Tribute to Bolin Ford January 31, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses.1 comment so far
Here’s a video tribute that someone posted about the devastating fire in December that destroyed much of Bolin Ford on Route 66 in Bristow, Okla.
Much of the historic Bristow Motor Co. complex still remains, however. Bolin Ford plans to rebuild.
Tucumcari may make another bet on racetrack January 31, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Sports, Towns.2 comments
Tucumcari, N.M., is betting that another horse-racing license will come open in the next two years and has decided to keep its option on purchasing land between Interstate 40 and Route 66, reports the Quay County Sun.
Tucumcari lobbied hard last year to get the racetrack, but the state awarded the license to Raton, N.M.
The town is betting that one or two proposed new racetracks won’t be built because of the downtown of the economy. That would free up a racing license, and presumably give Tucumcari another shot at it.
Marketing agency now owns Route66.com January 30, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Web sites.add a comment
The long-dormant Internet domain of “route66.com” was acquired a few months ago by the Oklahoma City-based marketing firm of Ackerman McQueen.
Route66.com’s home page has undergone an update. It’s still fairly rudimentary, but does contain links to POPS in Arcadia, Okla.; the OklaTravelNet site and the National Historic Route 66 Federation. A screen shot of the new site is shown above, along with the tantalizing words “Coming Soon.”
I e-mailed Debby Johnson, executive vice president and director of marketing at Ackerman McQueen, and asked about the domain’s ownership change. She replied:
Yes, we bought the domain for one of our clients. I can’t be more specific at this time but it’s in good hands.
I noticed on Ackerman McQueen’s Internet site that Oklahoma Tourism is one of its clients. That would be a more 
logical fit than the other clients listed. Also, the redesigned home page bears a considerable resemblance to Oklahoma Tourism’s well-executed Route 66 brochure that came out last spring (shown here).
According to online archives, David Williams started the graphic-rich and useful route66.com site in late 1996. But he seemed to lose interest after he ran from Chicago to Santa Monica in his own personal Bunion Derby in 2001. Sometime in early 2004, the site disappeared altogether.
At the Route 66 Festival in Clinton, Okla., in 2007, Williams told us that the site’s hosting company had been “hijacked,” and he seemed pessimistic that he would get the domain back.
We’ll see what happens to route66.com now. At the least, it will be semi-useful again.
Rock Cafe resurrection January 29, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Preservation, Restaurants.3 comments
Roof trusses on the Rock Cafe going up.
It appears the Rock Cafe in Stroud, Okla., is shooting for a reopening in May — the one-year anniversary of a devastating fire that gutted the historic building.
David Burke Historic Preservation, based in Perry, Okla., is the main contractor on the reconstruction project. It has a Web page that details the ongoing work, including lots of photos and an article from the Lincoln County News. A lot has been happening at the restaurant site in recent weeks.
Rock Cafe owner Dawn Welch has posted a lot of photos on her blog, also.
Needless to say, this is really good news.
(Hat tip: Jae Davis and Linda Burke)
Spreading the gospel January 28, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, Route 66 Associations.1 comment so far
Members of the Czech Route 66 Association put together an exhibit at a local shopping mall so that fellow citizens of the Czech Republic can learn about the Mother Road.
The exhibit will be up until March 2.
Robert Earl Keen to go on Route 66 tour January 28, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Music, Road trips.add a comment
Texas singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen will go on a music tour of Route 66 sometime this year, reports the San Antonio Express-News.
According to Keen’s Web site, the tour will mark the 20th anniversary of his most famous song, “The Road Goes on Forever (and the Party Never Ends).” A documentary also is planned, and a book about the song is coming out, too.
The itinerary of the Route 66 tour isn’t available yet. I’ll post it when it’s available.
In the meantime, here’s Keen performing the song, early in his career.
VW RV January 27, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Vehicles.3 comments
One of the Volkswagen MiniHomes.
Near the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Ariz., there’s a vintage Volkswagen Beetle that’s been converted into a motorhome. It’s been sitting off Route 66 for years.
