Tax advice from one of the apostles October 10, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Religion.add a comment
After a summer break, “Route 66: A Road Trip through the Bible” returns with the Book of Matthew.
I dunno … I always liked cheese gift boxes.
Co-founder of Big Texan Steak Ranch dies October 10, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in People, Restaurants.add a comment
Mary Ann Lee, co-founder of the Big Texan Steak Ranch with her husband Bob Lee, died Friday in Amarillo at age 86, according to the Amarillo Globe-News.
Lee and her husband started the Big Texan along Route 66 in Amarillo in 1963. The restaurant moved to Interstate 40 for survival’s sake during the 1970s, although the Big Texan remains a strong supporter of the Mother Road.
The Big Texan was among the first restaurants in the Texas Panhandle to provide a Wild West atmosphere. Patrons told Bob Lee they wanted to see cowboys and other Western sights. So servers dressed in Western attire. Ten-gallon hat-wearing musicians serenaded diners with guitars and fiddles. Real-life cowboys doing business at Amarillo’s stockyards were welcomed at the restaurant with “two-bit beer” to provide more ambiance.
But the gimmick the Big Texan is most famous for is its free 72-ounce steak dinner if you eat it all in an hour. Many have attempted it; few have succeeded. The 72-ounce challenge is known worldwide, and continues to bring the curious to the Big Texan’s front doors.
For more about the Big Texan’s history, get the excellent “Story of the Free 72-Oz. Steak” book the next time you’re there.
Bob Lee died of a heart attack in 1990, but many of his children are carrying on the operation of the restaurant.
Mary Ann Lee earned a master’s degree in physiatric nursing, and taught nursing at nursing at West Texas A&M University and Amarillo College.
Rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Monday at Griggs-Schooler-Gordon Pioneer Chapel (map here). Here is the funeral chapel’s online memorial page to her.
A funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church (map here). Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, which is just west of the Big Texan.
Triangle Motel likely will get National Register listing October 10, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Motels, Preservation.2 comments
The Triangle Motel along old Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, likely will receive a listing on the National Register of Historic Places in the coming weeks.
The State Board of Review unanimously voted Sept. 24 to recommend the historic Route 66 motel to the National Register. Once a state historical preservation officer signs the document and it is forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, it usually will receive its listing within 45 days.
Also, Dale Butel of Route 66 Tours in Australia has pledged $100 to help Triangle owner Alan McNeil pay off the $3,600 remaining on his loan when he bought the motel. He’s hoping to get 35 others to donate $100, or 70 others to donate $50, or 175 to donate $20 … whatever it takes. The mailing address to send donations is 7954 Amarillo Blvd. East, Amarillo, TX 79107.
If McNeil can get his loan paid off, he can devote more money to the restoration work.
(Photo by Mary Ann Waber)
Tulsa hotel added to National Register October 10, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in History, Motels, Preservation.add a comment
The Casa Loma Hotel in Tulsa, which is being renovated, was listed to the National Register of Historic Places effective Sept. 3, according to an e-mail Friday from the National Park Service.
The building at 2600 block of East 11th Street (aka Route 66) was built in 1927 as the Max Campbell Building. It was the Casa Loma Hotel during the 1940s, when the building also houses a barbershop, drugstore and a Safeway. It has not operated as a hotel for many years.
Group M Investment purchased it in 2008 and is renovating it into the Campbell Hotel. Group M foresees a hotel on the second floor with 26 rooms, plus a restaurant on the first floor.
A spokeswoman said in March it would be “at least a year” before the hotel opens.
UPDATE: Jason Ashley Wright’s column in the Tulsa World, who’s touting a Designer Showcase event coming up there, has a few more details about the hotel:
At present, Group M is “getting the bones done,” Casey said — electricity, plumbing, heat and air, windows. [...]
By February, the renovation should be complete — the downstairs grand lobby and 6,000-square-foot event center, as well as 26 hotel rooms. Then, the designers have about six weeks to transform their allotted spaces into showcase-worthy masterpieces. [...]
The Campbell Hotel is scheduled to open in June 2011, said Casey, who hopes a nice restaurant will take notice of the space at the end of the building.
