Oklahoma Route 66 on motorcycle November 26, 2009
Posted by Ron in Motorcycles, Road trips, Television.add a comment
You saw a teaser clip of “Two Wheel Oklahoma” a few days ago. Now here’s the complete segment about Route 66 from Sapulpa to Arcadia, in three parts. It’s really well-done.
First class inducted into Oklahoma Law Enforcement Hall of Fame November 26, 2009
Posted by Ron in Events, Museums, People.add a comment
The Oklahoma Law Enforcement Hall of Fame eventually will open on Route 66 of Chandler, Okla. Recently, the first seven members of the Hall of Fame were announced, and they will be inducted at the Route 66 Interpretive Center in town on Dec. 6.
The seven inductees will be:
Bill Tilghman, Heck Thomas and Chris Madsen were U.S. marshals and played key roles in taming the mostly lawless Indian Territory, before Oklahoma statehood. The three, known as the Three Guardsmen, made an estimated 300 arrests and killed a number of outlaws. The three were credited with busting up the notorious Doolin Gang.
Roger Webb and Bob Lester were commissioners in the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.
Richard Bryant was a Oklahoma City police lieutenant, and Bob Macy was a longtime district attorney in Oklahoma County who put more than 50 murderers on death row.
The Oklahoma Law Enforcement Hall of Fame eventually will be part of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Museum.
Emory Duick update November 26, 2009
Posted by Ron in People, Road trips, Sports.add a comment
Emory Duick, the 71-year-old man who is running Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, made it to Kingman, Ariz., in time for Thanksgiving, according to the Kingman Daily Miner.
He’s had a few setbacks, but nothing that lasts too long.
Duick was sidetracked for about nine days by severe pain in his sciatic nerve near Oklahoma City and again briefly in Tucumcari, N.M., after the pain returned, but it isn’t only physical pain he’s had to deal with.
In St. Louis, it was the 100-percent humidity. In Ford Leonard Wood, Mo., it was a pack of wild dogs.
He and his daughter will continue on the trip into California, which he says he’s doing to encourage fellow senior citizens to stay physically active.
Out of the fire November 25, 2009
Posted by Ron in Books, People, Restaurants.add a comment
The Tulsa World published a story about Rock Cafe owner Dawn Welch’s new cookbook, “Dollars to Donuts,” and a side story about how she and the restaurant rose like a phoenix from the ashes after a fire devastated the historic Route 66 restaurant in Stroud, Okla., in May 2008.
What to do about the Route 66 State Park bridge November 24, 2009
Posted by Ron in Bridges, Preservation.add a comment
Kip Welborn, who is a Route 66 enthusiast in St. Louis, has been keeping up with the grave situation over the dilapidated Route 66 Bridge at Route 66 State Park near Eureka, Mo., that is scheduled to eventually be torn down for safety reasons.
Here are excerpts of an e-mail Welborn sent:
… I talked to Mark Miles, the director of the State Historic Preservation Office in the Department of Natural Resources. I have worked with him for years and think highly of him. He told me that MoDOT is well aware of the National Register listing of the bridge. He also reminded me that MoDOT has an excellent record of working within the rules of the National Historic Preservation Act, including the Section 106 review process. Here in St. Louis County, they took pains to save as many historic buildings and neighborhoods as possible when designing the new I-64, including some even I didn’t think were that important. So Mark feels that the review process will be thorough, and it won’t be completed overnight.
Now, here are the issues that we should be addressing, as I see them:
1. The park is an important economic generator for Missouri, one of the premier attractions along the whole length of the road. Therefore it is in the state’s economic interest to see that visitors have the best possible experience so that they want to come back and tell their friends.
2. Having the visitors center cut off from the rest of the park is unacceptable, regardless of how well marked the alternative routes are, for several reasons: It will result in lowered attendance to the visitors center, even if overall park attendance remains the same.It will diminish the visiting experience significantly. It will break the regional trail network that is being developed.
3. If a bridge is necessary at this location, a restored bridge following the existing design is preferable to a new bridge following a different design, because it will retain its Route 66 significance that is the primary attraction of the park. The argument that so many materials will have to be replace that it will no longer be the same bridge is not valid; replacement materials are acceptable if necessary under the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for both Rehabilitation and Restoration.
4. Even if it is determined that restoration of the existing bridge is not feasible, that does not eliminate the need for a bridge of some type at this location.
5. Because of the importance of this bridge to the park, these decisions about its fate should not be exclusively the prerogative of MoDOT. The Division of Parks in DNR must also be involved, which doesn’t seem to be happening now.
