The former Big Chief Dakota restaurant and motel complex on the Manchester Road alignment of Route 66 in Wildwood, Mo., now a B. Donovan's restaurant, may have some ghosts on the premises, reports the Suburban Journals. Smith said he has heard a number of stories about the property. "One is that there is a female … Continue reading Ghosts at the former Big Chief?
Magazine publishers get the Harley & Annabelle Experience
According to an article last week in the Elk City and Sayre newspapers in Oklahoma, Harley and Annabelle Russell of the Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick, Okla., entertained 57 members of the International Regional Magazine Association earlier this month. The group was in Oklahoma City for the gathering, but drove a few hours west to … Continue reading Magazine publishers get the Harley & Annabelle Experience
History of the Green Spot
Mark Landis, writing for the San Bernardino County Sun, wrote an interesting historical overview of the Green Spot Motel, built in 1937 on Route 66 in Victorville, Calif. The Green Spot, at 16937 C St., was the finest motel in town, offering the most modern comforts and services available for the traveling public. Twin arched … Continue reading History of the Green Spot
Faster fiesta
Brad Carter has created a time-lapse video of the sights from the recent Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The fiesta needs to use this guy's work for publicity, pronto. It makes me wanna go. (Hat tip: Duke City Fix.)
No bull
Straight from the Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff: The fiberglass bull welded to the sign outside Crazy Bill's Saloon and Steakhouse has been stolen. According to Flagstaff police reports, the brown bull, which is about half-sized in scale, was taken between 8 p.m. on Thursday and 4 a.m. on Friday from the bar and restaurant, … Continue reading No bull
Spinning yarns about Oklahoma Joe’s
Johnny Mango at Duke City Fix shows a postcard of one of Albuquerque's first barbecue joints, Oklahoma Joe's, on Central Avenue (aka Route 66) near the University of New Mexico campus. Mango said Okie Joe's, later known as Okie's, was known for 10-cent beer nights, with the brew served in paper cups. It was a … Continue reading Spinning yarns about Oklahoma Joe’s
You’re invited
Today, I received a message in the mail from the Illinois Department of Transportation. Here's what it said: Governor Rod R. Blagojevich and the Illinois Department of Transportation in conjunction with the Great Rivers Greenway District Cordially invite you to the Dedication Ceremony for the McKinley Bridge and the opening of The Chamber of Commerce … Continue reading You’re invited
A ‘Hero’ in Amboy
I heard a few days ago that the video for Enrique Iglesias' hit song "Hero" was shot in the Route 66 settlement of Amboy, Calif. Sure enough, it is. Check it out: Roy's is featured prominently, as is a church in town. And I was thinking the stone ruins were at Cadiz Summit, on Route … Continue reading A ‘Hero’ in Amboy
Bringing back Broadway
Los Angeles Downtown News Online has posted a long story about the city's attempts to revitalize the historic Broadway district, part of which is old Route 66. Many similar efforts have failed. But because the downtown area is gaining more residents, there's some urgency and hope that a Broadway revival will be for real. For … Continue reading Bringing back Broadway
Tout the route
We've noticed that more cities are taking advantage of the Internet and YouTube in particular in an effort to draw visitors and tourists. Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., is one of them. It has posted a nicely produced three-minute video that briefly explains the history of Route 66 and Rancho Cucamonga's current links to it. The embedding … Continue reading Tout the route