Coming attractions October 8, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Books.add a comment
This novel won’t be in stores until April 1, but its publisher already is promoting it — and using YouTube to do so:
A summary of the book:
Within the course of a week, marriage expert Natalie Marino is dumped by her husband, receives an urgent call home from her father, and discovers her estranged sister, Lindsay, is pregnant. A road trip on Route 66 may not help, but it sure couldn’t hurt. Or so Natalie thinks, until Lindsay’s ex-boyfriend starts stalking them. Will their trip down the Mother Road bring the two sisters closer, or turn out to be the biggest wrong turn of their lives?
The author is Jennifer AlLee, and her publisher is Abingdon Press, which specializes mostly in religious books.
“Billy Connolly’s Route 66,” final episode October 7, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in People, Road trips, Television.19 comments
Here is the fourth and final episode of “Billy Connolly’s Route 66,” aired on ITV in Britain on Thursday.
It goes from eastern Arizona to Santa Monica, in five parts:
http://youtu.be/jlM6Fo5hOEY
http://youtu.be/4ZdglmW1pGo
http://youtu.be/BlhFSvN_EL8
http://youtu.be/sNi-niiBQ9k
http://youtu.be/E7XkoT4V2oM
Having watched the whole series, I predict this will become the biggest tourism boon to Route 66 since the Disney-Pixar movie “Cars” in 2006 (and apparently Angel Delgadillo shares that opinion). Here’s why:
— “Billy Connolly’s Route 66″ has garnered the highest ratings for the United Kingdom’s ITV network in years.
— Because the series drew such strong viewership, it’s almost certain it will be distributed to Europe as well.
— If I had a quarter per every post on Twitter where viewers vowed to travel Route 66 next year, I’d have a lot of free meals right now.
“Billy Connolly’s Route 66″ was a top-notch production, with excellent photography, editing, soundtrack selections, and the geniality of its host. Some may quibble that it left out a few big Route 66 attractions. But the program had only three hours to fill. Its producers wisely decided to keep the best footage and not tie itself to a laundry list. (And the upcoming DVD reportedly will include 40 minutes of unused footage.)
And, as Jim Hinckley recently pointed out on his blog, the producers wisely decided to focus on Route 66 as a mirror of America:
On numerous occasions I have noted that Route 66 long ago transcended its original purpose. As the Main Street of America it presented a microcosm of the American experience. Today it is a repository, a time capsule, where the absolute best, the worst, and the unique flavors of this great nation are preserved for all to see, to touch, to taste, and to feel in the very depth of their souls. [...]
To drive Route 66 from end to end is an increasingly rare opportunity to savor life, to experience what makes this nation unique, and to discover, or rediscover, why this country is still the destination of choice for immigrants seeking opportunity and freedom. It is a religious pilgrimage, a quest worthy of the Argonauts, and the search for the holy grail all rolled into one grand adventure.
Route 66 shows America in all of its glorious contradictions. Billy Connolly and his crew “got it.” And I’m very pleased with that.
Another new gas-station paint job in Tucumcari October 6, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Gas stations, Preservation.3 comments
Volunteers in Tucumcari, N.M., have been repainting abandoned gas stations in a classic, old-fashioned style to dress up the Route 66 corridor through town.
The latest isn’t an abandoned station, but one that has been converted into a smoke shop, across the road from the Lowes grocery store.
The smoke shop now looks like a Standard Oil station:
Richard Talley, owner of the Motel Safari and one of the volunteers, said of the group’s future efforts:
This month we’ll be doing a “Magnolia” or Mobil themed one, with both a Pegasus and Gargoyle on it, and then we take a break until spring, when we already have 4 more lined up …
As I’ve said before, this is a low-cost way to dress up blighted properties on Route 66 — one that many more communities should embrace.
(Photo courtesy of Richard Talley)
Zeno’s Motel and Steakhouse soon will close October 5, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Motels, Restaurants.1 comment so far
Zeno’s Motel and Steakhouse, a Route 66 fixture in Rolla, Mo., since 1956, will close its doors after its final day of business on Oct. 21, according to a longtime employee.
Joyce Topolski, who says she’s worked at Zeno’s for 26 years, said in an email that “with competition and the economy, we can’t go on. We will all be out of a job on Oct. 22nd.”
There’s little to doubt Topolski’s contention that increased competition played a role in Zeno’s demise. The western end of Rolla has seen more restaurants and motels spring up in the past decade.
You can find vintage images of Zeno’s here, here, and here. Recent photos of the motel and restaurant can be seen at Ace Jackalope’s blog here.