I’d assumed the VW RV was some sort of one-off project by a local mechanic and that the vehicle was dubious in its road-worthiness.
However, in this post at CarDomain Blog, it turns out that the conversion kits were made by a company called Bugaroo and that Mechanix Illustrated showed you how to build one yourself.
You can still buy the plans here for $55. According to Robert Q. Riley Enterprises, which is selling the plans:
Despite its contradictory appearance, MiniHome is an amazing little vehicle. Due to its wide offset wheels, beefed up stabilizer bar, and rear overload shocks, it handles very much like the stock VW. And its overall design is one of the most clever packaging solutions around. Inside, it has all the appointments and facilities of a standard camper. Appliances and storage space are situated across the rear. The butane stove and stainless steel sink in the left rear corner mount to a single module that slides out the side so you can cook and wash either outdoors or inside. A 50-lb size icebox is located in the center rear, and a closet is located on the right. Turning the large swivel-base chairs 180 degrees (backs against the windshield) opens up the center so the modular lower bed can slide out of its hideaway compartment. The cabover section makes into a full-size bed by folding down a hinged extension.
Driving MiniHome is an addictive experience. Acceleration and cornering are much like the original VW. But one does have to negotiate a few trial turns in order to gain confidence in its roll stability. MiniHome is much more stable than it looks. After a few minutes behind the wheel, the pleasure of driving such a small vehicle, in comparison to other RVs, begins to take effect. MiniHome has the same nimble feel that Beetle owners have always enjoyed in their stock VWs. The only detriment is limited rear visibility, similar to that of many other RVs. Also, maximum speed is reduced about 10 mph, and fuel economy suffers slightly because of increased air resistance at highway speeds.
More vintage pictures of the completed VW RV can be seen here.
Book review: “Drive the Broadway of America” January 27, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Books, Highways, Maps.1 comment so far
It’s not about Route 66. It’s not a book in the traditional sense. But Jeff Jensen’s “Drive the Broadway of America” (self-published, 223 pages, $30, including shipping) should greatly please Route 66ers and entice roadies to new two-lane adventures.
Jensen’s book, subtitled “The U.S. 80 and the Bankhead Highways Across the American Southwest,” is the product of years of meticulous research of a road also known as the Dixie Overland Highway, Old Spanish Trail, Lee Highway and the Ocean to Ocean Highway.
Jensen’s U.S. 80 book covers only the states of California, Arizona and New Mexico. So those wishing for a more comprehensive, coast-to-coast volume will have to wait. But there are enough material and attractions to keep roadies busy for weeks.
“Broadway of America” is a book in an Adobe Acrobat form on a CD. Jensen has declined for now to have the book in print form because it would be too cost prohibitive, especially in color. However, its format does allow a user to print it.
If 223 pages sound daunting for a three-state travelogue, one should realize that Jensen liberally sprinkles maps, color photos and side stories throughout its pages. Also, about a third of the book is devoted to west-to-east directions, in addition to the traditional east-to-west.
Jensen’s book provides helpful guides to older U.S. 80 alignments, including those that are so degraded or primitive that it would be difficult for even four-wheel drive vehicles to traverse. (One old alignment is not recommended for exploration because it’s heavily traveled by illegal aliens and drug smugglers.)
The book is sliced into a series of “tours” so travelers can experience U.S. 80 in bits and pieces. He also includes “bail points,” where travelers can return to the interstate or a major highway.
U.S. 80 goes from isolated areas where you may be the only traveler for miles around, to congested urban settings in Phoenix, Tucson and San Diego. The book lists “must stops, ” including the 1929 Gadsden Hotel in Douglas, Ariz.; the Shady Dell in Bisbee, Ariz., featuring old Airstream trailers available for a night’s stay and an operating Valentine diner; a 1916 arch bridge near Quatay, Calif.; and the Desert View Watchtower near Boulder Park, Calif.
