A closer look at Williams May 13, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Music, Photographs, Towns.add a comment
M.G. Hauck III made several visits to the Route 66 town of Williams, Ariz., and compiled this slideshow, with the music of Nat King Cole figuring prominently in it.
The Williams Chamber of Commerce could do much, much worse than this video.
Route 66 included in Harley ‘dream trip’ promotion May 12, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Motorcycles, Road trips.add a comment
A screen capture of Harley Davidson's "Start Something" website, which features Marisa Miller as the spokeswoman.
U.S. motorcycle maker Harley Davidson rolled out a “Start Something” campaign, which includes supermodel Marisa Miller as a spokeswoman and Route 66 among the options for a “road trip of a lifetime” sweepstakes, according to a company news release today.
Surfing the “Start Something” site, it’s clear that Harley is trying to attract customers who’ve never ridden a motorcycle. It includes instructions on getting a license, scheduling a riding course, buying equipment, picking the right bike, and other advice for novices.
“This is the most ambitious effort the Motor Company has ever undertaken to encourage men to ride,” said Dino Bernacchi, Harley-Davidson’s director of Advertising and Promotions. ”We know men from as young as 18 to 55 and older are dreaming about participating in our sport. With over 30 bikes to choose from and starting at just $6,999, there’s no reason to wait until ‘down the road.’ Today really is the day to ‘start something.’”
To Harley’s credit, it didn’t pick Miller just because she’s eye candy. She recently got herself a motorcycle license, learned to ride, and bought a bike — the whole nine yards.
The giveaway will give one winner and three friends a Harley of their choice and an “ultimate” road trip, with one of the options being Route 66. The other road-trip options are the Pacific Coast Highway, Florida Keys, Beartooth Highway, Black Hills of South Dakota, or the rider’s choice.
Harley had better hope this campaign works. It’s been struggling lately, to the point where the company is considering moving from its longtime headquarters in Wisconsin as cost-cutting measure.
“Rawhide” was once filmed in Tucumcari area May 12, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Movies, People, Television, Towns.3 comments
“Rawhide,” the TV western that helped launch the long career of Clint Eastwood, used the Route 66 town of Tucumcari, N.M., as a base to film five episodes in 1959, according to a story in the Quay County Sun.
If you have fuzzy memories of “Rawhide,” this might jolt your brain:
The Sun reports:
Actors and technicians arrived in Tucumcari on Aug. 10, 1959, for six weeks of work, the Tucumcari Daily News reported.
The show’s stars included Eastwood, Eric Fleming and Sheb Wooley. Guest stars also popped in and out of town for brief appearances.
The paper reported scenes were filmed at three Quay County ranches. The cast and crew, about 65 in all, were seen regularly around town and became regular patrons at Del’s Restaurant.
An autographed photo of Eastwood once hung on Del’s wall. A number of longtime Tucumcari residents gave their memories of the production to the newspaper.
On a side note, Wooley was born in the Route 66 town of Erick, Okla., and has a street named after him.
The Sun also reported that Jimmy Stewart stayed in town for a couple of days during a snowstorm. Brenda Lee, Morgan Freeman, Willie Nelson and, most recently, Paul McCartney spent some time in Tucumcari.
Rand McNally adds Route 66 to its 2011 atlas May 11, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Maps.5 comments
Rand McNally, a publisher of popular and widely distributed road maps, announced today that its 2011 edition of its road atlas will include the marking of Route 66 and other historic roads.
Among several updates that will be included in the atlas are:
The addition of specialty highway shields to show historic and scenic routes including Route 66, the Lincoln Highway, the Great River Road, the Great Lakes Circle Route, and the Lewis & Clark Trail Highway;
The atlas arrived in stores in late April, in time for vacation season. It retails for $13.95, although it’s frequently discounted to $10 to $11.
County to dedicate new Route 66 museum May 11, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, History, Museums.add a comment
Jasper County will dedicate its new Route 66 museum inside the Jasper County Courthouse lobby in Carthage, Mo., at 10 a.m. Thursday, according to the Carthage Press:
The Route 66 display sits in the south lobby of the courthouse opposite the historic elevator. It’s modeled on the old Boots’ Drive In restaurant and features artifacts that represent “The Mother Road.”
The display cost $128, 510, with $98,869 coming from a transportation enhancement grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation, and $29,641 coming from the county.
Planning for the display started in January 2008 and it was completed late in 2009.
The museum in the courthouse has a website here.
A new LED-lit Peace Star on top of the courthouse also will be dedicated, replacing the fluorescent bulbs.
UPDATE: Here’s a story from the Carthage Press about the ceremony.
Chicago historic building undergoes a face-lift May 11, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Preservation.add a comment
Dave Clark, aka Windy City Road Warrior, keeps his ear to the ground on all things Route 66 in the Chicagoland area.
