Debate in the desert September 8, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses.1 comment so far
USA Today has an interesting article about a simmering controversy over a proposed solar-power plant in the Mojave Desert near the Route 66 hamlet of Amboy, Calif.
I would recommend reading it all, but wanted to call attention to an excerpt:
PG&E project manager Alice Harron says she is “comfortable” with the solar power plant her utility wants to build on government land here along 4 miles of the Mother Road that connected Chicago and Los Angeles long before the interstate system.
David Myers of the Wildlands Conservancy is not. Renewable energy projects such as this one — which could power 224,000 homes — sound good in theory, he says, but if they tear up pristine vistas, they’re not “green.” [...]
I think the big mistake by opponents is the same that was made by Valle Vista residents regarding another alternative-energy project — this dubious notion that the Route 66 is some sort of pristine, natural landscape.
The Route 66 corridor is anything but. The Mother Road has always been a vital artery of commerce — Roy’s in Amboy and other operating (and defunct) roadside businesses that dot the highway are proof. Even without Route 66, that section of the Mojave is home to a major BNSF railway, another significant road that connects to Twentynine Palms, Calif., and a nearby military base. That’s hardly what anyone would call virginal wilderness.
And that sparsely populated desert stretch of Route 66 from Needles to Barstow is more than 150 miles. Four miles of a solar-power plant isn’t going to ruin anyone’s vacation.
Like it or not, the United States is going to have to develop some alternate forms of energy in the coming decades. The price of oil isn’t going to remain lower forever. If we can develop other forms of energy from an abundant, domestic and nonpolluting sources, it’s going to be a long-term strategic victory for our country.
It’s proper that Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), who’s expressed reservations about the plan, would keep a critical eye on the project. Oversight is good. But it’s my opinion that Myers’ and other critics’ reasons for opposing the Mojave solar project are weak.
Besides, if a solar plant brings more traffic to that long-moribund stretch of Route 66, that would be a positive for Roy’s and other businesses on the road, correct?
Live from Erick September 8, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Music, People.add a comment
Harley and Annabelle Russell, aka the Mediocre Music Makers, perform “Don’t Be Angry” at their Sandhills Curiosity Shop just off Route 66 in Erick, Okla.
It must have been hot that day; Harley didn’t wear a shirt with his overalls.
Pistol-packing princess September 7, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Religion.add a comment
The title of this post will become apparent while you watch the latest installment of “Route 66: A Road Trip through the Bible.”
Esther’s cute, but don’t mess with her.
Packard passion September 7, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Gas stations, Vehicles.add a comment
This is a video that shows the Packards on display at Afton Station on Route 66 in Afton, Okla.
Santa Monica Pier centennial September 7, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Events, History, Radio.add a comment
The Santa Monica Pier, the symbolic western end point of Route 66, will get a lot of attention this week when it marks its 100th anniversary on Wednesday.
National Public Radio has an excellent story about the pier and its history, including this:
Fishermen have been flocking to the pier’s edge since its early days. Olaf Olsen, a retired sailor who visited the pier in the 1920s and 1930s, may even have inspired E.C. Segar’s spinach-loving comic book character.
“The artist who drew Popeye, he and his assistant would come down to the pier every day, and every day they would rent a skiff, which they would take off the end of the pier, and they would discuss story ideas,” Harris says. “Every day they walked to the end of the pier, they encountered [Olsen], one of the fishing boat captains. … It turned out that [Olsen's look] became the physical model for the cartoon character.”
The sad story of Chavez Ravine September 6, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in History, Music, Sports.2 comments
Most people know of Chavez Ravine, located just off the Arroyo Seco Parkway (aka Route 66), as the site of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
But many don’t know what was there before the baseball park. This video helps explain it.
The saga inspired one of Ry Cooder‘s most-acclaimed albums, “Chavez Ravine.”
Book review: “A Visual Journey Down America’s Main Street” September 5, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Books, Photographs.1 comment so far
A historic Steak 'n Shake in Springfield, Mo. Photo by Stephen Giangreco from his book "A Visual Journey Down America's Main Street."
Photographer Stephen Giangreco, based in Lenexa, Kan., is a fan of old vehicles, has been shooting images of Route 66 for years, and has a Web site called Route66Forever.com.
Giangreco has just published a fine-art book of his choicest Mother Road images titled “A Visual Journey Down America’s Main Street” (118 pages, self-published, $66 hardcover, $48 soft cover). Those vibrant and atmospheric photographs should bring a smile to veteran roadies and spark the interest of those who have never ventured on the old highway.
Giangreco segments the book into Gas, Food, Lodging, Sites and Ghosts chapters (the latter features abandoned vehicles). Don’t look for the people who populate Route 66. Instead, Giangreco focuses on the inanimate objects, landmarks and ruins that also give the road so much character.
