Precarious position for Grand Canyon Skywalk April 25, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions.3 comments
Although the view from the Grand Canyon Skywalk contains spectacular views, the view behind the scenes is anything but serene, according to the New York Times.
In case you’re unfamiliar, Skywalk is a horseshoe-shaped superstructure with a glass floor that extends about 70 feet over the edge of the Grand Canyon. The video below will help show what I’m talking about:
It’s owned by the Hualapai Indian tribe, and co-created by Las Vegas-based David Jin. It opened for the public in 2007, and the complex contains a gift shop and other revenue-producing operations.
The Times reports that Jan was supposed to get a cut of the revenues for the next 25 years, in exchange for the $30 million he coughed up to build Skywalk. And that’s where the turmoil lies:
He accuses the Hualapai of shortchanging him and has gone to court — both the tribal court in the tribal capital of Peach Springs, Ariz., and United States District Court in Phoenix — to press the matter.
The Hualapai accuse him of not fulfilling his end of the bargain by leaving ancillary parts of the project unfinished. [...]
In court documents, Mr. Jin says tribal “infighting and irregularities” have complicated his dealings with the Hualapai, who he says have not paid him any profits since 2008. He said that the tribal tourism enterprise had gone through a succession of six chief executives since signing a deal with Mr. Jin in 2003.
Recently, the Hualapai removed their tribal chairman, Wilfred Whatoname, for unapproved disbursement of tribal funds. Several other tribal members have been removed for mishandling money, Mr. Jin’s representatives say. [...]
Hualapai leaders deny that the tribe has mishandled the Skywalk money, which they say is going to the betterment of tribal members. [...]
Mr. Jin has gone to tribal court to try to force the Hualapai to enter into arbitration over the sharing of profits, and he sought a temporary restraining order in federal court aiming to prevent the Tribal Council from seizing his share of the Skywalk by using a recently passed eminent domain ordinance. Mr. Jin failed to win the order, but a federal judge is now overseeing the dispute.
The Times notes that the legal dispute has spilled into the complex itself, where several projects, including a visitors center, remain unfinished.
Skywalk claims hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. If true, it’s amazing people are ponying up about $73 a head — all while going to the complex on a primitive road — to stand on the horseshoe for a few minutes, when one could gaze from the edge of Grand Canyon National Park for one-third of that amount.
If the court case drags on and the facilities at Skywalk continue to languish, one has to wonder how much longer it will remain viable — if it is at all.
TV station will air special program about Missouri Route 66 April 24, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Road trips, Television.add a comment
“Celebrate the Ozarks: Route 66,” a one-hour special about Missouri’s Route 66, will air at 7 p.m. CDT Friday, April 29, on KYTV (KY3) in Springfield, Mo.
Tim Leimkuhler, a news photographer at KY3 and producer of the program, says it deals with the Mother Road from Rolla, Mo., to just across the border in Galena, Kan.
In an e-mail, Leimkuhler said:
Unfortunately I was not able to cover everything between here and there because of time constraints, so I only hit on some of the most interesting, what is left, or what we have pictures of video of. I didn’t even have time to mention Joplin or show anything from there. Included are the Edwin Long Hotel and Mule Trading Post in Rolla, John’s (Modern) Cabins, Stoney Dell, Hooker Cut, The Elbow Inn, the Munger Moss Motel and museum in Lebanon, the Gillioz Theater, Bunion Derby, Steak and Shake, and Red’s in Springfield, as well as foreign travelers at the Rail Haven. Brief stop in Halltown and then on to Gay Parita. From there a brief look at Spencer and then on to Carthage with their little museum and drive-in theater. Another brief stop in Webb City at their new museum and then onward to Galena, Kan., to meet Dean Walker, 4 Women on the Route, and talk about the movie “Cars.” Near the end of the show we talk with Michael Wallis in Tulsa about his book from 1990, his role as the sheriff (in the movie “Cars”), and the people of the road. The show ends with a wrapup about the interstates and how the route has gone high tech — Facebook and YouTube videos.
Here’s a recent clip on KY3 of Leimkuhler talking about the special. He also posted teaser footage from the special on Facebook here.
Leimkuhler said the program will not be produced for DVD, namely because of copyright hassles regarding the “Cars” footage.
However, he said the program will be available for viewing on the Internet within a week or so after it airs.
Online Route 66 magazine launches its first issue April 23, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Publications.add a comment
66 The Mother Road launched its inaugural online issue on Friday.
It’s 36 pages, and you can view it online here. I spent some time surfing around on it, and it works very well. You can enlarge the full-color content, and turning the virtual pages is a snap.
Stories in the magazine include:
- A feature about the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum, and the upcoming Bob Waldmire-inspired festivities in early May
- A useful story about Quick Response codes and how they can be useful to Route 66 business amid the smartphone era
- A portion of Missouri Route 66′s earlier history with the Civil War
- A short story about 4 Women on the Route in Galena, Kan.
- The changes coming with the Route 66 Vintage Iron Motorcycle Museum in Miami, Okla.
- A blurb about the International Route 66 Festival in Amarillo in June
- A long feature about Richard Talley and his Motel Safari in Tucumcari, N.M., and his Smalltown America initiative
- A profile on Terry Lee Smith-Kafides, who is the official National Route 66 Ambassador
In case you missed the earlier announcement about this Web-only magazine, here’s the magazine’s mission statement:
It’s actually pretty simple: if it’s good for the entire Road, do it.
