“30 Days in September” March 24, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Movies, Road trips.add a comment
A few weeks ago, Stephen Vernon-Clark posted some footage on a documentary road-trip film he’s working on, with the working title of “Dodge and Burn.”
Apparently the film has a new title, “30 Days in September.” And Vernon-Clark has posted a new trailer for the film:
As you can see, Vernon-Clark spent time on Route 66 in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico while filming during a 4,000 mile trip in September 2010.
In an e-mail earlier this month, Vernon-Clarke explained:
Most of the destinations and interviews were the result of instinct and the flip of a coin.
I had seen ‘Roadside America’s’ website and that gave me the locations of Cripple Creek in Colorado where Lodi was fighting to save the museum from closure and it also gave me the idea of Salvation Mountain in Niland, California. After seeing some pictures of Leonard Knight and his creation I just had to go there and record the event.
The rest of the trip just happened and we just found ourselves on the ‘Old Route 66′. Wished I could have spent longer on that section, the stretch of road between Shamrock and Albuquerque gave me the most photographic opportunities and not forgetting Bozo and his fantastic collection of cars.
Vernon-Clarke said once the film is finished, he may shop it around to television.
Admiral Twin will be rebuilt March 23, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Movies, Theaters.add a comment
The historic Admiral Twin Drive-In theater in Tulsa, which saw its iconic double screen destroyed by fire last year, will rebuild and reopen this summer, according to a report by KJRH-TV in Tulsa.
Blake Smith confirmed Wednesday that he plans to break ground on the rebuilding project in April.
He says that a fundraising effort garnered $30,000 in donations, and the rest of the funding will mostly come from loans.
He plans to close on a loan Friday, enabling the rebuilding to begin this spring.
Smith said earlier in the month he would secure some sort of financing to rebuild the twin screens.
It’s been reported that the owners hope to reopen the Admiral Twin by July 4.
The drive-in opened in 1951, and the second screen was built a year later. Even as the number of drive-ins in the United States dropped over the decades, the Admiral Twin continued to show first-run movies.
The Admiral Twin also served as an inspiration during a scene in Tulsa native S.E. Hinton’s famous novel, “The Outsiders,” which was made into a now-acclaimed movie.
Grant sought for park at Route 66, Lincoln Highway March 22, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Highways, Preservation.1 comment so far
A chairman of the historical preservation panel in Plainfield, Ill., is applying for a grant to help create a park at the intersection of U.S. 30 and Illinois Highway 59 — the Lincoln Highway and Route 66, respectively.
According to the Plainfield Patch:
Michael Bortell told the Plainfield Village Board Monday that he plans to apply for a $5,000 matching grant from the National Park Service to fund a redevelopment study for the .925-acre site, which is one of the most historic in the village.
The gas station that once anchored the triangle-shaped property was removed last year by the Illinois Department of Transportation as part of the Illinois 59 widening project, Bortell said. A historically significant house known as the Corbin-Bingham-Worst residence remains, as does another house and two detached garages, he said.
The plan would be to restore the historic house as a visitors center, surrounding it with park land and parking for 10 to 12 cars, he said. The other structures would be demolished, he said.
A park in that area has previously been sought, but a landowner balked at the idea. The landowner has reconsidered.
Bortell says he’ll know by mid-May whether it will receive the grant.
A Google Street View image of the Plainfield intersection can be seen here.
The Lincoln Highway goes nearly 3,400 miles from New York City to San Francisco. It was founded in 1913, and predates Route 66 and other U.S. highway by more than a decade.
The Lincoln Highway and a more-prominent alignment of Route 66 also intersect in Joliet, Ill. (map here)
(Hat tip: Lincoln Highway News)
Historic Manor Hotel being renovated March 22, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Highways, History, Motels, Preservation.add a comment
The historic Manor Hotel in Channahon, Ill., located on a later alignment of Route 66, is undergoing extensive renovations in the coming months, according to the Channahon-Minooka Patch.
According to the article, the stoutly constructed hotel was built in 1954 by masonry contractor Walt Anderson, who ran it until the late 1970s. Prakash Silveri is now the third owner of the motel, and he told his plans for it:
His current focus is updating all 77 guest rooms, the motel lobby and lounge area. Fresh paint, furniture, carpet and bedding are complete in 52 rooms.