Fifth anniversary October 9, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Web sites.18 comments
While traveling on the Mother Road in central Oklahoma this afternoon, it occurred to Emily and I that Route 66 News may be nearing its fifth anniversary.
Emily whipped out her trusty iPad, linked up to a 3G connection, and within two minutes made this discovery while checking the site’s archives.
“It’s today.”
I’m back at home now, so that gives me just a few hours to mark this five-year milestone. Five years isn’t much for most people, but it’s downright seasoned for the Internet.
I started Route 66 News because I felt the Mother Road needed a timely one-stop source of information from the newswires, plus a smidgen of original content. The original goal was to average one story a day. In reality, it’s been more than double that. Even I underestimated how dynamic Route 66 was, and it belied the argument that it’s an “dead, tired” road.
Less than a week after Route 66 News launched, it was faced with its first bona fide crisis — a developer had purchased El Vado Motel in Albuquerque and vowed to flatten it for luxury townhouses. Route 66 fans and Albuquerque residents rallied to the cause. It took a few years, but control of the historic motel was wrested from the developer’s hands to the city’s. El Vado is still standing, and I’d like to think Route 66 News played a small role in helping make that happen.
Since inception, Route 66 News has published more than 4,600 posts and approved more than 7,000 comments. The spam filter has screened more than 500,000 junk comments.
Route 66 News has logged more than 2.1 million page views total, an average of over 1,100 daily.
The post “A Route 66 Guide to the ‘Cars’ movie” from 2006 remains the most popular post by far, with more than 173,000 page views. It still gets between 60 to 80 views a day, and always sees a bump up in traffic when the Disney Channel airs the film.
And since the beginning of the year, we’re starting to make a few bucks with an arrangement between our platform, WordPress.com, and Google Adsense. We’re a long way from gaining a penthouse floor, but at least the revenue is helping cover many of the expenses of this site.
Through all this, I’m grateful for all of your readership and your news tips. Without you, this site wouldn’t have much of a reason to exist. Thank you, and happy traveling.
Signs of 66 October 9, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Music, Photographs, Signs.add a comment
Here’s a well-made slide show of signs you’ll see along the Mother Road.
Music is the Rolling Stones’ version of Bobby Troup’s “Route 66.”
66 Bowl sign will be removed next week October 7, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Preservation, Signs, Sports.2 comments
Check your calendar and put fresh batteries in your camera. The historic sign that stands in front of the 66 Bowl in Oklahoma is scheduled to be removed next week.
The JTD Team, based in Oklahoma City, is set to remove the sign about 1 p.m. Oct. 13, according to a news release. JYD partners Chuck Clowers and Cameron Eagle will oversee the historic moment:
A crane and flatbed trailer will carry it to its temporary home awaiting restoration. “We feel like we are saving an important bit of Oklahoma history as well as a classic piece of art,” said Eagle.
It has been spoken of as the most photographed sign on Route 66 in Oklahoma, being known for its depiction of a ball knocking over pins. “It was amazing how many people were cheering for us to get the sign so it could stay in Oklahoma longer,” said Clowers.
JYD Team is a commercial design firm that has specialized in creating custom environments for businesses, churches, museums, retail stores and entertainment venues often using recycled items. “This sign will fit in well with JYD Team’s use of reclaimed material.” said Eagle. The 66 Bowl sign will temporarily become part of a collection of outdoor signage and art JYD Team has amassed. [...]
Discussion as to what will happen to the sign is still evolving. The two partners utilize discarded elements in their design process taking the pieces to restoration or revamping them in a process they call re-clamation art. Anyone interested in the sign can contact Clowers or Eagle at www.jydteam.com or405-621-5717.
66 Bowl was sold to the Spices of India grocery store a few weeks ago. The bowling alley’s longtime owners were forced to sell after an investment went bad. 66 Bowl had operated on Route 66 since 1959.
The bowling alley’s contents were auctioned a few days ago. Spices of India will move into the building sometime early next year.
Journal of a 1927 road trip October 7, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Highways, History, Road trips.6 comments
In 1927, Axel and Beda Sterner and two relatives drove from New York City to Los Angeles by car, with a good portion of their journey along U.S. 66, which was less than one year old.
