Looks like they’ll make it August 20, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Road trips, Vehicles.2 comments
The Associated Press caught up to the participants in the 2010 Route 66 Microcar Rally in Odell, Ill.
Since Odell is less than 100 miles from the group’s goal of making it to Chicago, from Santa Monica, it looks like those folks will get there. But not without some difficulty:
Obscure compared to what? August 19, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Gas stations, Preservation.6 comments
A report today from the Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit group that advocates free-market solutions, recommended that the State of Illinois abolish its Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Heartland Institute says the deficit-wracked state would save millions of dollars by abolishing the agency (although the group doesn’t specify how much savings would be generated by doing this, or what the possible consequences would be by closing the office).
The group cited three areas in which it alleged redundant or wasteful services by the agency. This citation caught my attention:
Promoting Obscure Tourism
The DCEO gave a $10,000 grant in fiscal year 2009 to Ryburn Enterprises in Normal, Illinois to “assist in the restoration and preservation of a 1930s gas station, garage, and restaurant.” The DCEO’s grant tracker explains the grant’s (#09-335011) purpose is to promote tourism in the area, as the old and outdated buildings lie on the historic Route 66 highway.
The grant in question is going to help preserve Sprague’s Super Service station at 305 Pine St. (aka Route 66) in Normal. Route 66 enthusiast Terri Ryburn acquired the 1931 building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, a few years ago and hopes to convert it into a tourism center, restaurant and a bed-and-breakfast.
The station is one of three along the entire route with a second floor for the station’s owner and an apartment. Here’s a good description of the station from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program:
A building contractor, he constructed his large, unique, brick, Tudor Revival gas station using high-quality materials and craftsmanship. The result, Sprague’s Super Service, appeared to be part manor house and part gas station, and sold City Service gas. Steep gables distinguished the broad, red roofline. Substantial brick peers supported the canopy. Stucco with decorative swirls and contrasting half timbering distinguished the second story. [...] The Tudor Revival style Sprague chose for his station, with its historical and domestic overtones, helped to both establish a local, homey identity and promote a conservative, rural aesthetic. In the depressed 1930s, when gas far outstripped consumers, independent operators could use this civic persona to help sell their gasoline.
Obviously, the Sprague station isn’t just an old gas station. It’s a old gas station that’s architecturally very rare. Simply calling it “old and outdated” short-changes its significance.
Even if you question the grant or the station, the Heartland Institute implying that Route 66 is “obscure tourism” shows a lot of ignorance. Route 66 remains the most famous highway in the world. It’s also Illinois’ No. 3 tourism attraction, behind only Chicago and Abraham Lincoln sites. Tens of thousands of tourists — many of them foreigners who are flush with cash — travel the Mother Road each year. There’s nothing remotely obscure about Route 66, or its appeal.
So Heartland Institute’s dubious assertion — especially when considered with its other questionable activities — shouldn’t be given a lot of credibility.
Pop a top on Dublin Dr Pepper August 19, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Food, Gas stations, Restaurants.add a comment
American Profile magazine posted an effervescent story about the Dr Pepper plant in Dublin, Texas — the only Dr Pepper bottler left that still uses Imperial cane sugar from the original 1885 recipe instead of the now-common corn syrup.
It’s called Dublin Dr Pepper, and folks drive from many miles around to get it because its distribution area is less than a 50-mile radius.
But folks in central Oklahoma can slake their thirst for Dublin Dr Pepper by buying it by the bottle or from the soda fountain at POPS, in Arcadia.
At Pops, home of a 66-foot-tall steel soda bottle sculpture, manager Marty Doepke loves to stroll the store’s aisles and listen to baby boomers reminisce about long-forgotten labels—Bubble Up, Dog n Suds, Frostie, Kickapoo Joy Juice, Nesbitt’s and Sun Drop.
“They’ll see those sodas and remember being at grandma’s house,” says Doepke, 38. “They’ll say, ‘I drank those back then. It was a real treat.’”
Dublin Dr Pepper remains one of POPS’ biggest sellers of more than 500 brands it offers, and is one of the many reasons the Route 66 convenience store and restaurant continues to pack ‘em in.
Book review: “Route 66 St. Louis” August 19, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Books, History.2 comments
In the preface to her new book, Norma Maret Bolin says the purpose of her previous work, “The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook,” was to raise funds for a more expansive historical recounting of Route 66 in the Gateway City.
If you’ll excuse the pun, Bolin really got cooking with her enormous new volume, “Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds” (St. Louis Transitions, softcover, $29.99).
Simply put, “Route 66 St. Louis” stands tall as one of the best history books I’ve read. This 470-page beast oozes with detail about hundreds of former and existing landmarks and businesses that dot St. Louis’ half-dozen alignments of Route 66. It’s jammed with images from old photographs, vintage advertisements and even match covers. The book also contains chapters about select people, including Route 66 aficionado Jane Dippel and “Route 66″ composer Bobby Troup.
