Notes from the road

(Editor’s note: This is my Catch Up from the Memorial Day Holiday Edition.)

Actor and director Dennis Hopper died over the weekend after a long bout with prostate cancer. He was 74. A memorial service and burial was held Wednesday at a church in his beloved Taos, N.M., where he lived for years.

Although a thick book could (and likely will be) written about Hopper’s turbulent life and career, he holds a significant link to Route 66 in two ways.

First, he directed and co-starred in the influential 1969 hit movie, “Easy Rider,” which took place on parts of Route 66 in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Mr. Zip66 traces the path that Peter Fonda and Hopper took on motorcycles in the film so you can do it yourself. The film also spawned a hit record and a classic for all road-trippers, “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf. And “Easy Rider” inspired countless road trips, including those on the Mother Road.

Second, Hopper in 1961 shot a famous photograph, “Double Standard,” of two Los Angeles gas stations on Route 66 through the windshield of a car. An image of the photo can be seen here. Hopper’s image wound up in a lot of art galleries over the years, and helped jump-start his eventual career in film. The Los Angeles Times reports that the Museum of Contemporary Art is planning a giant retrospective of his art next month.

— The Art Institute of Chicago, near the beginning of Route 66, has commemorated the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team’s advancement to the Stanley Cup Finals by placing huge Blackhawks helmets on its famous bronze lions. (This is not unprecedented, by the way.) Photos of the lions decked out in Blackhawks gear can be seen here.

— Check out this Los Angeles Times story about the Devil’s Rope Museum in the Route 66 town of McLean, Texas. Longtime roadie Delbert Trew gets a lot of ink.

— Claudia Heller, who’s writing an ongoing series about Route 66 in Southern California for the Pasadena Star-News, reports that Dave Emerson is about to publish a book titled “Keeping You on the Mother Road.” He spent seven years researching the guidebook, which will contain maps and information about businesses on Route 66. Go here for more books that Heller recommends.

— Here’s a story about California State University-Heyward students who are converting a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle into a multimedia Route 66 experience. Here’s the team’s video channel and website. The team is looking for donations to help complete the project and finance a trip on Route 66 from Amarillo to Chicago for research purposes. The project will be unveiled June 11.

— The old DX gas station on an older alignment of Route 66 in Baxter Springs, Kan., was unceremoniously and unexpectedly torn down a few weeks ago, reports Ron Hart. The DX sign still stands. But the main building, which held a locksmith business for years before it closed, was razed.

— The Joplin Globe reports that a new 2-ton sign has been installed at the edge of Kellogg Lake in Carthage, Mo. The sign denotes Kellogg Lake State Park and includes a Route 66 logo.

— Read about Ron “Tattoo Man” Jones’ latest Route 66 tattoo on his body — his 84th.

— Richard Talley of the Motel Safari in Tucumcari, N.M., reports that a new Mexican restaurant, Unburritable, has opened on Route 66 in town.

— Also in Tucumcari news, the state revoked a gaming license for a horse-racing and casino facility in Raton, N.M. Tucumcari, which competed against Raton for the license in 2009, may get another chance at it. Raton’s license was yanked after it missed a deadline to open a temporary casino.

— Schlotzky’s Deli is making three special Route 66-themed sandwiches this summer — the Windy City Pastrami & Swiss, Tulsa Two-Step Angus Beef & Cheddar, and Albuquerque Turkey. The promotion runs through Aug. 29.