RSU Public TV, based at Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma, recently completed this 25-minute profile in its "Perspective" series about author, actor and speaker Michael Wallis. Wallis remains best-known for two things -- writing the best-selling "Route 66: The Mother Road" that sparked the renaissance of the historic highway and providing the voice of … Continue reading Public TV station profiles writer Michael Wallis
Category: Television
Smithsonian Channel’s “Green Book” documentary airs Monday
An hour-long documentary on the Smithsonian Channel, "The Green Book -- Guide to Freedom," will premiere at 8 p.m. Eastern on Monday. The film about the Negro Motorist Green Book, which was published during the Jim Crow segregation era from 1936 to 1966, also will air other times on the channel. Check your local listings. … Continue reading Smithsonian Channel’s “Green Book” documentary airs Monday
Bedrock City near Williams shuts down
Bedrock City, a concrete entertainment complex inspired by "The Flintstones" animated television show, near Williams, Arizona, quietly closed over the weekend after the property changed hands. KJZZ radio. which first broke the story, reported: The 30-acre property near Valle, Arizona, had been up for sale for several years. On Friday, a new owner is set take over … Continue reading Bedrock City near Williams shuts down
“Breaking Dad” road-trip program on British TV has Route 66 stops
A new program, "Breaking Dad," on the British television channel ITV features at least one Route 66 stop and another that's a common side trip for Mother Road travelers. The program stars actor Bradley Walsh (a companion on the current "Doctor Who" series) and his 20-year-old son, Barney, who travel about 2,000 miles from Los … Continue reading “Breaking Dad” road-trip program on British TV has Route 66 stops
Bill Geist 1991 segment on Route 66 finally goes online
Back in 1991, about the time the renaissance of Route 66 was starting, "CBS Sunday Morning" correspondent Bill Geist traveled a section of the Mother Road from Albuquerque westward for a nine-minute segment on the weekly program. Those nine minutes had never made it online -- until now. The occasion was prompted by Geist's retirement … Continue reading Bill Geist 1991 segment on Route 66 finally goes online
More about the short-lived Little Beaver Town near Albuquerque
A few days ago, Albuquerque television station KRQE produced a story about Little Beaver Town, a long-gone western-themed amusement park on the city's east edge on Route 66 that went bust after just three seasons during the 1960s. Roland Penttila, who has done a lot of research on Little Beaver Town, figures prominently in this … Continue reading More about the short-lived Little Beaver Town near Albuquerque
Stories on Preserve Route 66 trip drew potential audience of 1.1 billion
The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership a few days ago issued its third-quarter report. Among the interesting nuggets is the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preserve Route 66 road trip generated more than 1,000 news stories and drew a potential audience of 1.15 billion. Here are the tidbits from the report: --- The National Trust's … Continue reading Stories on Preserve Route 66 trip drew potential audience of 1.1 billion
Oklahoma Tourism video features Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on Route 66
We knew this was going to happen eventually: The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department recently produced a video for Discover Oklahoma about Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios on Route 66, the gift shop that opened along 11th Street (aka Route 66) in Tulsa earlier this summer. Here's the description of the video: Celebrate the fun of … Continue reading Oklahoma Tourism video features Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on Route 66
Book review: “Brits on Route 66”
The new book "Brits on Route 66" (self-published, 86 pages, e-book, print version available Oct. 1), as you might expect from the title, is an engaging travelogue on the Mother Road from author Vicki Graves' British perspective. Subtitled "A Very British Guide to the World's Greatest Road Trip," the book also serves as a useful … Continue reading Book review: “Brits on Route 66”
City of Kingman reacts to Sasha Baron Cohen’s ‘baiting’ of residents
Officials in the Route 66 city of Kingman, Arizona, issued a penitent statement in the wake of Showtime's "Who Is America?" episode Sunday in which the star, Sasha Baron Cohen (known for his "Borat" movie), showed several of its residents in an unflattering light. The episode showed several Kingman residents making controversial remarks about Muslims … Continue reading City of Kingman reacts to Sasha Baron Cohen’s ‘baiting’ of residents