We are dedicated to helping business survive and thrive across the entire Route 66 corridor. We take preservation, protection and enhancement of the historic highway seriously. The history is well documented. Our goal is to accept that history, and move forward in the 21st century and beyond, using the most modern technology available to ensure future generations carry the work forward.
The magazine comes endorsed by prominent Route 66 author Michael Wallis and the Route 66 Alliance.
A tour in the Mother Road’s midsection April 23, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, People, Road trips, Television.add a comment
This episode from Greene HD Productions is from the “Route 66: The Marathon Tour” DVD box set.
The segment goes from Erick, Okla., to Adrian, Texas, with small snippets of other sights on Route 66 in the beginning.
A desert oasis April 22, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, History, Preservation.add a comment
Do read this wonderful article in the Los Angeles Times’ business section about the historic Desert Market in the tiny Route 66 town of Daggett, Calif. It’s owned by Yousuf “Joe” Khawaldeh, yet another non-native who’s helping keep a slice of the old Mother Road alive.
We’ve actually been to this store, and this excerpt in the Times’ article rings true in more ways than one:
Beer, cigarettes, energy drinks and lottery tickets. They’re the lifeblood of this tiny store that has been here for 130 years. It’s managed to survive a fire, a population exodus and the loss of business after Interstate 40 was built and fewer motorists passed by the store on old Route 66.
To the people of Daggett, the store is part of their daily routine. They come to gossip, pay their utility bills or stock up on soda. To Joe, the market is a steppingstone to a better life.
The 43-year-old Jordanian immigrant at times spends 12 hours a day, seven days a week in the Desert Market, which is painted a faded turquoise, trying to earn enough money so that he doesn’t have to come here anymore. He has saved enough to buy an off-road vehicle, take a day or two of vacation once in a while, pay someone else to stand behind the register now and then.
That’s what he loves about Daggett, about the United States.
“If you are determined and you want to do something, you can,” he says. “Trust me.”
Just read the whole thing.
Zeno’s goes on the market April 22, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Motels, Preservation, Restaurants.1 comment so far
The historic Zeno’s Motel & Steakhouse along old Route 66 in Rolla, Mo., is up for sale for $2.2 million.
The restaurant and motel, which date to 1956, is listed with Heyle Realtors in Springfield, Mo. The complex includes 50 guest rooms, an indoor and outdoor pool, banquet facilities, lounge, and the restaurant.
A longtime employee of Zeno’s alerted me to the complex being for sale. The worker said business has suffered during the downturn in the economy, and that the complex needs a new roof and other repairs.
Because several new motels have been built on the west end of Rolla, I’m certain lodging revenue at Zeno’s has taken a hit in recent years as well.
The restaurant and motel each have been regularly listed with the Route 66 Dining and Lodging Guide, published by the National Historic Route 66 Federation.
Boots Motel makes “most endangered” list April 21, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Motels, Preservation.4 comments
The historic Boots Motel on Route 66 in Carthage, Mo., has been named one of the 10 Most Endangered Roadside Places in 2011 by the Society for Commercial Archaeology, according to a news release today.
The motel, which dates to 1939, was closed in 2003 after a local developer purchased it, reportedly so it could make way for a Walgreens drugstore.
That reputed plan was abandoned after historic preservationists, Route 66 fans, and the Carthage newspaper protested.
The building has been used as apartments since, and recently was listed for sale for $225,000.
According to the news release from the society:
The list showcases the diversity of roadside places and highlights the issues and challenges facing preservation of these important resources. Threats can include natural weathering, economic hardship, neglect, abandonment, inappropriate zoning, lack of maintenance, demolition and even a setback to a project to preserve a roadside place. [...]
“Our goal is to focus public attention on the unique character and historical importance of our nation’s roadside commercial architecture—and the factors that challenge their long-term preservation,” says Nancy Sturm, co-president of the organization.
Along with the attention, SCA will help property owners connect with local, state and federal preservation programs.
And here’s the society’s description of the Boots:
Boots Motel, 107 S Garrison Avenue (old US 66), Carthage, Missouri
Built in 1939 by Arthur G. Boots, this Streamline Moderne-influenced motel, with its once distinct pink and green neon, evolved into a Route 66 icon. After Arthur’s wife, Ilda Boots, passed away, the motel was sold several times. The most recent owner tried to negotiate a deal with Walgreens to build a new store on the property, but Route 66 advocates and community members rallied to save the motel from demolition. Walgreens decided to build elsewhere, and while the motel remains, its maintenance has ceased and it is now used for long-term rentals. Damaged by a storm, its broken neon dangles from the building; the vacancy sign on the office reads only “ANCY.” The property is again for sale. Ron Hart of the Carthage-based Route 66 Chamber of Commerce is looking into purchasing the property to preserve it as a vintage motel, and potentially a museum. But until that happens, the future of this Route 66 landmark is unknown.
Contact: Ron Hart, Route 66 Chamber of Commerce, (417) 385-6966
Here are the other endangered roadside attractions:
- Airplane Filling Station, Knoxville, Tenn.
- Bartles-Maguire/Wadhams Service Station, Waukesha, Wis.
- Buckhorn Baths, Mesa, Ariz.
- Diving Lady, Mesa, Ariz.
- Doo Wop Motels, the Wildwoods, N.J.
- Giant Santa, Haubstadt, Ind.
- Premiere Lanes Sign, Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
- Roundtop Filling Station, Sherwood, Ark.
- Wagon Wheel Motel, Oxnard, Calif. (destroyed)