Notes from the road

It wasn't a pleasant afternoon or evening in the St. Louis region for Route 66 travelers -- or for any travelers, for that matter. Two to four inches of rain fell in a short time Wednesday afternoon, causing flash flooding in low-lying areas, according to various media reports. That included several feet of water at … Continue reading Notes from the road

Notes from the road

A few weeks ago, while geocaching near Route 66 in Riverton, Kan., we found out about the strange story of May D. Knotts. According to a geocaching site, May D. Knotts was said to have been hanged from an old oak tree in 1904 after it was discovered that she was a witch.  Knotts, who … Continue reading Notes from the road

An article to avoid

Generally, I appreciate all of the Route 66-related articles that Helium.com has posted in recent weeks. However, there is one exception: the "Places to avoid while traveling on Route 66" by Eva Perry, which is loaded with inaccuracies or ill-conceived warnings. I'll summarize the problems that Perry sees on the Mother Road: A vaguely mentioned … Continue reading An article to avoid

Notes from the road

Roadies who've explored Route 66 in Clinton, Okla., may remember the 15-foot-tall fiberglass American Indian mascot, aka Muffler Man, who graced the front of David Howe Motors for years. The Howe Indian disappeared after a recent ownership change. But we're pleased to report the mascot has turned up at Indian Trading Post and Art near … Continue reading Notes from the road

New Route 66 informational site launched

Route 66 websites come and go. But I thought this one is particularly noteworthy. DrivingRoute66.com, which describes itself as "one-stop resource for planning the road trip of a lifetime," comes from the brain and computer of Steve Bellamy of Wales. He and his wife drove all of Route 66 in 2007. He explains the purpose … Continue reading New Route 66 informational site launched

Programming note

It appears Route 66 News was down for more than an hour on Thursday night. The hosting service, WordPress.com, suffered a systemwide outage, taking 10 million sites -- including this one -- with it. However, it appears the problem has been fixed, and no data has been lost.

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 … Continue reading Notes from the road

Programming note

I just got back home from traveling during the Memorial Day weekend, with very little Internet access the entire time. So I'll be playing catch-up on the news along Route 66 in the next day or so. Nothing really big or urgent had occurred, but I think you'll find some of the items I'll be … Continue reading Programming note

Trademark turmoil update

The controversy between Route 66 vendors, retailer Zazzle.com and a firm in the Netherlands that is claiming trademark ownership of the Route 66 shield morphed from aggravating to surreal. It was reported a few days ago that Route66Licensing.com and a sister site, Tempting Brands.com, is claiming a trademark of “Route 66″ and its shield. Subsequently, … Continue reading Trademark turmoil update

Vendors roiled by Route 66 trademark claim

A company in the Netherlands that claims trademark ownership of "Route 66" and its shield has persuaded Zazzle.com, an international retailer of custom-made products, to remove the listings of least two American vendors who have tried to sell Route 66-related products on the website. The company making the claim is TemptingBrands.com, aka Route66Licensing.com. The domain owner, … Continue reading Vendors roiled by Route 66 trademark claim