A small fact about Whitney Houston’s death February 14, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in History, Motels, People.2 comments
I sorta hate to bring this up, since it’s a trivial fact in light of a tragedy.
But the hotel where singing superstar Whitney Houston died on Saturday — the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. — sits next to Route 66. A reader alerted me to this today.
The hotel lists its address as 9876 Wilshire Blvd., which is not Route 66. However, the sprawling hotel complex occupies a corner of Santa Monica Boulevard, which is Route 66. And the Hilton is visible from that road.
And it’s not as if the Beverly Hilton is a johnny-come-lately of the chain. It was built in 1955, and was owned by Merv Griffin for over 15 years.
It’s not just a celebrity hangout. Numerous U.S. presidents have stayed there, to the point where it’s called the West Coast White House. The Beverly Hilton is already historically significant because of its age, and because of who booked a room there.
TMZ reported today that Houston’s room where she died is reoccupied. However, instead of booking guests there, the hotel probably is taking the room out of rotation for a few weeks until morbid curiosity-seekers go away, or until the room is thoroughly remodeled.
Celebrity death sites will attract a smattering of tourists. A lonely stretch of U.S. 95, aka Route 66, near Needles, Calif., was where comedian Sam Kenison died in a car crash in 1992.
Nominations sought for Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame February 13, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in History, Museums, People, Route 66 Associations.2 comments
Every two years, one living and one deceased person are chosen for the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame. It is that time again.
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association is seeking nominations for 2012. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be May 26 at the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton.
Here’s what’s need for a nomination:
- Full name of nominee (state whether the person is living or deceased)
- Biography of nominee (he or she must live or have lived in Oklahoma)
- Nominee’s contribution(s) to Route 66
- Reason the nominee deserves this award
- Your name, address, and phone number if judges need clarification on any information
The Hall of Fame committee also would like a portrait-style photo of the nominee. And you can nominate more than one person.
Deadline for nominations is March 30. Please mail the nomination to: Oklahoma Route 66 Association, P.O. Box 446 Chandler, OK 74834.
Current Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame members include Michael Wallis, Don Mullenix, Jack and Gladys Cutberth, Lucille Hamons, Kent Ruth, Jim Ross, Cyrus Avery, Dr. Walter Mason, Wanda Queenan, Lyle Overman, Kathy Anderson, Luther Robison, Marion Davidson, and Lucy Stansberry.
Survivor of Joplin hotel collapse dies February 11, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in History, Motels, People.add a comment
Alfred Summers, the lone survivor of a collapse in 1978 of a large motel along Route 66 in Joplin, Mo., died Friday at age 64, according to the Joplin Globe.
Summers, part of demolition crew, was trapped in the rubble for more than three days before he was extricated. Two co-workers died in the unexpected collapse. Summer’s rescue earned national headlines.
KOAM-TV produced this excellent two-part story about the hotel’s collapse and Summers’ rescue in 2009. It’s well worth your time; if the videos don’t embed properly, just head to the link:
Here is Part 2:
The building that collapsed was the Connor Hotel, a nine-story beauty that was built in 1907. It was located at Fourth and Main Streets. Main Street was Route 66 in that part of town in the 1920s and ’30s. Connor died at age 60 before his hotel was completed.
According to local historian Brad Belk, the Connor Hotel added a huge annex in 1929:
All the rooms had “circulating ice water,” a telephone and a connection for a ceiling fan. The 400-room hotel provided five different room rates. The least-expensive $2 room offered a toilet and lavatory but no bath. The $2.50 and $3 rooms had tiled bathrooms, while the corner rooms remained the largest and most expensive, running $3.50 to $4 a night.
The Connor offered both a barber shop and a beauty shop.
The hotel had five restaurants, all under the capable hands of chef August Petit. Even Connor Hotel owner Allis dabbled in the design of one of the eateries. The Kit Cat coffee shop featured his novel “contabs,” which were part counter and part table. [...]
