“This used to be the place I ran to …”

Emily has put together a slide show, with music, showing the aftermath of the fire that gutted the Rock Cafe in Stroud, Okla. The slide show is here.

“Route 66” DVD set will be released Aug. 5

TVShowsonDVD.com reports today that the Roxbury/Infinity DVD set, "Route 66 -- The Complete First Season," is set to be released Aug. 5. Earlier, the first-season release of the set had reportedly been delayed to fix technical issues arising in the initial half-season releases of the original "Route 66" television series, co-starring George Maharis and Martin … Continue reading “Route 66” DVD set will be released Aug. 5

“Desert Flowers on Route 66”

This is a folk group called Sweet Wednesday, and this is a performance of its song, "Desert Flowers on Route 66." Guitarist David Falk says the song will appear on an album, "Escaping from the Pale Moonlight," that will be released this fall. Here are the lyrics, straight from the source: It's overcast today on … Continue reading “Desert Flowers on Route 66”

Wedding scheduled at Odell Station

Here's a first for the historic Odell Station (above) on old Route 66 in Odell, Ill. -- a couple is using it as a place to get married. According to the news release: Jennifer O’Dowd and Thomas Kowaczek, from Schaumberg, Illinois, became enchanted in 2007 by the mystique of the Mother Road when they began … Continue reading Wedding scheduled at Odell Station

Rock Cafe fire undetermined

The cause of the blaze that gutted the historic Rock Cafe in Stroud, Okla., will probably remain forever a mystery, reports the Shawnee (Okla.) News-Star. The state fire marshal’s office investigated the cause of the fire. JoAnn Sellars, operations chief, said Wednesday that investigation is now complete. She said case agents were not able to … Continue reading Rock Cafe fire undetermined

Palm Springs Follies picks Route 66 as theme

The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, a Broadway-style music and dance revue in Palm Springs, Calif., has chosen Route 66 as its theme for its upcoming 2008-09 season. From the news release: Beginning October 28, 2008, and playing through May 17, 2009, the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies will “travel” Route 66 via music, dance and comedy … Continue reading Palm Springs Follies picks Route 66 as theme

High gas prices aren’t hurting tourism

Here's something to chew on from the Wayneville (Mo.) Daily Guide: High gas prices don’t seem to be hurting Pulaski County tourism, according to Tourism Bureau Executive Director Andy Thiem, and may even help local venues as vacationers choose to stay closer to home. Speaking at Thursday evening’s meeting of the Pulaski County Tourism Board, … Continue reading High gas prices aren’t hurting tourism

Horse-racing track in Moriarty approved

The New Mexico Racing Commission today approved the move of the Downs at Albuquerque from the New Mexico state fairgrounds to the Route 66 town of Moriarty, N.M., about 40 miles east, reports KRQE-TV. Planned is a 500-acre, $65 million facility at Highway 41 and Interstate 40. That is very close to Highway 333, aka … Continue reading Horse-racing track in Moriarty approved

Book review: “Route 66 in St. Louis”

In addition to guidebooks devoted to all 2,400 miles of Route 66, a bunch of volumes have been published that are more narrowly focused by geography. Individual books have been devoted to the Mother Road in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and California, in addition to the cities of Los Angeles and Chicago. However, … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66 in St. Louis”

A glimpse of a 1948 road trip

Here's an explanation for this amazing YouTube video: In 1948, the Osborn family loaded up their vehicle and headed for West Virginia. Their starting point was Redlands, CA. The film was shot in 1948 with an 8mm movie camera. Back in those days, Route 66 was one of the major west-east routes, thus the theme … Continue reading A glimpse of a 1948 road trip