“I want to bring it up to style and get a modern look,” Silveri said. [...]
Manor Motel has a concrete pool with radiant heat and underwater lighting but is closed until further notice.
Although Silveri is focused on pouring money into completing the remodeling of the guest rooms, he would like to reopen the pool in the future. [...]
Silveri plans to preserve the history of the motel through brochures. After he has several framed, he wants to display them in each motel room.
The article contains reminisces from several people who remember the hotel during its heyday.
The hotel sits next to Interstate 55 and Illinois Highway 6. David G. Clark, aka Windy City Road Warrior, confirmed that I-55 in that area was built on the original Route 66 from 1939 to the 1950s. For years after that, it was co-signed as U.S. 66.
However, that alignment is more obscure than the Illinois Highway 53 alignment commonly used by Route 66 travelers.
Interestingly, Illinois Highway 6 also served as the old Pontiac Trail, but it never was Route 66 in that area.
The show will go on for Mediocre Music Makers March 20, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Music, People.6 comments
Harley and Annabell Russell, aka the Mediocre Music Makers, will still try to perform shows this summer at their Sandhills Curiosity Shop off Route 66 in Erick, Okla., despite Annabelle’s recent cancer surgery and imminent chemotherapy treatments.
If you’re unaware of Harley and Annabelle’s irreverent show, here’s a sample. Harley does most of the singing and serious picking, but Annabelle plays a valuable role as sidekick:
In recent days, Harley had posted periodic updates about Annabelle on his Facebook account. But I wanted to get permission from him before reporting the news on Route 66 News, which is a more-open channel.
Annabelle underwent a four-hour surgery earlier this month for ovarian cancer, including three days in intensive care. Harley said during a telephone interview today that Annabelle was released from the hospital on Thursday. She’ll meet with her surgeon this week to discuss chemo options. It’s anticipated she’ll undergo 15 months of treatment.
Annabelle said by phone she got around with a walker in the days after her surgery, and now walks with a cane.
“I don’t have a lot of energy, but I need to build up my strength for the chemo,” she said.
In retrospect, Annabelle said the first sign of trouble was in late summer 2010, when she experienced stomach troubles. She was given a prescription heartburn medicine. She also noticed her energy was lagging.
A sign of something more serious occurred a month ago, when she was helping Harley attach antique signs all over the exterior walls of the Sandhills Curiosity Shop and their nearby home, known as the Redneck Castle. Her abdomen swelled “real quick,” she said. She was taken to a doctor, and major cancer surgery at an Oklahoma City hospital was scheduled within days.
For now, the couple are staying with Harley’s parents in Oklahoma City. Harley and Annabelle had to cancel a performance Sunday for a tour group. But they’re already booked for 300 performances this summer, and intend to honor those commitments.
“We’re still working as best we can,” Harley said. “We’re gonna keep going on.”
Harley said an overseas Route 66 tour group is scheduled to stop at the Sandhills Curiosity Shop on April 22, and tourism business will start to pick up in mid-May. Even on the phone, without prompting, Harley and Annabelle did their usual performance schtick before signing off.
If you want to send good wishes or get-well cards, Harley and Annabelle’s mailing address is P.O. Box 121, Erick, OK 73645.
Artwork inspired by Route 66 neon signs March 20, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Art, Museums, Signs.add a comment
Australian artist Scott Redford’s work takes part of its inspiration from the neon signs seen along old Route 66. The big sign you see in this video can be found at Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art.
Volunteers clean up former Little Beaver Town March 20, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, History.add a comment
First, I’ll let this video from KOB-TV in Albuquerque explain:
And here’s the story about the cleanup at the Route 66 Open Space, which is east of Albuquerque and west of Tijeras Canyon.
The City of Albuquerque has an explanation of the Open Space Program:
Open Space works to acquire and protect the natural character of land designated as major public Open Space in the 1988 revised City of Albuquerque Comprehensive Plan. These lands, which are comprised of over 28,000 acres in and around Albuquerque, are managed to conserve natural and archaeological resources, provide opportunities for outdoor education, provide a place for high and low impact recreation, and define the edges of the urban environment.
