Mojave national park proposal hits potential snag May 21, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Businesses, Preservation.add a comment
A proposal to create a Mojave Trails National Monument along the Route 66 corridor in the Southern California desert hit a snag because of a provision about the placement of solar-energy plants on public land, reported the Press-Enterprise.
Sen. Diane Feinstein’s bill was formally introduced to the U.S. Senate this week. She wants to amend and speed up the permitting process of solar and wind plants on federal land, and argued that several of the proposed projects are unsuitable for protected lands. However …
Bureau of Land Management Director Robert Abbey said the agency is already on track to designate areas for renewable energy development by next year. While he supports the bill’s goals, Feinstein’s proposed timelines seem unrealistic, he said.
Some lawmakers, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, suggested that it might be counterproductive to prohibit development before the federal agencies complete their assessments of which lands are best suited for solar and wind projects.
But neither Murkowski nor any other member of the panel expressed opposition to the bill. Before voting on whether to approve it, the committee’s next step would be to hold a “markup,” where the members could make changes to the legislation.
The only other possible opposition was by Harry Baker of the California Association of 4WD Clubs. Feinstein’s bill permits all existing uses of the land and specifically recognizing four off-road vehicle trails. But Baker said he fears that four-wheeling would eventually be phased out there.
Considering that opposition to Feinstein’s bill seems tepid at best, Congress probably will pass it in a slightly modified form. More about the proposed Mojave Trails National Monument can be found here and here.
Reports from the Route 66 Rally May 20, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, Road trips, Vehicles.add a comment
The Route 66 Rally from Chicago to Los Angeles started yesterday, and a number of teams in the event have been filing reports from along the way.
Team Scion posted a number of photos from its first day, including images of the Ambler-Becker Texaco Gas Station in Dwight, Ill. The group ended its day at Zeno’s Steakhouse in Rolla, Mo.
Team Camaro groused about chain motels, dodged state troopers, and had a devil of a time finding Memory Lane (aka old Route 66) in Lexington, Ill.
Team Wicked, coming from the west, groused about the quality and expense of fuel in Needles, Calif., and posted a photo from the Route 66 hamlet of Amboy, Calif.
Team Goat posted more photos of Amboy, plus the Wagon Wheel restaurant in Needles and Grand Canyon Caverns near Peach Springs, Ariz.
More can be read at the CarDomain Blog here.
Route 66 will be featured on “Today” show May 20, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Restaurants, Television.1 comment so far
Route 66 in New Mexico will be featured during a segment on NBC-TV’s “Today” show on Saturday, according to the New Mexico Business Weekly.
According to the newspaper:
Anchor Amy Robach made stops at the Turquoise Museum, Old Town, the 66 Diner, Nob Hill and El Pinto restaurant and took a ride with the ABQ Trolley Co. El Pinto created a salsa label featuring Robach’s photo, and she made a gigantic banana split at the 66 Diner.
In Santa Fe, the crew stopped at the Plaza and talked about Route 66 crossing the Old Santa Fe Trail. They also visited San Miguel Mission on Old Santa Fe Trail. Robach interviewed mission board member David Blackman about the mission’s history and icons.
“Today” producers shot the segment about a week ago. There’s no word on what time the segment will air, but “Today” on Saturdays runs from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Eastern.
UPDATE: You can see the whole segment here.
“Samantha Brown” episode on Route 66 is tomorrow May 19, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Road trips, Television.1 comment so far
Samantha Brown, who has her own show on the Travel Channel, filmed an episode on Route 66 in Arizona and New Mexico that will air at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time on Thursday.
According to a news release:
On Thursday, Sam will be taking a road trip from Albuquerque to Arizona down Route 66 where she runs into small town shenanigans and spectacular scenery. Sam begins her wild adventure in New Mexico where she is welcomed by car enthusiasts and a classic red convertible. Sam hops into the convertible and begins her travels down the “Mother Road” where she picks up a three-piece band from Route 66 Hostel and gains serenading companions for a stretch of the trip. Sam stops at the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, the Indian cultural center of the Southwest, and spends the night exploring the “neon city”.
