2009. More than a dozen owners of historic … Continue reading Senator may block Route 66 Corridor program’s renewal
A different path
Route 66 slide shows are posted all the time on YouTube. But this one from Rosita in Great Britain is a little different. It contains a few photos from unusual angles, and it's quite an experience to hear a banjo with the techno soundtrack.
“The Magic in Springfield”
Here's a video called "The Magic in Springfield / Route 66," as in Springfield, Ill. It was produced by McKenzie Wagner Inc., a marketing consultant based in Champaign, Ill. It's a well-produced clip, albeit misleading in spots. Several of the Route 66 attractions shown aren't in Springfield, but in other towns -- a few of … Continue reading “The Magic in Springfield”
Autographed “Route 66” DVDs for sale on eBay
I've been alerted that there's a set of "Route 66: Season One, Volume One" DVDs, autographed by co-star George Maharis, for sale on eBay. The publicist for Maharis and the "Route 66" re-release alerted me to this, so the autograph is on the level. Proceeds from the sale benefit the Friends of Ivanhoe Elementary School … Continue reading Autographed “Route 66” DVDs for sale on eBay
Off the beaten path
Martini Mike of the Duke City Fix collective blog talks about the Red Ball Cafe, which has sat at 1303 S. Fourth St. since 1922. You'll notice in one of the pictures that there's a Route 66 shield on the front wall. Despite that, this is a restaurant of which I'm mostly unfamiliar, mainly because … Continue reading Off the beaten path
La Posada chef readies cookbook
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