6. The current condition of the state budget should not determine the fate of the bridge. Funds not available now may be available in future budgets, but once the bridge is gone, it is gone forever.
Mark Miles of the State Historic Preservation Office agreed that we should be expressing our opinions about this as strongly as possible.
With that, it was recommended that letters with these bullet points be written to Gov. Jay Nixon; Pete Rahn at the state Department of Transportation; Mark N. Templeton at the state Department of Natural Resources, Rep. Michael Vogt, District 66; Rep. Chris Carter, District 61; Rep. Rachel Storch, District 64; Rep. Michele Kratky, District 61; Rep. Jeanne Kirkton, District 91; Rep. Dwight Scharnhorst, District 93; Rep. Mike Leara, District 95; Rep. Michael Frame, District 105; Rep. Scott Dieckhaus, District 109; Rep. Charles Schlottach, District 111; and Rep. Brian D. Nieves, District 98. I’ve included contact page links to each of these legislators.
Wanda Jackson at the 66 Bowl November 23, 2009
Posted by Ron in Events, Music, People, Sports.add a comment
Longtime roadie Shellee Graham went to the Wanda Jackson concert at the 50th-anniversary celebration of the 66 Bowl in Oklahoma City on Saturday night and shot these photos.
Jackson has some sentimental ties to the 66 Bowl. That’s where she had the first date 48 years ago with her future husband.
Oklahoma Route 66 researcher Jim Ross, who also was at the show, said Jackson tore it up.
Here’s are a couple of videos from that concert, too.
Notes from the road November 23, 2009
Posted by Ron in Attractions, Businesses, Events, Motels, Museums, Photographs, Preservation, Sports, Web sites.2 comments
I’m playing a bit of catch-up, ever since I left town this past weekend to see Bob Waldmire’s Last Art Show. Here are a few things of interest to roadies …
– The Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa this year was a doozy, with more than 7,000 runners participating, along with 60 classic cars and 30 bands performing. The route essentially crossed Route 66 twice, with it going on the 1920s alignment near downtown and also the Southwest Boulevard alignment. Zac Freudenburg of St. Louis set a world record by running the 26.2 miles in 2 hours, 32 minutes, 10 seconds while pushing his son in a baby stroller (yes, there is such a record) and was the overall winner. He’d hoped to run it in 2:40, but blew that goal out of the water. The top women’s runner was Chelsea Jones, running it in 3 hours, 38 seconds.
— It looks like Bill Scales, who attempted a full restoration of the historic Eagle Hotel building on Route 66 in Wilmington, Ill., has dropped the asking price for the property to $150,000 if the buyer commits to preserving it. Scales tried to restore the building, but fell into financial trouble and kept missing deadlines set by the city. If you’re interested in buying the hotel, you can contact Scales at 815-806-1815.
— An apartment fire threatened the historic Hotel Cuba building in Cuba, Mo., but did not destroy it. There was some damage, but apparently not enough to seriously compromise the structure.
— Also in Cuba, the new owner of the historic Wagon Wheel Motel tore down an unsightly structure that was next to the Wagon Wheel Cafe building, revealing the smaller, most historically significant gas-station building underneath. This is part of a long-term project to restore the motel. The cafe building will be reopened as Connie’s Shoppe at the Wagon Wheel Motel as a gift shop and registration area for the motel rooms.
— Gordo of Handcolored66.com now has a Web site to display some of the striking images he shot during a Route 66 trip in August and September. He’s an old-school photographer who shoots with film and hand-colors the prints himself. You can see some of his work at Miller’s Grill in St. Robert, Mo. He’s looking for galleries to display his work and maybe acquire a storefront on or near Route 66 in mid-Missouri. If you know of anyplace, please drop him a line at the contact page.
— If you want a weird and wonderful holiday experience, go to the Santa’s Magical Kingdom, which is just off Route 66 west of Eureka, Mo., at the Jellystone Park Resort grounds. Santa’s Magical Kingdom combines a bazillion Christmas lights and decorations with a heapin’ helpin’ of Ozark hillbilly kitsch. It even has its own radio station. It has to be seen to be believed. It runs nightly through Jan. 3.
— Rand Elliott, the architect of POPS in Arcadia, Okla., and the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Okla., and his firm of Elliott + Associates in Oklahoma City recently were honored by the International Architecture Awards in Florence, Italy.