Zeno’s was put up for sale in April for $2.2 million with Heyle Realtors. The complex includes 50 guest rooms, an indoor and outdoor pool, banquet facilities, lounge, and the restaurant. A longtime Zeno’s worker at the time said business had suffered during the economic downturn, and that the complex needs a new roof and other repairs.
UPDATE 10/22/2011: I found out that the building and land will be auctioned on Nov. 14.
(Hat tip: Ace Jackalope)
A short look of 66 October 5, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Movies, Road trips.add a comment
Nothin’ But Shorts, an Australian company, posted this video shot a few years ago, shortly before the release of Disney-Pixar’s “Cars.”
Kudos to the subject matter; jeers to the poor visual quality of the film.
Short, but sweet October 4, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in History, Museums.add a comment
A little news item in the Desert Dispatch of Barstow, Calif., caught my eye:
Council approves a 20-year-lease for Route 66 Museum – The City Council voted unanimously to extend the lease for the Route 66 Museum in the Harvey House for 20 more years. The museum will pay $1 annually for the space.
I didn’t hold much doubt the museum in Barstow’s Harvey House would be in danger.
However, this vote of confidence remains a tribute to the Route 66 Mother Road Museum and the efforts of longtime curator Deb Hodkin.
Visiting the museum and experiencing the staff’s hospitality is well worth your time.
Here’s a good video about the museum:
West Hollywood’s Route 66 honored October 4, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Highways.1 comment so far
Santa Monica Boulevard (aka Route 66) in West Hollywood, Calif., has been named one of the 10 Great Streets for 2011 by the American Planning Association.
According to the APA:
“There was a time, not too long ago, where “you took your life in your hands just to cross Santa Monica Boulevard,” said Jeff Prang, a member of the West Hollywood City Council. Today, despite 46,000 daily vehicle trips, this reconstructed main street embraces pedestrians, linking them to neighborhoods, landmarks, and traditions. A stroll along this iconic street, part of the legendary Route 66, yields distinct experiences. The west end is the center of the city’s renowned lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) community and nightlife. The eastern portion, a celebrated gathering place, runs through a culturally rich neighborhood of Russian-speaking immigrants.
And according to an article in Public CEO:
Scattered along the roadway – amidst some 600 traditional and unconventional businesses – are seven historic structures, including Irv’s, a 1946 burger stand and The Lot, where movies such as Wuthering Heights (1939), Some Like It Hot (1959) and West Side Story (1959) were shot.
The publication noted that Santa Monica Boulevard really started to rejuvenate once the city took control of it from the California Department of Transportation in 1999.
Another Great Street of 2011 includes Washington Avenue in St. Louis, which isn’t on Route 66 but runs close.
The APA also listed Great Neighborhoods of 2011, which included Swan Lake in Tulsa and the Pullman Neighborhood of Chicago.
UPDATE 10/5/2011: The Los Angeles Times posted a story about West Hollywood’s honor.
A romp on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge October 4, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Bridges.add a comment
Here’s a new, high-quality video that was shot on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis, including the nearby fishing areas. The bridge once carried Route 66 over the Mississippi River.
I’d like to know the story behind the hearse being driven on the bridge. It’s rare when vehicles are allowed.
Time of Lake Overholser Bridge reopening is set October 3, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Bridges, Events, Preservation.3 comments
A few weeks ago, it was announced the reopening of the historic Lake Overholser Bridge to traffic would be on Oct. 11.
According to an invitation received in the mail today, the City of Oklahoma City announced the reopening ceremony will be at 2 p.m. that day. The invitation indicates that Mayor Mick Cornett and city council will attend.
According to The Oklahoman newspaper, the cost by the city to repair the bridge was $4 million. Funds came from a voter-passed bond issue. The bridge had been closed to traffic since 2008.
The bridge was built in 1924 before Route 66 and was mentioned in John Steinbeck’s novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.”
According to Jim Ross’ book “Oklahoma Route 66,” the bridge consists of four Parker trusses and one Warren pony truss on each end, spanning almost 750 feet. The bridge also underwent repairs during the 1990s.
If you want to attend the ceremony, here’s a map to the bridge on Overholser Drive.
(Photo courtesy of Guy Randall; hat tip to Ken Turmel)
Father of Rock and Roll and the Mother Road October 3, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Music.1 comment so far
A few videos have popped up using Chuck Berry‘s version of “Route 66″ as the inspiration. But this new one is the best:
By the way, Chuck Berry is 84 years old, and he’s still playing a regular gig at this place.