Today -- which also happens to be Veterans Day -- marks the 90th birthday of the official existence of U.S. Highway 66, better known as Route 66. Nov. 11, 1926, was the day the American Association of State Highway Officials formally adopted the 2,448-mile path from Chicago to Los Angeles and number for U.S. Highway … Continue reading Happy 90th birthday, Route 66!
Tag: Michael Wallis
Giant gas pump at Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum nears completion
The 66-foot-tall giant gas pump planned for the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum near Sapulpa, Oklahoma. is close to being finished. The skeleton of the giant gasoline pump is shown above. Below is about it should look like when it's finished. According to a news release from the museum: The frame of the large structure has … Continue reading Giant gas pump at Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum nears completion
Circle Cinema in Tulsa to screen “Bagdad Cafe”
The historic Circle Cinema in Tulsa will screen the cult-classic based on Route 66, "Bagdad Cafe," on Thursday night as part of the Mother Road Revival festivities. The screening of "Bagdad Cafe" is slated for 7 p.m., but a reception will be held at the moviehouse at 5:30 p.m. featuring music from Bandelier and documentary films featuring … Continue reading Circle Cinema in Tulsa to screen “Bagdad Cafe”
Melvena Heisch, Laurel Kane inducted into Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame
Melvena Heish and the late Laurel Kane were inducted Saturday into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma. The ceremony also celebrated the 90th anniversary of Route 66 and marked two new exhibits at the museum -- one about folk art and another of … Continue reading Melvena Heisch, Laurel Kane inducted into Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame
Tulsa leaders take Route 66 tour to spark ideas
The Tulsa City Council and other area leaders took a bus tour of Route 66 in Tulsa County to spark ideas for the corridor's revitalization. Voters recently passed the Vision Tulsa sales-tax initiative, which included a few million dollars for Route 66 investment, plus a new bus line along the 11th Street (aka Route … Continue reading Tulsa leaders take Route 66 tour to spark ideas
New Route 66 Experience website offers look at the inside
The folks behind the proposed Route 66 Experience museum in Tulsa launched a new website for it this week -- including artist's renderings of a few exhibits. News releases in May 2015 revealed earlier renderings of the museum. Organizers -- which include Route 66 Alliance members -- and the website both state they want to have it open … Continue reading New Route 66 Experience website offers look at the inside
Middle-schoolers’ Route 66 presentation wins national contest
A group of middle-school students from rural Iowa captured a national title for their Route 66 presentation during the annual National History Day contest in Maryland last week. Jack Anderson, Jader Briggs, Megan Swancutt, Daytona Foley and Logan Smith of Akron-Westfield Community School in Akron, Iowa, finished first place in the Junior Group Performance division at nationals with … Continue reading Middle-schoolers’ Route 66 presentation wins national contest
“Boomtown: An American Journey” film nominated for an Emmy
The Tulsa history film "Boomtown: An American Journey" was nominated for an Emmy Award in the historical documentary group in the Heartland chapter. Russ Kirkpatrick, owner and producer of Kirkpatrick and Kinslow Productions that made the film, said in an email the Emmy announcement was made Thursday: As you may remember a component of the … Continue reading “Boomtown: An American Journey” film nominated for an Emmy
Michael Wallis to give “state of the road” speech at Vinita festival
Michael Wallis, writer of the best-selling "Route 66: The Mother Road" and more than a dozen other books, will give a "State of the Mother Road" speech June 18 during the Vinita Route 66 Festival in Vinita, Oklahoma. Wallis long was known for his fiery "state of the road" speeches with his big, baritone voice during … Continue reading Michael Wallis to give “state of the road” speech at Vinita festival
A long-ago chat with Juan Delgadillo at the Snow Cap Drive-In
Anthony Reichardt recently posted another video from the early 1990s, when he and a pal drove Route 66 in a 1959 Cadillac. In it, Reichardt chats with Juan Delgadillo, late owner of the Snow Cap Drive-In restaurant in Seligman, Arizona, who put away the gags and other practical jokes for a few minutes. It's interesting, … Continue reading A long-ago chat with Juan Delgadillo at the Snow Cap Drive-In