"The Great Muslim American Road Trip," a documentary series about a Muslim couple traveling Route 66, will air on PBS-TV later this summer. The three-part series will be offered on PBS stations, PBS.org and the PBS app, reported Realscreen.com. The series follows rapper Mona Haydar and her husband Sebastian Robins as they explore the U.S. … Continue reading “The Great Muslim American Road Trip” coming to PBS this summer
Category: Road trips
29,000 Oklahoma Route 66 Passports distributed in just a few months in 2020
Remember the Oklahoma Route 66 Passport created by the Oklahoma Department of Tourism a couple of years ago? It turns out the agency distributed that little booklet by the truckload. The department this week sent out a news release about the 2020 tourism season, during the first part of the COVID-19 pandemic. It contained this … Continue reading 29,000 Oklahoma Route 66 Passports distributed in just a few months in 2020
Route 66 travelers get sticker shock from recent car-rental rates
One interesting thread on the HIstoric Route 66 page on Facebook has been by prospective Route 66 travelers -- especially foreigners -- who nearly had a heart attack when seeing the prices on rental vehicles. Lee Thurston in a recent post on the group stated he made a reservation a year ago for an SUV … Continue reading Route 66 travelers get sticker shock from recent car-rental rates
Route 66 campaign, Joliet Area Historical Museum win Illinois tourism awards
The Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau earlier this month won an Illinois Excellence in Tourism award for Best International Marketing for its Route 66 campaign. The extensive Route 66 section of its website can be found here. Great Rivers and Routes Tourism concentrates on attractions in southwest Illinois. Great Rivers and Routes was honored … Continue reading Route 66 campaign, Joliet Area Historical Museum win Illinois tourism awards
Lee Emmerson, writer of the Route 66-inspired song “Signs,” dies at 77
Lee Emmerson, leader of the Five Man Electrical Band who wrote a hit song, "Signs," that he said was inspired by a journey on Route 66, died in a hospital Dec. 10 of COVID-19 complications. He was 77. According to CVT News in Canada, Emmerson's wife said he was double vaccinated but had underlying conditions … Continue reading Lee Emmerson, writer of the Route 66-inspired song “Signs,” dies at 77
Oklahoma City adds 200 Route 66 directional signs to varying alignments
The City of Oklahoma City recently added 200 Route 66 directional signs so travelers can more easily trace the varying alignments of the Mother Road in the metro area. According to a news release from the city, the alignments go through five commercial districts that include the Britton District, Western Avenue, NW 39th Street, the Asian District and Uptown 23. A map … Continue reading Oklahoma City adds 200 Route 66 directional signs to varying alignments
All 116 episodes of the “Route 66” TV drama from the 1960s are on YouTube
A few episodes of the famed "Route 66" television drama from the early 1960s had been posted online in dribs and drabs over the years. However, earlier this summer, The OTR Collection uploaded all 116 episodes of the drama that starred George Maharis and Martin Milner. The entire playlist is below, starting with the first … Continue reading All 116 episodes of the “Route 66” TV drama from the 1960s are on YouTube
Southwest architecture inspires Hayley Eichenbaum’s “The Mother Road” show
California photographer Hayley Eichenbaum's new online exhibit, "The Mother Road," takes its inspiration from the colors and architecture along Route 66. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hayley Eichenbaum (@inter_disciplinary) Harriet Lloyd-Smith recently reached out to Eichenbaum for Wallpaper.com.; She found out Eichenbaum was inspired by cinema, especially the work of director … Continue reading Southwest architecture inspires Hayley Eichenbaum’s “The Mother Road” show
President Biden issues rules that allow vaccinated foreigners to travel to U.S.
U.S. President Joseph Biden last week issued an order that reopens the border on Nov. 8 to most international travelers, especially those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the BBC and other media outlets. The original travel ban, imposed last spring by the previous president, Donald Trump, affected dozens of countries, including the … Continue reading President Biden issues rules that allow vaccinated foreigners to travel to U.S.
New “History of Route 66” is available online
The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership recently announced "a new, more accurate" history of Route 66 has been published by Oxford University Press’ Research Encyclopedia on American History. The work was a collaboration between members of Route 66 Road Ahead’s Research and Education working group, Dr. David Dunaway and Dr. Stephen Mandrogoc of the University … Continue reading New “History of Route 66” is available online