Sterner wrote a journal about his experiences each night along the trek. These musings might have been forgotten if it wasn’t for his grand-niece, Ethel Whitman, who decided to type out the journal entries, misspellings and all. Claudia Heller of the Pasadena Star-News posted some excerpts:
“Over the McKinley Bridge they charged us 50 cents to cross the Mississippi River … then thru St. Louis and out thru Natural Bridge Road over Missouri River where they soaked us another 50 cents to cross.” [...]
“Today was the first day we have had the real test of the durt roads and we will have plenty for some time to come. I had my first flat tire to day and was skidding round the road like a drunken man … and that cost me 75 cents.” [...]
“… our Fourth of July dinner which was chicken … all for 75 cents what would have cost us at least $1.25 in New York.”
Overnight lodging cost $1 for all four people. Lunches cost about 30 cents per head, and dinner about 75 cents apiece.
They averaged a little more than 200 miles on a good day. Primitive roads and mechanical breakdowns were common. The journey, all total, took about a month.
“Route 66″ television series marks 50th anniversary October 7, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in History, Music, Television.4 comments
On this day in 1960, the first episode of the “Route 66″ television show aired on CBS. Although the drama would last just four seasons and seldom took place on the Mother Road, you can chalk up “Route 66″ as a big reason the real Route 66 became the legend it is today.
“Route 66″ told the tale of two young men traveling across the country in a Corvette convertible, looking for jobs and finding adventure.
This “Personal Tribute to Route 66″ from a few years ago is worth watching, and includes excerpts from the finale:
You can also read my 2007 chat with “Route 66″ co-star George Maharis, one of the most genial interview subjects I’ve ever dealt with. Maharis was nominated for an Emmy during “Route 66′s” run; his street-tough Buz Murdock role gave him his most enduring fame.
Co-star Martin Milner, who played Tod Stiles in the show, has fallen into poor health in recent years and is no longer available for interviews. Glenn Corbett, who portrayed Linc Case when Maharis left the show, died of cancer in 1993.
As noted in the tribute, “Route 66″ being shot on location provided endless script possibilities. Another reason “Route 66″ earned praise was screenwriter Stirling Silliphant, who wrote interesting dialogue and tackled controversial subjects such as racism, mental illness and drugs — although it should be noted that in the clip below, the bad trip Tod Stiles took was involuntary. Silliphant didn’t write all of “Route 66′s” scripts, but he set the bar for its other screenwriters to follow.
Another key to “Route 66′s” enduring fame was the chemistry between Maharis and Milner. The two weren’t the best of buddies by a long shot, Maharis said, but they respected each other and knew their contrasting personalities provided a spark to the program.
Maharis left the program during the third season when hepatitis threatened his long-term health. He was replaced by Corbett, but the chemistry had clearly suffered. “Route 66″ limped through a fourth season and was not renewed.
Also, Nelson Riddle‘s theme song for “Route 66″ became a big pop hit. It still shows up on roadies’ mix tapes, CDs and iPod playlists.
Here are my key reasons Route 66 went from being a historic highway to a legend:
- Bobby Troup’s “Route 66,” one of the most-covered songs in history
- “The Grapes of Wrath” novel and film
- The “Route 66″ television drama
- The publication of Michael Wallis’ best-selling “Route 66: The Mother Road”
- The Disney-Pixar movie “Cars”
The first three seasons of “Route 66″ remain available on DVD. No announcement has been made on whether DVDs for Season Four will be produced.
Tornadoes strike near Flagstaff October 6, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Motels, Weather.add a comment
Two tornadoes touched down Wednesday in the Route 66 village of Bellemont, Ariz., west of Flagstaff, causing widespread damage, according to varying northern Arizona media outlets.
One of the casualties was the Camping World on Route 66 in Bellemont. About 30 RVs were blown over and scattered debris over Interstate 40. A freight train was blown off the tracks. So far, there have been no reports of injuries.
Here’s a photo of one of the twisters. Damage photos can be seen here.
There also are a few scattered reports of damage in Flagstaff, but it looks as if Bellemont took the worst of it, by far.
It’s unknown at this time whether the Pine Breeze Inn site in Bellemont, where a scene from the 1969 ”Easy Rider” film was shot, was damaged in the storm. If I hear more, I’ll pass it along.
It probably goes without saying that tornadoes are rare at an elevation of 7,000 feet.