Route 66 fans and historians will find this book invaluable for years to come because of all the facts and anecdotes Bolin has collected. ”Route 66 St. Louis,” along with Kip Welborn’s recent “Things to Look Out for on Route 66 in St. Louis,” has turned 2010 into a banner year for St. Louis roadies.
Bolin credited her background in the hospitality industry and as a lawyer for her impeccable research for this book. She conducted dozens of interviews, pored over books, magazines and newspaper articles, and even consulted old telephone directories.
As a result, even the most seasoned roadies will appreciate Bolin’s work when they inevitably find new information, such as:
- Guardrails on the now-closed MacArthur Bridge, aka Free Bridge, were found to be notoriously fragile, resulting in motorists plunging more than 150 feet into the Mississippi River during accidents.
- Carl’s Drive-In restaurant serves original-formula IBC root beer, made from sugar and not corn syrup.
- The Eat-Rite Diner started as an oil and coal business, then a gas station, before coming the White Kitchen restaurant in the 1930s, then the Regal Sandwich Restaurant, then the Gateway Sandwich Shop before becoming the Eat-Rite.
- Ted Drewes Frozen Custard used honey as a substitute when World War II rationing caused sugar shortages. Drewes kept honey as a crucial ingredient when he discovered the custard tasted better with it.
- The castle-like intake towers near the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge on the Mississippi River once were occupied as living quarters for city water employees up until the 1930s. Also, contrary to popular belief, Tower No. 1 never served as a lighthouse.
Bolin also doesn’t back away in telling the dark side of a Route 66 landmark. She devotes several paragraphs to a double-murder on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge in 1991 — years before the bridge was converted to a pedestrian and bicycle path. At least one of the suspects was put to death for the crime and another awaits execution, although many of the details from the killings remain murky. Bolin wrote:
The cases have been widely criticized as being filled with police brutality, prosecutorial misconduct, racial bias, and unanswered questions about what actually happened that night and who did what, with some testimony simply not adding up and the defendants arguably tried for the actions of the group as a whole. These issues led to question about the appropriateness of the death penalty in the cases while there was also a huge public outcry for justice for the Kerry sisters.
Bolin wrote chapters on the dioxin-waste saga of the now-deceased town of Times Beach, Mo., plus an extensive interview with former Times Beach mayor Marilyn Leistner. The tales of a road contractor’s neglect that led to the town’s toxic contamination and subsequent dithering by health officials will infuriate. Bolin also busts the chops of the Missouri Department of Transportation for failing to maintain the now-condemned Route 66 bridge at the former Times Beach site. The Times Beach portion of “Route 66 St. Louis” is worth the price of the book alone.
Also praiseworthy are chapters about St. Louis’ early history, including its steamboat era, the American Indian origins of St. Louis’ “Mound City” nickname, and details on the infamous Dred Scott court case, which further inflamed the nation against slavery and inexorably toward the Civil War.
Ted Drewes Jr., who wrote the forward, neatly summarizes this amazing book:
Norma Bolin gives you the opportunity to look beyond our storefronts to the people behind the various businesses. I invite you to take an intimate look at the many families in St. Louis that have been a part of the Route 66 story. Some came and went quickly, often the victims of traffic patterns gone awry. Sometimes the family businesses lost out because of health concerns or a failure to keep their niche, and the flame went out. Here, Norma will take you into the living rooms of some of us who stuck around and also the many that live on only in memories.
“Route 66 St. Louis” comes highly recommended; roadies will find it indispensable.
(“Route 66 St. Louis” can be found at these St. Louis-area shops, or you can order it online by PayPal, Google Checkout, or a mail-order form.)
Epic cycling tour includes part of Route 66 August 18, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in bicycling, Road trips.add a comment
Tour d’Afrique has announced it will add part of Route 66 to its itinerary for a 92-day, 5,000-mile bicycle ride in 2011 from San Francisco to St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Between stops in Wichita, Kan., and Detroit is this:
Legendary Route 66 beckons in the states of Missouri and Illinois. Along it’s storied path we’ll stop in St. Louis and then experience the hustle and bustle of Chicago.
The cost of the bicycle tour is $9,950. If you accept the challenge, you’ll be riding for 76 days, plus 16 rest days. It starts May 29 in San Francisco and ends Aug. 28 in St. John’s. You’d better drink a lot of Gatorade.
If you’re not up for that, a “Land of Oz” section also is being offered, which goes from Wichita to Chicago, including the aforementioned stretch of Route 66. It’s only 760 miles over 11 days, and costs $1,800.
(Via Gadling.com)
More details on Cars Land released August 18, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Movies.add a comment
The Los Angeles Times’ Daily Travel & Deal Blog provided new detail about the 12-acre Cars Land theme park at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim.
