With a flick of the switch … April 5, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Preservation, Restaurants, Signs.add a comment
… Redforkhippie saw the distinctive neon sign at the Rock Cafe in Stroud, Okla., fire to life again many months after it was snuffed out by a fire in the restaurant.
She saw the neon sign lit on Friday afternoon, thanks to David Burke, who is supervising the restoration of the historic Route 66 restaurant. He gave her a tour of the reconstruction and offered to briefly turn on the sign.
The sign glowing red and green seems like a small thing. But after that devastating fire in May 2008, any little restoration of the Rock’s old glory is cause for celebration.
It also served to remind us that the reopening of the Rock is a mere seven weeks away.
(Photo by Redforkhippie)
The smell of the road April 4, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Fashion, Restaurants, Television.1 comment so far
This apparently aired on Israeli television — an ad for Route 66 cologne, from Coty.
Much of the footage was shot at Roy’s, on Route 66 in Amboy, Calif.
I think Coty quit making it. It’s no longer listed on Coty’s Web site, and it’s out of stock at many online retailers.
Here’s a description:
This masculine scent posesses a blend of: Fruits, woods and tobacco make up this manly aroma. It is recommended for romantic wear.
Add the smell of chicken wings and beer, and you’ll be at the Luna Cafe — not always a bad thing.
Vintage Roadside has a new Route 66-related T-shirt April 4, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Fashion, Restaurants.3 comments
The good folks at Vintage Roadside, which put old graphics of defunct roadside businesses on apparel, have released a new image from the Mother Road.
They have a T-shirt featuring Gwinn’s Restaurant and Drive-In at 2915 E. Colorado Blvd. (Route 66) in Pasadena, Calif.
The restaurant featured a striking Mid-Century design. The restaurant was in business from 1949 to 1972. Longtime owner Floyd Gwinn also was mayor of Pasadena for a short time in the mid-1960s.
For more about Gwinn’s, or to buy a T-shirt, go here.
POPS apparel mixes Easter and Route 66 April 3, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, Fashion, Restaurants.1 comment so far
You have to give POPS in Arcadia, Okla., a lot of credit.
Not only is it wildly popular, but the restaurant/convenience store keeps coming up with new gimmicks to bring in even more visitors.
Today, I received an e-mail announcing that POPS is holding its annual Easter Egg Hunt at 2 p.m. April 12. Hundreds of Easter eggs will be spread on the POPS grounds, and prizes will be offered. The Easter Bunny also will hop in to make an appearance.
But here’s what made me smile: Check out the logo on POPS’ new Easter T-shirt:
Details on Illinois, Missouri motor tours April 3, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, Road trips, Route 66 Associations.add a comment
The Illinois and Missouri Route 66 Associations recently gave out additional details about their annual motor tours.
First, some quick facts about the 20th annual Missouri tour on Sept. 11-13:
- The tour starts in Joplin and ends in Pacific.
- A block of rooms will be reserved at the Holiday Inn in Joplin, and the Munger Moss Motel and Best Western Wyota Inn, both in Lebanon.
- Stops during the motor tour include the Jasper County Courthouse in Carthage, the ghost town of Spencer, Wrink’s Market in Lebanon, Witmor Farms near Buckhorn, and the Tri-County Truck Stop in Pacific, among others. Tour organizers also are recommending a visit to 4 Women on the Route in Galena, Kan., on Friday.
- A passport will be given to participants, brimming with information about tour stops and the history of the road and the association.
Registration and more information about the tour can be found here.
The Illinois association’s tour, on June 12-14, also is its 20th. It goes from Berwyn to Edwardsville.
- Host hotels are the Marriott in Burr Ridge, Best Western Countryside in Countryside, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express in Springfield, the Comfort Inn in Edwardsville.
- Registration on the evening of June 12 is Salerno Restaurante Vincente in Hodgkins. The morning of June 13, it’s at White Fence Farm in Romeoville.
- A prominent stop includes the Our Lady of the Highways near Raymond, which is marking its 50th anniversary.
- The tour includes the Hall of Fame dinner Saturday night at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield.
To register, go here.