Jensen points out vintage motels and buildings along the way, and side trips that probably shouldn’t be missed, such as the famed Saguaro National Park near Phoenix.
What’s enticing about the book is that you almost feel as if you’re traveling with Jensen. Here’s a description of the highway winding through the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico:
“Indeed, a quick whiff might bring one the smell of freshly mowed hay, perhaps scallions, or if you’re really unlucky, fresh fertilizer. Small pecan groves dot the landscape and keep you company as you pass through the small towns of Berino (or more properly, Berino Siding) Vado (once known as Herron, Earlham, Center Valley and finally Vado around 1920 or so), and Mesquite prior to entering Mesilla Park and the south side of Las Cruces.”
Or this one, on New Mexico Highway 418 west of Deming:
“The smell of onions in bloom was heavy in the air when I passed through in 2006, while the next time around the faint smell of alfalfa wafted through my open window. Regardless, the pastoral fields and mountain backdrop make for a relaxing scene.”
The book begins in an easygoing pace, then the old road seemingly becomes more fascinating as one moves west. I found myself being seduced by the charms of U.S. 80 and wanted to experience it myself.
I hope that Jensen can eventually find a publisher for this book; more people need to know about this highway.
Highly recommended.
Missed opportunity January 26, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Restaurants.1 comment so far
Dan Weber, staff writer for The Collegian newspaper at the University of Tulsa, has this to say about the university’s construction in recent years along 11th Street, aka Route 66, in Tulsa.
The actual presence of Tulsa on campus itself is much less prominent than in 2005.
You don’t have to be a fan of Insane Clown Posse or diner slop to understand that Starship and The Metro (two businesses displaced by south campus construction) were Tulsa institutions that meant more to locals than the view of the Collins Hall fountain ever will.
The clichéd complaint that spurred the Chapman Commons “front door” project was that traveling along 11th Street, those unfamiliar with the campus wouldn’t be able to recognize that they were adjacent to a university.
Since 11th also happens to be midtown’s leg of Route 66, TU was squandering a golden opportunity to latch onto the mythos of the Mother Road. Ironically, now gazing upon Chapman Commons one wouldn’t immediately recognize that they were adjacent to Route 66.
The sight of a vast, overly-manicured lawn lined with saplings and wood and brick apartments seems more appropriate for a Jenks-style golf-course or neighborhood than Tulsa’s seedy motel and used car dealership corridor. [...]
If future developments are as single-minded as the latest projects have been, the university may further force the surrounding area to accommodate its vision of a desirable campus and its students to accept a school that feels more insular the more it expands.
The column also takes a swipe at TU for putting up a big black gate near the poor but distinctive Kendall-Whittier neighborhood, which contains an older alignment of Route 66. Weber says “the gate only reinforces TU’s image as an affluent enclave seeking its own interests and security.”
I have nothing more to add.
Ghosts in the motel January 26, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Ghosts and Mysteries, Motels.add a comment
There were some suggestions in the past that the historic Hotel Brunswick on Route 66 in Kingman, Ariz., was haunted. Debe Branning of Examiner.com has more specific stories about those ghostly incidents:
A previous innkeeper told the MVD Ghostchasers crew about some of the difficulties he encountered with the Brunswick ghosts after he purchased the hotel. Early on, members of his family came down to breakfast and found they had yellow marks on their necks. They all had a good laugh about it — and the marks easily washed off. [...]
Guests have felt someone tugging on their feet or legs in the middle of the night. Women have witnessed a small child in their rooms looking for someone to play with. The previous owner told us that he often found old pennies and coins lined up in stacks along the hallways and near the bar. He felt it was the spirits way of assuring him that prosperous times were on the way.Recently, the new owner has had a few ghostly encounters of his own. He opened the door to the cellar and glanced down to the bottom of the stairs. He saw an outline of what looked like a man heading up the steps. He stood frozen as the spirit whisked through him and caused goose bumps to rise on his skin. He glanced again to see another ghostly outline heading his way, but quickly retreated back and firmly closed the cellar door.