On his blog, Clark reports that the International Tailoring Building at 847 W. Jackson Blvd. (Route 66) in Chicago has undergone an extensive renovation since the structure in recent years. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. It’s being converted into Tailor Lofts for University of Chicago students.
But the most dramatic change is to the exterior. Clark writes:
More importantly for Route 66 travelers, the beautiful exterior restoration has brought the building back to its original look. For years, a four-story clock tower was sheathed in ugly corrugated metal.
The gleaming enameled terra cotta now shines again, and the four clock faces show the current time in all directions just as they did when the building first opened in 1916.
Here are before-and-after photos of the 1916 building:
It’s a most impressive restoration.
(Photos courtesy of Dave Clark)
66 Bowl up for sale; investors sought for it May 10, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Events, Music, Preservation, Sports, Vehicles.4 comments
The historic 66 Bowl in Oklahoma City soon will be up for sale, and an organizer of the Okie Twist-off music and car festival and an area Realtor are looking for help from investors to buy and preserve the property, according to e-mails I received today.
The owners of the 66 Bowl confirmed by e-mail that the property soon would be on the market. One of the co-owners is in poor health, hence the impending listing, and one of those interested in buying the 66 Bowl is reportedly interested in converting it into a market. Obviously such a conversion would likely alter the property’s historic character.
Theresa Zaizar, a Realtor based in nearby Edmond, said in an e-mail:
Jeff Beck and I are trying to locate people that are willing to rally together to save the 66 Bowl in Oklahoma City. We have the skill set and passion to manage the business and turn it around, we need others that may have knowledge on how to save it, stall any sale that may cause it’s demise, and invest in it in order to give it the much needed face-lift.
As you know, Jeff’s car show…The Okie Twistoff has been using the 66 Bowl as its venue of choice. The community is growing in its appreciation for car shows like this and we feel we would have their support by offering more music, more food choices and a retro environment at the 66 Bowl.
Our goal is to keep it as true to its original style, and turn it into a family friendly, rockabilly-old school, Route 66, vintage destination.
Zaizar can be contacted through here if you want to offer your help.
Here’s a video about the Okie Twist-off at the 66 Bowl from 2007:
The 66 Bowl opened in 1959 as a 24-lane bowling center. In addition to bowling, a restaurant and a tavern, the 66 Bowl also hosts live music.
(Hat tip: Jerry McClanahan)
A new welcome May 10, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Art, Attractions, Towns.2 comments
Here’s a new mural that greets eastbound travelers on the big sweeping curve of Oklahoma Highway 66 in Davenport, Okla. The mural was completed just a few days ago by a local artist.
(Photo by Emily Priddy)
A sloppy prophet May 9, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Religion.add a comment
Here’s another entry from “Route 66: A Road Trip through the Bible,” from the Book of Zephaniah.
Based on Zephaniah’s careless handling of beverages in this clip, he probably wouldn’t make a good bartender.
The history of the Sycamore Inn May 9, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in History, Restaurants.add a comment
The Sycamore Inn restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., predates Route 66. But it doesn’t predate the Mother Road by a few years, but by more than 150, according to this well-researched article from The Press-Enterprise.
The local Indians met at this spot where large sycamore, cottonwood and willow trees grew.
In March 1774, Spanish explorer Captain Juan Batista de Anza brought his exploration group to the lush, shady oasis with a creek and a view of the mountains. The Indians invited him to stay awhile. Because bears loved the gathering place too, the Spanish named the spot Arroyo Los Osos or Bear Gulch, a name that lingers today.
One of the Spanish soldiers decided to stay.
Felipe Santiago Tapia, and his grandson, Tiburcio Tapia received the land grant of more than 13,000 acres by then governor of California, Juan Alvarado. It became known as Rancho Cucamonga.
An adobe was built on the spot. It later became a stagecoach inn and tavern owned by Uncle Billy Rubottom, called Mountain View, as part of the Santa Fe Trail. That trail later became Foothill Boulevard, aka Route 66.
The structure now known as The Sycamore Inn was built by John Klusman in 1920 — six years before U.S. Highway 66 was certified. It had eight hotel rooms upstairs, but those were jettisoned when the Sycamore was bought by Dutch immigrant Irl Hinrichsen and remodeled in 1939.
In 2002, Chuck and Linda Keagle became part owners of the Sycamore, and they re-landscaped, repaired and updated the old building. Strangely, it is not on the National Register of Historic Places, even those it’s little-changed in 70 years.
This part of the story, from the 19th century, is probably the most fascinating:
Rubottom’s southern sympathies got him in trouble with the law in California and in Arkansas. While in Arkansas on a trip, he captured possums to bring back along with more settlers. The possums were to be served to his diners at his inn, but some escaped and spread rapidly through California.
To the relief of many (and the regret of a few), opossum is no longer on the Sycamore’s menu.