Next, Sam hits “The Grand Canyon State”, and stops at the Snow Cap Diner, famously known for the owners’ practical jokes. As the diner is known for hilarious service, Sam is soon put to work behind the counter and offers a handshake to any local who dares to ask for a shake. Continuing her Arizona adventure, Sam takes a windy trip downOatman Road, one of the most famous stretches of Route 66, where she stops in the living ghost town of Oatman. Sam gets the entire “Old West” experience through shooting practice with cowboys and donkeys. Sam ends her trip in Arizona with one of the most spectacular views in the world: the sunrise over the Grand Canyon. Not only does Sam view this once in a lifetime opportunity from the ground, she also takes a helicopter ride over the national park. There may also be some cliff jumping involved.
Times for the “Route 66″ episode can be found here. Her Facebook page can be found here, and her Twitter account is here.
Williams will provide a Route 66 passport May 19, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Publications.5 comments
The Main Street organization of Williams, Ariz., will provide special Route 66 passports for Mother Road travelers next week, according to the Williams-Grand Canyon News.
Route 66 communities from throughout the state are featured in the special promotional tool, said Kim Kadletz of the Williams Main Street Association. [...]
“The passports will be at each visitor center, including our own,” he said. “Customers can pick this up for free. Some of the cities have stamps, as does ours and (travelers) qualify for some type of prize. The whole basis is for them to come to our town and do more shopping.”
Besides having their passports stamped in various Route 66 communities, coupons may also be added to the passports, which can be slipped inside the pages to help draw visitors to particular area businesses.
Samples of the passport were provided at the Arizona Historic Route 66 Fun Run earlier this month. Kadletz said the passports will be available for travelers beginning on May 27.
And this would be bad … how? May 19, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Highways, History, Preservation.2 comments
Frank C. Girardot, editor of the Pasadena Star-News and senior metro editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group, wrote this op-ed excerpt today:
Historical preservationists are keeping a wary eye on Caltrans’ plans for the historic Pasadena Freeway. The freeway, which runs from Glenarm Parkway in Pasadena straight to the Four-Level interchange downtown, looks pretty much like it did when it opened – a full-sized Autopia.
I say if you really want preservation, get Caltrans to reduce the speed limit to its original 45 mph and give back its “Route 66″ birth name.
If Girardot was trying to be sarcastic, it’s not working very well.
I’ve been on that historic freeway numerous times. It’s signed at 55 mph on the straightaways, and drops to 50 mph along many stretches. The highway contains a lot of curves, tunnels and extremely short entrance ramps. Reducing the speed limit to 45 wouldn’t affect commute times much and would improve safety.
And re-signing it as Route 66? Well, I obviously would be in favor of that.
It’s hard to see a bad side to this proposal — if it indeed is one.
The unseen “Route 66″ TV pilot May 18, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Music, People, Television.1 comment so far
Take a few seconds to watch this clip below. It’ll look familiar, then you’ll see something you won’t expect:
OK … so roadies probably know that Dan Cortese and James Wilder co-starred in a short-lived television remake of “Route 66″ in 1993. But those two aren’t Cortese or Wilder.
The description of the clip provides an explanation:
This Propaganda Films/Columbia Pictures Television remake of the Route 66 series of decades earlier originally starred Brent David Fraser, Andrew Lowery and Jennifer Rubin was written by Harley Peyton (Twin Peaks, Moon Ovewr Miami, Thomas Crown Affair 2) Directed by Michael Lehmann (Heathers, True Blood, Californication”. Two mismatched travelers on the open road. The original 1960 series starred Martin Milner, George Maharis and Glenn Corbett. This was filmed as a “Pilot Presentation” and was later remade again with Dan Cortese and James Wilder.
Fraser (the one with the long, dark hair) himself posted the excerpts from the “Route 66″ remake. He said through his Twitter account that the pilot was filmed about 1992 (and the background music by Chris Whitley and Social Distortion fits). Fraser boasts dozens of television and movie credits, and he’s also a musician.
Here are a few more clips from that pilot episode, roughly in chronological order:
Fraser told me by Twitter that the pilot never aired. So you are seeing it for the first time.
“(The producer) liked the show but wanted bigger names,” Fraser wrote, ”who at the time were dan cortese & james wilder. theirs aired & bombed.”
UPDATE: Fraser later said the pilot was 22 minutes long and also starred Rick Aiello.