Round Barn roundabout November 23, 2009
Posted by Ron in Attractions, Motorcycles, People, Road trips, Television.add a comment
“Two Wheel Oklahoma” is a television show about scenic rides for motorcyclists in the Sooner State. Here’s an episode in which the show’s hosts meet the ever-talkative Mister Sam, one of the hosts at the historic Round Barn of Arcadia.
It may be his last show, but Bob was still Bob November 23, 2009
Posted by Ron in Art, Events, People.3 comments
I’m typing this a few hours after I got home from Bob Waldmire’s Last Art Show on Sunday afternoon at the Cozy Dog Drive-In in Springfield, Ill. Waldmire, an acclaimed Route 66 artist and the unofficial inspiration to the hippie minibus Fillmore in the movie “Cars,” is terminally ill with cancer.
I’ll download some photos and post them later in the day. But, for now, you can see the photos I shot during the event with a cell-phone camera on my Twitter account, including one of Waldmire here.
Waldmire looked jaundiced, tired and gaunt as he was rolled around in a wheelchair. But he also was in good spirits, smiled frequently, signed autographs and greeted visitors, which jammed the Cozy Dog’s interior and its parking lot (and a few adjacent lots as well). Even in illness, Bob was still Bob.
The Cozy Dog didn’t operate on the restaurant that day. It was just as well, because the crush of literally dozens of people would have made serving food a impossible. However, Waldmire and his family made that sure a few free snacks were available — all vegan, of course, to respect his wishes.
I didn’t see any crying from anyone, probably because Waldmire admonished everyone not to do any weeping on his behalf.
So Bob’s Last Art Show served almost as an unofficial reunion of Route 66 fans. Longtime roadie Akio Takeuchi undoubtedly would have won the award for traveling the greatest distance to the event, from his native Japan. But I also saw roadies from Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
And it also was a celebration of Waldmire’s artwork, including a fair number of originals that were for sale at the event. It was staggering to see the magnificent handiwork on display. It served to remind us that a little piece of Bob will be hanging on homes across the nation long after he is gone — whenever that will be.
UPDATE: Here are some photos from the event …
This guy used his 1970 Chevelle as a canvas for Waldmire’s work.
Finally, here’s the man of the hour himself:
UPDATE2: Longtime Waldmire friend William Crook Jr. wrote this tribute in the Illinois Times. The whole thing’s worth reading, but this part stood out:
Bob is truly a popular artist. He didn’t go to art school, he hasn’t tried to be part of the art world and he definitely hasn’t tried to get rich off his art. His biggest fans are truck drivers, policemen and working class Americans. Until not too long ago, he sold his postcards for 25 cents each. He told me his profit was a nickel apiece after expenses, yet his low prices enabled him to put them in the hands of thousands of customers, and his Route 66 message was conveyed around the world. His prominence has earned him many friends among international Route 66 visitors. As an example of his worldwide fame, Bob received a book in the mail recently in Japanese that contained photos of him and his VW van.
UPDATE3: Here’s the video produced by the Chicago Tribune a couple of weeks ago:
(Photo of Bob Waldmire by Emily Priddy)
Route 66 Marathon November 22, 2009
Posted by Ron in Events, Sports.add a comment
We’re on the road right now, but you folks who want results from today’s Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa can go here.
Preview of Waldmire art show November 21, 2009
Posted by Ron in Art, Events, People.add a comment
Here’s a preview by the Springfield State Journal-Register of Bob Waldmire’s Last Art Show, set for Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Cozy Dog Drive-In in Springfield, Ill.
Please note that the Cozy will not operate as usual as a restaurant, but a caterer will bring in light snacks for the event.
Waldmire, an acclaimed Route 66 artist and an indirect inspiration to the character Fillmore in the animated movie “Cars,” is terminally ill with cancer. The report says the art show, in which many of Waldmire’s works will be for sale, will help defray his medical expenses.
What’s special about the Mother Road? November 21, 2009
Posted by Ron in Attractions, Highways, History.3 comments
Debra Ronca at How Stuff Works tries to answer that question.
In my opinion, she does a remarkably good job in explaining Route 66’s enduring attraction to travelers.
A closer look at Gallup November 20, 2009
Posted by Ron in Attractions, Events, Motels, Towns.add a comment
This tourism video does a good job in showing many of the attractions of the Route 66 town of Gallup, N.M., including El Rancho Hotel and the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial.
Ghost highway November 19, 2009
Posted by Ron in Ghosts and Mysteries.1 comment so far
If you like ghost stories, you’ll love the tale told at Walkingbear’s Blog.