Another distinguishing feature of the renovation was the huge chandelier over the grand staircase. Weighing 1,200 pounds, the total ensemble glistened of crystals and imported gold glass panels supported by a base made of cast bronze.
The hotel struggled during the 1960s, and finally was scheduled to be demolished.
Here’s a digital scan of an early brochure of the hotel.
(Postcard of the Connor Hotel courtesy of 66Postcards.com)
The heap behind Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree February 3, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Movies, People.add a comment
The Disney Parks Blog took a behind-the-scenes look at Larry the Cable Guy, aka Mater from the 2006 Disney-Pixar film “Cars,” recording a voice-over.
Disney needed Larry’s pipes for Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, one of the rides featured in Cars Land at Disney’s California Adventure:
Cars Land is based on the fictional Route 66 town of Radiator Springs from “Cars.” Cars Land is set to open sometime this summer.
A good example to those along the Mother Road January 27, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Museums, People, Road trips.add a comment
Paul Chassey, a volunteer for the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville, Calif., wrote an interesting piece in the Victorville Daily Press about a fellow volunteer’s experience with a Chinese couple.
Go here to read it first.
Read it? If so, here are my observations about the article:
- Although the volunteer’s behavior was exemplary, such conduct should be fairly routine at the museums, businesses, and attractions along Route 66. Such hospitality has proven hugely beneficial to Pontiac, Ill., and the Mother Road in general.
- The story cements my hunch that China is going to become a huge, mostly untapped market for Route 66 tourism. As the Chinese gain more wealth and travel abroad, it’s logical to assume a number of its 1.3 billion citizens will want to get their kicks on the legendary Route 66.
This is good to see January 25, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in Music, People.3 comments
Something I wasn’t sure we’d see again … Harley and Annabelle Russell recently performing in their home base of Erick, Okla.
(Warning: the video contains Harley’s typically bawdy humor … another good sign, actually).
For those new to Route 66 News, Annabelle was diagnosed with ovarian cancer about a year ago. She endured major surgery and months of harrowing chemotherapy. Harley and Annabelle suspended their decade-long act for Route 66 travelers at their Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick so he could care for her. The stress of Annabelle’s illness was hard on Harley, too — he lost a lot of weight.
Although she’s improved, she still has to undergo cancer treatments every 10 days or so. Harley and Annabelle still aren’t sure they can see any Route 66 tour groups this season.
But it’s still greatly encouraging to see Annabelle strumming a guitar behind her husband, just like old times.
Boot Hill restaurant put up for sale January 24, 2012
Posted by Ron Warnick in People, Restaurants, Television.add a comment
The owner of the Boot Hill Saloon & Grill in Vega, Texas, has put the restaurant up for sale. However, Boot Hill will continue operating until it finds a buyer.
Boot Hill chef and owner Rory Schepisi, known for her reality television roles in CMT’s “Popularity Contest” and “The Next Food Network Star,” has an asking price of $450,000 for the restaurant and tavern, which has operated for five years off Route 66 and is known for its creative twists on Texas cuisine.
Schepisi said in a telephone interview Tuesday that travel commitments — including a near-weekly gig with the Cadillac Culinary Challenge — has kept her from devoting as much time to Boot Hill as she’d like.
“I just can’t keep an eye on it like I should,” she said. “I hate that for my customers. It sucks.”
Schepisi added it’s difficult to find good restaurant management personnel in the small town of Vega (population 900).
“Boot Hill will be better for someone who can live in Vega full-time and operate it as a family-style restaurant,” she said. “It’s still a good business. With all of its world exposure to Route 66 travelers, it’s still doing well.”
Schepisi remains adamant about keeping the restaurant operating as usual in the meantime.
“I will keep it open if I don’t sell it,” she said.
Even if the restaurant sells, Schepisi says she’ll still live on a Vega-area on a ranch with her boyfriend Klay. She’s lived in Vega for eight years after moving from her native New Jersey.
Boot Hill is the second prominent Route 66 restaurant in the region to go on the block recently. The Midpoint Cafe in nearby Adrian, Texas, was put up for sale last summer. It hasn’t found a buyer.