New film series about Route 66 soon will begin production September 20, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Movies, People.2 comments
The same production company that released a DVD about Arizona Route 66 a few months ago soon will work on a new film series about the Mother Road.
Norman Fisk, CEO of Diamond Valley Productions, says the series will be called “Life on Route 66.”
This video had this description:
Diamond Valley Productions, Inc. of Prescott, Az will soon be shooting a series about people and events along Route 66 in America. It will be a series dedicated to those who make The Mother Road what it is. It is a follow up to the newly released DVD “Route 66, Arizona, An American Story”.
The aforementioned Arizona Route 66 DVD was released during the Arizona Route 66 Fun Run in May.
Fisk says he also wants to produce a video series about the other seven states on Route 66.
Route 66 Rendezvous proclaimed “stellar” September 19, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, Vehicles.add a comment
The 2011 edition of the Route 66 Rendezvous in San Bernardino, Calif., had organizers and longtime observers searching for adjectives, reported the Redlands Daily Facts.
It’s hard to gauge whether the Rendezvous indeed set records. But the facts spell out success by any measure:
- The event’s producer said the Rendezvous’ economic impact will probably exceed its usual level of $44 million.
- Attendance was well past the usual 500,000.
- The police department said they’d never seen streets that crowded.
- A concert by a Beatles tribute band was so jam-packed, organizers were forced to close the stage area.
- The number of classic cars entered was 1,686 — the same as last year.
Organizers also said that booking good entertainment — this year’s included the Barenaked Ladies, Chubby Checker, and Chuck Berry — also helped boost attendance.
Route 66 in New Mexico September 19, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions.add a comment
New Mexico Video has posted several tourism-related videos in recent days, including this one about the Mother Road in the Land of Enchantment:
Its YouTube Channel contains dozens of other clips.
Route 66 photo book will debut at POPS next month September 18, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Books, Events, Photographs.2 comments
“Route 66 Sightings,” a new photo book by Jim Ross, Shellee Graham, and Jerry McClanahan, will make its debut from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 29 at POPS in Arcadia, Okla.
Ross said in an email:
The book is now in production, and we received our two advance copies yesterday. The quality and the overall presentation has exceeded our expectations. It is absolutely beautiful.
Sample pages of the book can be seen here. The 200-page coffee-table book is a collection of photographs the trio have collected over the years on Route 66, some dating to the early 1980s.
The book retails for $49.95 and can be purchased in advance here, if you can’t make it to the book event. The book also will be available in an iPad edition for $14.99 from MyTabletBooks.com.
The second, updated edition of Ross’ indispensable ”Oklahoma Route 66″ guidebook also should be published in October.
(Photo of book cover courtesy of Jim Ross)
Press conference for the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival September 17, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, Restaurants.add a comment
The Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau posted this video from the press conference announcing the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in downtown Springfield, Ill., next weekend.
The festival is marking its 10th anniversary. And, yes, it’s become a big deal in a relatively short time — 1,000 classic cars and more than 80,000 people expected to attend.
Sharp-eyed readers will notice that the press conference was held inside the historic Cozy Dog Drive-In.
Mix old with the new September 16, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Signs.2 comments
The city of Kingman, Ariz., may soon get a newfangled billboard along its stretch of Route 66, reported the Kingman Daily Miner.
Lamar Advertising wants to place an LED billboard at the foot of El Travatore Hill, with these intriguing aspects:
Lamar presented four different billboard designs: a historic 1950s look with a wood-like design, a 1950s design with a painted wood-like design, a 1950s look with the frame around the billboard painted and wood-like supports, and a design that echoes the pink Historic Route 66 directional signs that are scattered through out Kingman. Each design had the option of one to three support poles. [...] The commission finally settled on suggesting the Historic Route 66 design.
The new billboard would replace an existing one that’s been there for 50 years. But it was good that Lamar and the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission were cognizant enough of Kingman’s Route 66 history to suggest billboard designs that would pay homage to that heritage.
UPDATE 9/19/2011: Christina Butler at Lamar today emailed designs for the billboard. Here’s the Route 66-styled one favored by the board:
Here’s a wood-like design:
Here’s another wood-like design:
And here’s the current billboard at the foot of El Travatore Hill:
(Images courtesy of Lamar)
Cruise night at the Route 66 Rendezvous September 16, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, Vehicles.add a comment
The Route 66 Rendezvous in San Bernardino, Calif., isn’t close to being over, and already a video from it has been posted:
The Rendezvous continues through Sunday.
UPDATE 9/17/2011: Route 66 TV has posted a few videos from the festival:
UPDATE 9/18/2011: Here’s a clip from the finals of the burnout contest: