An apparent arsonist early Sunday set fire to one of the classic cars that make up the landmark Cadillac Ranch on Amarillo's west side. KAMR-TV in Amarillo reported the first fire call came in at 2:12 a.m. The fire was extinguished, and no arrests have been made. The administrator at the Cadillac Ranch page on … Continue reading Arsonist torches one of the cars at Cadillac Ranch
Category: Art
Bottle Tree Ranch reopens full-time after the death of its creator
The landmark Bottle Tree Ranch along Route 66 near Oro Grande, California, reopened Saturday after being closed following the death of its creator, Elmer Long, in July. Delvin Harbour, a longtime Route 66 enthusiast in California, posted this on Facebook on Saturday: Long, 72, died June 22 after a bout with lung cancer. The Bottle … Continue reading Bottle Tree Ranch reopens full-time after the death of its creator
Former Black Officers Club, a mural at Fort Leonard Wood are restored
A building that served as the Black Officers' Club at Fort Leonard Wood in mid-Missouri recently was restored and renamed after Staff Sgt. Samuel Countee, who painted the building’s mural during the mid-1940s. From left, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's Katharine Kerr; Sammie Whiting Ellis, Staff. Sgt. Countee's niece; and Robert G. Stanton stand in … Continue reading Former Black Officers Club, a mural at Fort Leonard Wood are restored
Arizona Route 66 association gives $10,000 to finish the restoration of Standin’ on a Corner wall
The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona recently gave a $10,000 check to the Standin' on a Corner Foundation to finish a long-gestating restoration of the wall at that famed park in Winslow, Arizona. From left are Tommy Butler, a member of the Standin' on the Corner Foundation; Nikki Seegers, director of the Historic Route … Continue reading Arizona Route 66 association gives $10,000 to finish the restoration of Standin’ on a Corner wall
Making a miniature version of Sun ‘n Sand Motel sign in Santa Rosa
Chris Raley of Fresno, California, is an apparent aficionado of old-time neon signs, so he makes miniature versions of them. Here's a speeded-up time-lapse video that shows how he built a second larger (but still miniature) version of the Sun 'n Sand Motel sign that still stands along Route 66 in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, … Continue reading Making a miniature version of Sun ‘n Sand Motel sign in Santa Rosa
Elmer Long, creator of Bottle Tree Ranch, dies
Elmer Long, the eccentric creator of the beloved Bottle Tree Ranch on Route 66 near Oro Grande, California, died June 22 after a bout with lung cancer. He was 72. Kelly Donovan, an administrator of Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch page on Facebook, announced Long's death during a post on the page Friday afternoon. No obituary … Continue reading Elmer Long, creator of Bottle Tree Ranch, dies
Officials dedicate Route 66 Rising sculpture in Tulsa
Several area officials, including Oklahoma's lieutenant governor and Tulsa's mayor, helped dedicate the enormous Route 66 Rising sculpture Tuesday at Avery Traffic Circle in Tulsa. The $682,000 sculpture, paid for with Vision 2025 sales-tax money in Tulsa County, is about 70 feet long and 30 feet tall. It sits at Mingo Road and Admiral Place, … Continue reading Officials dedicate Route 66 Rising sculpture in Tulsa
Cartoonist to publish graphic novel about Route 66 journey
Award-winning cartoonist Shing Yin Khor in August will publish a 160-page graphic memoir about her experiences during a journey on Route 66. The main title is "The American Dream?" with the subtitle "A Journey on Route 66 Discovering Dinosaur Statues, Muffler Men and the Perfect Breakfast Burrito." Khor grew up in Malaysia and held different … Continue reading Cartoonist to publish graphic novel about Route 66 journey
New Coca-Cola mural added to prominent building in Galena
A new, huge and vintage-style Coca-Cola mural, complete with a Route 66 shield, recently was painted onto a prominent building in downtown Galena, Kansas, where two Route 66 alignments meet. The century-old building sits at Kansas Route 66 (the newer alignment) and Main Street (aka old Route 66). A local television station recently reported about … Continue reading New Coca-Cola mural added to prominent building in Galena
Bob Dylan adds more Route 66 images to his paintings
World-famous songwriter and Nobel Prize laureate Bob Dylan three years ago painted a series of images that included more than a half-dozen images from Route 66 as part of his "The Beaten Path" series. The number of images from the Mother Road has increased. The Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, posted this image … Continue reading Bob Dylan adds more Route 66 images to his paintings