The Tampa Tribune takes more of a feminist angle of Route 66 in leading off its story about 4 Women on the Route of Galena, Kan.:
Think of Route 66 and several names come to mind: Bobby Troup, who wrote “Route 66”; John Steinbeck, who proclaimed it the Mother Road in “The Grapes of Wrath”; Will Rogers, whose face appears on plaques and is carved in granite memorials all along the old highway.
But those are all guys. How unfair.
At long last, it’s time to tie some ladies to the legend. Renee Charles, Melba Rigg, Betty Courtney and Judy Courtney are the forces behind Four Women on the Route – the diner and gift shop they lovingly transformed from a 1930 gas station. Their work is bringing new life to a corner of the fabled highway in Galena, Kan.
The article also explains the links of Galena to the “Cars” movie. One is the inspiration to the well-known Mater character; the other is a more obscure “ghost” sign that makes an appearance in the film.