His photos range from rich, saturated color to moody sepia-toned to black-and-white, with visual effects used sparingly. Among my favorites are a detailed look at the old Hotel Beale neon sign in Kingman, Ariz.; a Steak ‘n Shake restaurant at dusk in Springfield, Mo. (pictured above); and a faded Nutrena Feed sign on the back of the old Star Cash grocery in Commerce, Okla. (seen below).
Ghosts becomes one of the most striking chapters. In it, you’ll see long-abandoned DeSotos, Chevrolets, GMCs and other vehicles decaying in the weeds along the road. Giangreco photographs these as if they were fading beauties and not eyesores. Fans of classic cars will sigh wistfully at many of these images — especially in an era in which Detroit automakers are struggling to survive.
Some potential customers may be taken aback by the book’s price tag. However, “A Visual Journey” is a first-class volume, with excellent color reproduction, large images and quality-stock paper. In this case, you get what you pay for.
Recommended.
The back of the Star Cash grocery in Commerce, Okla. Photo by Stephen Giangreco from the book "A Visual Journey Down America's Main Street."
Shuttered Winslow tavern is torn down September 5, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, History, Music.1 comment so far
The long-closed Prairie Moon tavern in Winslow, Ariz., finally was torn down and the rubble hauled away a few days ago, reported AzJournal.com.
Here’s a photo of the bar before it was razed.
According to several people quoted in the article, the Prairie Moon also was known for prostitution.
Longtime Winslow resident Gabe Martinez grew up behind the Prairie Moon and recalls that in addition to housing “ladies of the night,” the bar also drew in truckers and other travelers with illegal gambling and plenty of alcohol.
“That was when Route 66 went through town,” Martinez said. “The truck drivers would come through and stop there for beer, gambling and to visit a lady of the night.” [...]
Although he is not sure of an exact date, Martinez believes the bar was built in the 1930s. By the time he was old enough to remember it, the bar did a thriving business. He recalls bands playing live music there, and believes that the Jackson Five may have played there during their time in Winslow.
The Jackson 5 in Winslow? Apparently so. A researcher a few weeks ago verified that the Jacksons had a relative living in town from 1966 to 1968, and the family stayed there during the summer. Also found was a clipping from a Winslow newspaper during that era, advertising a Jackson “Five” concert at the local Elks Lodge.
Back to the Prairie Moon. Someone bought the ramshackle building a few years ago, tried to renovate it, but failed. The Prairie Moon reverted back to city ownership, and the structure eventually was razed.
Like anything quintessentially American, Route 66 had a seamy side in its history. Those seamy tales such as the Prairie Moon’s deserve to be told as well as the nobler stories, before the memories disappear. And here we are.
Weekend movie option September 5, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Movies.add a comment
If you’re hankering to go see a flick at your local theater, it looks as if you could do far worse than “My One and Only.”
The comedy stars Kevin Bacon and Oscar winner Renee Zellweger, and it’s loosely based on the 1950s childhood of future Hollywood actor George Hamilton. Part of the film takes place on Route 66. Although a chunk of the film was shot in Baltimore (as a substitute for the St. Louis), according to IMDB.com, it also was shot in the Route 66 town of Santa Fe, N.M. With all of its vintage cars, throwback architecture and period clothing, it looks fabulous, as this trailer will show:
“My One and Only” has been drawing warm reviews (as evidenced by its respectable 71 percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes). The movie opened a couple of weeks ago, but only in a handful of theaters. It’s starting to roll into wider release now, so check your local listings.
Toxic ruins September 4, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Gas stations.1 comment so far
This story by KRQE out of New Mexico explains rather well why the neighboring state of Arizona has been so aggressive in recent months trying to clean up old, abandoned gas stations along Route 66.
The story focuses on abandoned sites in Grants, N.M. One startling fact — three former stations in Grants have leaked up to 50,000 gallons of gasoline into the soil and groundwater.
More …
The contamination plume stretches almost 1,000 feet underneath the 1200 block of West Santa Fe Avenue. Environment workers and private contractors have spent the last several years working to clean it up, with dozens of wells connected to vacuum pumps that remove the gasoline and toxic, explosive vapors trapped beneath the ground.
“One morning we came into work and the fumes were so bad in here we had to close,” said Anna Lucero, manager of Badland’s Burgers built on the site of one of the stations. “We had several customers that got up and walked out at first because the smell was so bad.”
The cost to clean up the Triple Site over the last four years has so far reached $5 million. Davis said he expects to spend at least another two years working on the project. [...]
According to Davis, contamination sites are common across New Mexico especially along Route 66 where numerous gas stations were constructed during the famous highway’s heyday. The stations had underground gasoline holding tanks built and installed long before modern storage standards and requirements.
“We have approximately 950 contaminated sites statewide, and a fair number of them are scattered along the old highway system in the state,” Davis said.
The video with the story also interviews a guy who says the bad spot in Grants has gasoline contamination five to 10 times the “explosive” level.
So leveling or altering the ruins of, say, an old Whiting Brothers station may disappoint a few Route 66 tourists who want to see the vestiges of the highway’s heyday. But there’s very likely a good reason why it’s happening.