I’ve got a few short items that I need to pass along. One is that the 100th Meridian Museum in Erick, Okla., received a new paint job a few weeks ago.
The museum can be seen pre-face-lift here.
Locals told us it was repainted by Jimmy Webb — a local painter, not the famous songwriter who hails from nearby Elk City.
The museum remains open only sporadically or by appointment. It tends to be overshadowed by the museum across the street to native son Roger Miller.
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We recently enjoyed coffee and homemade snacks at the new Circa espresso bar, attached to the Historic Route 66 Motel in Tucumcari, N.M. The Art Deco-inspired establishment has been open for a few weeks, and includes free Wi-Fi.
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The Chicago Tribune published a story about two historic fried-chicken palaces that are within a few miles of each other on Route 66 — Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket and White Fence Farm. Both places serve excellent food.
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The Tulsa World reports that the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Okla., is the subject of a new rock opera at Nightingale Theater in nearby Tulsa, titled “Blue Whale of Catoosa,” appropriately enough. The curtain will rise on the production for the next three weekends.
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Kevin and Nancy Mueller, the new owners of the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., are asking for photographs of the motel’s building during its Lillian Redman days or shortly after. The couple wants to return the structures back to its original pink coral color, and need older photographs to compare. They can be contacted at the website.
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Jim Hinckley, author of “Ghost Towns of Route 66” and other such books, will go on a short book-signing tour next month. Stops so far include the Berwyn Route 66 Museum in Berwyn, Ill.; the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Mo.; Route 66 Museum in Lebanon, Mo.; and the Powers Museum in Carthage, Mo. Go here to check the dates, times and future additions to Hinckley’s itinerary. Authors Joe Sonderman and David Clark will join Hinckley on part of the tour.
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A reminder: The new owners of the Boots Motel in Carthage, Mo., will hold an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday, before the restoration efforts begin in earnest.
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Finally, here’s this video about the Ride for the Relay cancer fund-raiser that made a stop a few days ago at Afton Station in Afton, Okla.