New song takes place on Route 66 in Texas January 16, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Highways, History, Music.add a comment
The Gourds, a folk-rock band out of Texas, has a song, “All the Way to Jericho,” on its new album, “Haymaker!” that takes place on Route 66 in the Lone Star State.
The Jericho in the song, according to a review in Pitchfork Media, refers to the notorious Jericho Gap of old Route 66 in the Texas Panhandle. The Jericho Gap was an unpaved portion of the Mother Road that turned to mud after the slightest rain, providing locals a cottage industry in towing services.
And the lyrics to “All the Way to Jericho” do seem to refer to the gigantic cross that’s nearby in Groom, Texas.
An excerpt of the song can be heard here. And the song also is available for purchase on iTunes.
Changes in Route 66 Preservation Program January 16, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in People, Preservation.add a comment
Changes are afoot in the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.
Longtime program manager Michael Romero Taylor has moved on to a new post at the National Parks Service’s National Trails office. His cohort for the entire tenure of the program, Kaisa Barthuli, will become the acting program manager until it sunsets late this year — unless it is reauthorized by Congress for another 10 years, which is looking increasingly likely.
John Murphey joined the Route 66 staff as of Jan. 5. Barthuli had this to say about him in an e-mail:
John comes to us from the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office, and has extensive knowledge of historic preservation and historic roads. He will bring great energy and experience to the program, and we are very fortunate to have him.
From other accounts I’ve heard, Murphey will be an excellent pickup for the program. I have little doubt the Route 66 office will hum along without a hitch.
However, I’m sad to see Taylor go. We’ve known him for about eight years. He’s soft-spoken and courteous, and his enthusiasm and dedication to the Mother Road were genuine. And I think his (and Kaisa’s) accessibility was one of the strong points of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. If you contacted the office about a historical question or a preservation crisis, you could rest assured that you’d get a prompt answer or some sort of action would be taken.
As I’ve said before, people like Mike and Kaisa are rare instances of giving the term “bureaucrats” a good name. And, now that I think about it, that may have been a big reason why there’s so much sentiment to renew the program.
If you want tourism dollars, be tourism-friendly January 16, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions.1 comment so far
This excerpt in an article in the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph caught my attention:
Between June 2006 and June 2007, the tourism industry funneled about $29.5 million through neighboring Logan County. During that same time, DeWitt County counted about $9.1 million.
“I understand that Logan County is twice the size of DeWitt County in terms of population,” Wollet said. “But tourism dollars aren’t about population. It’s money coming into the county from outside. What does Logan County have that DeWitt County doesn’t and why are they drawing so much more in tourism dollars?”
Logan County’s Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau Director, Geoff Ladd, said the numbers are based on a report from the Illinois Bureau of Tourism and include money spent on lodging, meals and other items. Last year, Logan County saw a rise of 5.8 percent in tourism dollars; Ladd attributed the increase to a renewed interest in Route 66 sites.
Clinton City Administrator Tim Followell said the process of recording tourism dollars is not an exact science.
“Logan County has stock car racing, some festivals and two universities which draw people to spend the night,” Followell said. “But I also don’t understand how to explain the difference.”
Allow me.
I’m not discounting the possibility that Logan County is getting some tourism money because someone is returning a political favor in terms of tourism referrals. That’s pretty easy to believe, given the accusations against the current governor. Illinois has always been a “scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” state.
But I’m far more willing to entertain the fact that Logan County is getting more money simply because it has an effective tourism director. Geoff Ladd was the one who saved The Mill in Lincoln from the wrecking ball. He’s the one who moved the Giant Abe Lincoln in a Giant Covered Wagon to Lincoln. The tourism bureau published an attractive tourism guide. It added a Route 66 twist to an Abe Lincoln festival. It helped with the 37 Miles of Smiles garage sale.
Looking over that last paragraph, it’s pretty obvious that Logan County has a very proactive tourism chief. Naturally, that gets attention and leads to tourism dollars.
At least it seems Clinton has taken the hint. According to the article, it’s hiring a tourism director.
A look at the Arcadia Route 66 exhibit January 16, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, Museums.add a comment
The Pasadena (Calif.) Star-News went over to the Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum in Arcadia, Calif., and checked out the Route 66 exhibition there.
And it sounds like the folks who put it together did a good job:
On display in the museum’s right-hand corridor are photos, maps and artifacts that trace the historic route, which wound its way from Chicago to Los Angeles, with a stop in Arcadia along the way.
A large portion of the exhibit is dedicated to photographs of storefronts that once lined the path of Route 66 in Arcadia.
Roadside businesses — including Dewey Butler’s corn stand and the Wigwam orange juice stand that stood on Foothill — are represented, along with many art-deco motels and gas stations.
“Most of those buildings are long gone now,” Dunn said.
One of the few exceptions is Rod’s Grill on Huntington Drive. The longtime establishment has been open for business more than 60 years.
Eaton’s Santa Anita Restaurant and Hotel at the corner of Colorado and Michillinda was not so lucky. It closed in 1969, when it was seized by the IRS for $42,000 in unpaid taxes.
But, like the key to room No. 53 at Eaton’s, Dunn said these nostalgic images from the past could unlock lost memories and get visitors talking about what they remember about Route 66.
The exhibit will be there through March 28. So check it out before it’s gone.
Senate passes bill containing Route 66 program January 15, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Preservation.2 comments
The U.S. Senate approved the massive public lands bill by a 73-21 margin Thursday afternoon, reported the Clovis (N.M.) News-Journal.
The measure contains 160 bills, including a reauthorization of the well-regarded Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program for another 10 years. The Route 66 program provides cost-share grants and other assistances to historic businesses and property owners on the Mother Road, and had been slated to sunset in late 2009.
The measure had been held up for weeks by a legislative hold by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called a rare Sunday session a few days ago, and the Senate easily advanced the measure.
A similar measure goes to the House. The bill, reintroduced by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) last week, will likely be among the first bills signed into law by President-elect Barack Obama.
Movie star becomes spokeswoman for World Monuments Fund January 15, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Movies, People, Preservation, Television.add a comment
Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn has decided to be a spokeswoman for the World Monuments Fund, reports United Press International today.
The WMF is an independent group dedicated to preserving the world’s historic treasures. Route 66 was placed on the group’s Watch List in 2008.
Tripplehorn’s involvement is good enough news. But there’s this:
“I am especially interested in WMF’s wonderful program, the World Monuments Watch, through which they announce, every other year, a list of 100 most endangered sites. One of the most recent Watch sites is Route 66, which runs through my hometown of Tulsa, Okla., and ends not too far from where I now live in Los Angeles,” Tripplehorn noted. “We all take for granted that the places we love will be around forever, but that’s clearly not the case, not even with Route 66, a familiar reminder to me of home. So, I am proud to speak out on behalf of the World Monuments Fund, which has been saving historic sites for more than 40 years, from Beijing to Rome to Tulsa.”
Tripplehorn, 45, stars in the HBO TV series “Big Love” and in the movies “Basic Instinct” and “The Firm.” She has more than 40 credits in television and film.
“Life Ain’t Always Beautiful” January 14, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Motels, Music, People, Signs.1 comment so far
Check out the neon sign during this video by Gary Allan. It’s from the Holiday Motel on the Strip in Las Vegas — one of the last survivors of vintage motels there.
The song itself has a interesting history. Allan recorded it shortly after his wife committed suicide. Several of the songs from the excellent “Tough All Over” album are emotionally searing like that, and it made one wonder how Allen had the strength to go into the studio and sing those. But Allan said in interviews that it would have been much worse for him to stay at home after the tragedy; he saw the recording process as a cathartic experience.