The park, inspired by the 2006 Disney-Pixar animated movie “Cars,” is a faithful re-creation of the Route 66 fictional town of Radiator Springs. The theme park is scheduled to open in 2012 — about one year after the “Cars 2″ sequel.
As part of the thematic storyline for the new land, downtown Radiator Springs will be celebrating race day against the looming backdrop of Ornament Valley. Trimmed with neon lights, the town’s streetscape will glow at night.
The complex will include virtually all of the businesses seen in Radiator Springs — Mater’s Junkyard, Cozy Cone Motel, Radiator Springs Curio Shop, Luigi’s Roamin’ Tires, Fillmore’s Taste-In, Sarge’s Surplus Hut, Flo’s V8 Cafe, Ramone’s House of Body Art, Radiator Springs Courthouse, and Radiator Springs Racers. The complex will be a mix of sourvenir shops, rides, and snack areas.
For more details and artist’s renderings of the theme park, go here.
Route 66 gets its own font August 17, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Publications.add a comment
Route 66 boasts plenty of products named after it. But this is the first I’ve seen where a typeface is named after the Mother Road.
The “Route 66 Regular” font was created by Thomas Wilson. It’s derived from Wilson’s earlier “Swizzle Sticks” font, which is apparent when you see the Route 66 font in the screen shot at left.
FontShop USA is the manufacturer. You can download it for free here.
Alas, I don’t see the Route 66 font as particularly useful except for a few characters at the top of a letterhead, or for an illustration. I’d sure hate to read a 300-word letter entirely with that typeface.
Springfield applies for grant for Bel-Aire Motel rehab August 17, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in History, Motels, Museums, Preservation.1 comment so far
The City of Springfield, Ill., is applying for a grant to repair the long-declining Bel-Aire Motel and eventually convert it into a Route 66 museum, reported the Springfield State Journal-Register.
The grant sought for the Bel-Aire is $1 million from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program. The city plans to cover the other $600,000 for the project.
The city once considered turning the motel into the Illinois Historic Route 66 Discovery Center. But without money, the project has been on hold.
In October 2008. Mayor Tim Davlin said the city was willing to take temporary ownership of the Bel-Aire, whose owner has said he’s willing to sell, and then turn it over to the Illinois Route 66 Heritage Foundation or a similar group. The building could then be restored to resemble a 1950s or ’60s motel and could serve as a Route 66 museum and visitors center.
More about the Bel-Aire project can be found here.
UPDATE: The State Journal-Register posted an updated story about the grant application here.
66-to-Cali owner has a story to tell August 17, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Books, Businesses, People.1 comment so far
Most of you already know about Dan Rice, owner of the 66-to-Cali souvenir shack at the Santa Monica Pier who was the guiding force behind getting an “End of the Trail” Route 66 marker erected at the pier.
However, a book coming out in the winter is going to tell another side of Rice’s story:
In a new autobiography published by independent press The Way Things Are Publications, author Dan Rice, 66-to-Cali Inc. owner, Route 66 enthusiast, and a permanent fixture on the iconic Santa Monica Pier, reveals his journey to recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury in attempt to raise public awareness of the condition and how it can be treated. The book, End of the Trail, explores a psychological struggle with deteriorating mental faculties, depression, anger, suicidal ideations, and an increasing inability to understand the world around him due to a trauma that often is misunderstood by both the medical field and the general public.
Rice’s eight-year recovery from TBI began with a near fatal car accident in 2002 that halted a Hollywood career and high-paced track toward a Ph.D. in Psychology. The undiagnosed injury threw Rice into a downward spiral in which his perceptions of reality were completely transformed, unintelligible, and in some cases altogether removed. The story of his recovery is intertwined with the story of his passion for Route 66, illustrating that the economic trauma of the historic route, representing a larger economic trauma of middle America, mirrored his own physical trauma.
According to the news release, Traumatic Brain Injury has become the signature malady of the Iraq War. It affects 1.5 million Americans and kills more than 50,000 annually.
The Way Things Are Publications will publish the book in hardback form in the winter of 2010. The cover of the book can be seen here.
An aerial view of Amboy Crater August 17, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions.add a comment
I’ve been fortunate enough to hike inside the dormant volcano that is Amboy Crater, near Amboy, Calif. Many people have not because it’s a long hike in often-dangerous heat.
But, in case you haven’t, here’s another way to see what’s inside. Here’s the explanation behind this remarkable video:
Jeff Parisse and Nick Ritter travel via Route 66 to Amboy California to film the Amboy Crater from a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS). Our silent electric, four pound, foam airplane coupled with a miniature HD video camera gives audiences a new perspective for landscape and sports videography.
It’s a great way to see remote locations. Maybe they can buzz Tucumcari Mountain or Diablo Canyon next?