Officers from the Albuquerque Police Department patrol Open Space areas by foot, vehicle, horseback, and mountain bicycle. These fully commissioned law enforcement officers make contact with the public to educate and oversee compliance with rules and regulations. Their dual mission is to protect the Open Space lands and resources while ensuring a safe and enjoyable visit. In addition to these officers, Open Space lands are regularly monitored by volunteers, who are trained to observe and protect the natural characteristics of the environment
As for Little Beaver Town, I found this explanation about some of its history:
Little Beaver Town was a tourist attraction just east of Albuquerque and west of Tijeras Canyon. Tourists traveling in the late 1950s on Route 66 (The Mother Road) could visit the park and see mock gun battles, take a stagecoach ride and see Fred Saunders and Troy Vicente portray Red Ryder. Fred Harman, the creator of the famous Red Ryder comic strip, and Howard Hull, a local entrepreneur, envisioned a western theme park that would rival Disneyland.
A set of old photos from Little Beaver Town can be found here. Little Beaver Town went bankrupt by 1964, was used as a movie set for a time, and eventually was destroyed by fire and vandalism.
Heartburn March 20, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Religion.add a comment
Timothy ought to try Mylanta, instead.
This is another edition of “Route 66: A Road Trip through the Bible.” This chapter deals with the first book of Timothy.
Joliet museum, theater may face budget cuts March 19, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Museums, Theaters.add a comment
Several mayoral candidates for the City of Joliet, Ill., are taking a look slashing costs at several city facilities, including the Joliet Area Historical Museum and the historic Rialto Square Theatre, both which are on Route 66 or have a strong tie to the Mother Road.
The Joliet Herald-News quizzed the nine candidates about what they would do to close a $27 million deficit in the city’s government. Most targeted a water park for closure or putting up for sale.
But several complained about the annual $700,000 spent on the Rialto theater, and think funding cuts should be considered for it.
The city spent about $300,000 on the museum last year. At least one mayoral candidate said a cutback on the facility’s hours should be considered to trim costs.
City elections in Joliet are April 5.
La Posada chef receives prestigious nomination March 19, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Books, Food, Motels, Restaurants.add a comment
John Sharpe, chef of the Turquoise Room restaurant in the historic La Posada hotel in Winslow, Ariz., received a nomination as one of the country’s best chefs by the James Beard Foundation, according to the Arizona Republic.
Sharpe is one of the 20 semifinalists — including those in Aspen, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas — for the prestigious honor. He’ll find Monday whether he’s one of five finalists for the best chef in the Southwest. Winners will be announced May 9 in New York City.
This excerpt about Sharpe’s more-utilitarian approach stands out:
The Turquoise Room is in La Posada, the only hotel amid all the roadside motels in Winslow, and Sharpe must make sure his food fits its guests: a mix of international travelers and RV tourists. He also caters to the blue-collar tastes of local ranchers and railroad workers.
“This is not a ‘just doing dinner and high-end food to impress everybody,’ ” he said. “This is not just a chef trying to show off.”
It means Sharpe can’t simply focus on the blackberry sauce for his bison short ribs, or the consistency of the mashed Gilfeather rutabagas that will be the bed for the steelhead trout. He must sometimes flip burgers.
The whole article is worth reading — about owner Alan Affeldt saving La Posada (a former Harvey House) from the wrecking ball, the suspicion that locals regarded the English-born Sharpe, how he trains his staff but encourages them to be themselves, how he uses local produce and meat when he can (including churro lamb from Navajo Indians).
I’ve found Sharpe’s restaurant to be extremely creative, and recommend it highly. If you’re curious about what he serves, you can peruse his menus online. Sharpe also published a Turquoise Room cookbook a few years ago.
Looking over the Beard list, I found one other chef nominated for a restaurant directly on an early alignment of Route 66 — Restaurant Martin in Santa Fe. Other restaurants nominated that aren’t on Route 66 can be found in St. Louis, Albuquerque, Los Angeles, and Chicago. But Sharpe’s nomination for his Turquoise Room is made even more impressive by how far off the beaten path it is.
UPDATE 3/21/2011: Alas, Sharpe did not advance to the finalist stage in the competition.