What is a road movie? April 2, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Movies, Road trips.5 comments
Author Chuck Klosterman (probably best known for his road-trip book “Killing Yourself to Live”) attempts to answer the question in a thoughtful way in an article for The Telegraph in London.
The essay contains ruminations about such films as “Easy Rider” and “Two-Lane Blacktop,” both which were shot partially on Route 66.
Klosterman also gets an interesting take from “Motorcycle Diaries” director Walter Salles:
Because of the necessity of accompanying the internal transformation of its characters, road movies are not about what can be verbalised, but about what can be felt. In this sense, road movies contrast dramatically with the present mainstream films, in which new actions are created every five minutes to grab the attention of the spectator. In road movies, a moment of silence is generally more important than the most dramatic action.
Cue up a scene from the Route 66 ghost town of Glenrio.
In a related article, The Telegraph lists the five greatest car movies of all time.
GPS 66 site launched April 2, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Books, Maps, Road trips, Web sites.1 comment so far
Drew Knowles, author of the “Route 66 Adventure Handbook” and the “Route 66 Quick Reference Encyclopedia” and proprietor of the Route 66 University site, has launched the interactive and open-source GPS 66 site.
He described it “as the closest thing yet to an online tour of Route 66, including precise GPS-based mapping, eyewitness commentary, and hundreds of photographs.”
Plenty of global-positioning system sites are out there tailored specifically for Route 66 travel. However, Knowles’ site aims to be more multimedia.
GPS 66 isn’t yet complete, but Kansas and Texas are finished. Knowles said in an e-mail that Missouri would be finished by the end of May. It’s hoped that Oklahoma and perhaps New Mexico would be finished by summer. He’s encouraging input and information from fellow roadies for the project to help make it more informative and fun.
The maps are nicely interactive. If you click on a certain town, the map enlarges and more interactive links will reveal themselves. Clicking on button will reveal information about a Route 66 attraction and sometimes a photo. A screen shot of the link to 4 Women on the Route in Galena, Kan., is shown above.
If you want to help with the project, go here.
“Gateway to Oklahoma” April 2, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Towns.1 comment so far
“Gateway to Oklahoma” is what the state tourism director Hardy Watkins described Miami, Okla., during that city’s chamber of commerce luncheon Wednesday, reported the Joplin (Mo.) Globe.
Watkins told the crowd that successful communities know who they are, accept who they are and celebrate who they are. [...]
“You’re being incredibly aggressive,” Watkins said, praising the “spirit and cooperation” of community members.
Watkins said a number of attractions, such as the last 9-foot section of old Route 66 and several casinos, lure visitors to the area.
I suppose the nearby Route 66 towns of Quapaw and Commerce could quibble with the “gateway” tag. But Miami is the first town with lots of roadside services that westbound travelers encounter when they enter Oklahoma. Miami also is the first exit in Oklahoma off Interstate 44.
A take on Tulsa’s Mother Road April 1, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Museums, People.add a comment
Urban Tulsa, the alternative weekly in town, has a report today about the still-being-planned Route 66 interpretive center in town.
Many of the quotes are from Michael Wallis, author of the best-selling “Route 66: The Mother Road.”
Wallis’ thoughts about the Route 66 center:
“I saw this site as the key to really push Tulsa over the top in its involvement in Route 66 on a national level,” he said.
The interpretative center will be designed to provide an interactive experience for users, rather than a more passive one. Wallis goes so far as to call it “The Route 66 Experience.”
“I’ve been bending over backwards not to use the word museum,” he said.
“I love museums, but this is not going to be walking in and seeing artifacts under glass. In fact, it will be just the opposite.”
He envisions computer-generated imagery and a variety of hands-on attractions that will appeal not just to those who traveled the road as a child, but to twentysomethings who have grown up accustomed to being engaged in such a manner. A professional staff will be on hand to assist visitors in educational and research activities, elevating the center to a sort of clearinghouse for all things Route 66.
There’s a lot there, albeit much of it already reported here. But it’s a good overview nonetheless.
No hoaxes here April 1, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Web sites.add a comment
Today is April Fools’ Day. I feel obligated to inform readers that you should not expect hoaxes today, or any other day, on this site. I value the credibility of Route 66 News too much to waste your time and mine on such tomfoolery.
That is all.