He swears this happened to a friend of his in 1960 as he was traveling Route 66 in Arizona and New Mexico. I commend it to your attention. You may want to keep a night light burning next to your bed before you turn in at night, however.
A visit to Devil’s Elbow November 19, 2009
Posted by Ron in Attractions, History, Railroad, Towns.add a comment
The Southeastern Missourian has quite an essay and photos about attractions along Route 66 in Devil’s Elbow, Mo.
The most intriguing are things of which I was unfamiliar — The Trestle, which is a massive wooden railroad trestle that was built around World War II, and another large wooden trestle at the Big Piney River. Both are still standing, and are impressive.
Music video shot in Ludlow November 19, 2009
Posted by Ron in Music, Towns.add a comment
Last November, a pop-rock band based in Atlanta, shot the video for its new single “Julie” in the Route 66 ghost town of Ludlow, Calif., which is smack dab in the middle of the Mojave Desert.
“Julie” is available as a download on iTunes. Last November will release an EP titled “tug o’war” on Jan. 26.
According to the band’s news release, the video shoot was a spontaneous decision:
Lead singer and guitarist Luke Pilgrim edited and directed the music video for “Julie” demonstrating not only his talent in music, but his talent in production as well. While on their summer 2009 tour, the band stumbled upon the little desert town of Ludlow, CA off the Historic Route 66 where on a spur of the moment, they decided to shoot the video.
I hope the band had a bite to eat at the Ludlow Cafe. It’s a 1960s gem that’s still operating.
Not just a road trip November 19, 2009
Posted by Ron in Fashion, Road trips.1 comment so far
Here is one of French fashion designer Louis Vuitton’s Journeys. You’ll probably see familiar landmarks in this clip, titled “Once Upon a Time in the West.”
The silence of the trains November 19, 2009
Posted by Ron in Motels, Railroad.2 comments
Flagstaff, Ariz., has long sought to establish its city as a Quiet Zone to the numerous trains that go through town. City officials predict the Quiet Zone will happen sometime in 2010, reports the Arizona Daily Sun.
Trains currently sound their horns as they approach the city’s five at-grade crossings. If the crossings are upgraded, trains would no longer have to blast away — bringing relief to residents and guests at several of the city’s motels.
Construction has been delayed over the years for a number of reasons, including delays by BNSF, a stop work order from the Arizona Corporation Commission and reconsideration of Quiet Zone solutions by the Flagstaff City Council.
The latest step in the process was accomplished earlier this week when the city hired a contractor to complete the city’s portion of the construction work.
I wouldn’t set the 2010 date in concrete, however. The city has repeatedly missed deadlines for the Quiet Zones. So if you’re planning a stayover in Flagstaff at a motel near the railroad tracks, I wouldn’t put away the earplugs just yet.
Judge says porn film doesn’t infringe on “Route 66″ trademark November 18, 2009
Posted by Ron in Movies, Television.add a comment
A judge earlier this month ruled against a copyright-infringement lawsuit by Roxbury Entertainment, which owns the rights to the “Route 66″ television program from the 1960s, against Penthouse Entertainment for producing a pornographic film by the same title.
The ruling can be found here. To summarize, the judge ruled that the mere use of the title “Route 66″ wasn’t enough to infringe on Roxbury’s copyright:
The relevant question, therefore, is [“]whether the [product] would confuse [consumers]…. In answering that question, we keep in mind … that the mere use of trademark alone cannot suffice to make such use explicitly misleading.[“] Here, there is nothing to indicate that there is any risk of Defendants’ use of the mark “duping” consumers into thinking they are buying a product sponsored by, or in any way affiliated with, Plaintiff or the 1960s television series in which it owns rights.
I surmised 18 months ago that the lawsuit wouldn’t prevail due to First Amendment reasons. But the ruling about copyright infringement made Penthouse’s defense of its film even more of a slamdunk than I ever suspected.
Also, I thought Roxbury’s lawsuit was ill-conceived. Porn films are cranked out by the truckload every year, and the “Route 66″ flick would have quickly sunk into obscurity like all the others. Instead, Roxbury’s lawsuit gave the film and Penthouse a lot of publicity they likely didn’t deserve.
(Hat tip: Volokh Conspiracy and Peter Black, aka PeterBlackQUT)
More and more Rhythms November 18, 2009
Posted by Ron in Music, Restaurants, Road trips, Television.1 comment so far
Here’s another episode of Greene HD Productions‘ “Rhythms of the Road” that’s just been posted online. This is the episode that was shot at the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas.
