About 80 people watched the installation of a plaque Friday at the Admiral Twin Drive-In theatre in Tulsa to commemorate its use as a location in "The Outsiders" movie. The film also is marking the 40th anniversary of its release this year. That weekend, the Admiral Twin also screened "The Outsiders" and "Rumble Fish" -- … Continue reading Plaque installed at Admiral Twin Drive-In to mark its role in “The Outsiders” movie
Category: Books
Illinois Holocaust Museum near Chicago hosts Negro Motorist Green Book exhibition
The Illinois Holocaust Museum is hosting an exhibition about the "Negro Motorist Green Book" published during America's Jim Crow era from the 1930s to the 1960s. The Green Book, published by Victor Hugo Green, was an annual guidebook for African American travelers looking for nondiscriminating gas stations, restaurants, lodging establishments and other accommodations during the … Continue reading Illinois Holocaust Museum near Chicago hosts Negro Motorist Green Book exhibition
Updated fifth edition of “EZ 66 Guide for Travelers” published
Jerry McClanahan, author of the "EZ 66 Guide for Travelers," announced last week an updated fifth edition of the guidebook has been published. The guide, which contains turn-by-turn directions on how to navigate Route 66 both eastbound and westbound, is published by the National Historic Route 66 Federation. McClanahan said in a Facebook post the … Continue reading Updated fifth edition of “EZ 66 Guide for Travelers” published
Book review: “Eating Up Route 66”
Fill your gas tank and bring your appetite. T. Lindsay Baker's new book, "Eating Up Route 66" (Amazon link), takes readers on a culinary and historic adventure down the Mother Road. It's safe to say the 448-page volume -- subtitled "Foodways on America's Mother Road" -- instantly is a definitive work about Route 66 restaurants. … Continue reading Book review: “Eating Up Route 66”
Companion neon sign erected next to Circle Cinema in Tulsa
A golden-colored "Stay Gold" neon sign recently was erected next to the historic Circle Cinema along the Lewis Avenue alignment of Route 66 in Tulsa. The sign is part of the city's Route 66 Neon Sign Grant Program which awards money to businesses on or near Tulsa's Route 66 corridors to rehabilitate old neon signs … Continue reading Companion neon sign erected next to Circle Cinema in Tulsa
Book review: “Miles to Go: An African Family in Search of America Along Route 66”
Brennen Matthews' detailed travelogue, "Miles to Go: An African Family in Search of America Along Route 66" (Amazon link), explains the spark that led him to found and edit ROUTE Magazine. Because his multiracial family has roots in Kenya or Canada, the 280-page book published by University of New Mexico Press also provides a glimpse … Continue reading Book review: “Miles to Go: An African Family in Search of America Along Route 66”
Photographer uses Kickstarter campaign to help publish new Route 66 book
Documentary photographer Jeff Sonnabend of Arkansas recently completed a book, "The Route 66 Primer: An Uncropped View of the Mother Road," and he's launched an online fundraising campaign to help publish it. Sonnabend shot his photos in 2020, and the book aims to be a sort of time capsule of Route 66 near the current … Continue reading Photographer uses Kickstarter campaign to help publish new Route 66 book
Revival of “Route 66 Dining and Lodging Guide” planned later this year
Mark Hamilton, the creator of the Backroads66 website, stated in a recent post he is planning to revive the "Route 66 Dining and Lodging Guide" in November or December after updates on the publication ceased about seven years ago. Hamilton stated his guide would contain listings of only independently owned properties on or just off … Continue reading Revival of “Route 66 Dining and Lodging Guide” planned later this year
“Route 66: The Mother Road” film from 1994 uploaded to the Internet Archive
The 88-minute film "Route 66: The Mother Road" which starred bestselling author Michael Wallis and his wife Suzanne in 1994, recently was uploaded to the Internet Archive for everyone to enjoy. The out-of-print film often also was titled "A Journey Down Route 66." A few copies on VHS or even DVD could be found on … Continue reading “Route 66: The Mother Road” film from 1994 uploaded to the Internet Archive
Book review: ‘Tucumcari Tonite!’
There's a moment early in David Stratton's new book, "Tucumcari Tonight" (Amazon link), that signals this isn't going to be a dull history tome. In the introduction, the author, who was 95 years old when the University of New Mexico Press published the book earlier this month, recalls his personal memories of the first owners … Continue reading Book review: ‘Tucumcari Tonite!’