The Bloomington Pantagraph reports that a motel that had been closed for eight months near Interstate 55 in the Route 66 town of Atlanta, Ill., has reopened as an America’s Best Value Inn.

I believe the motel had been called the I-55 Motel, where I had stayed once several years ago.

New owner Narish Desai has already completed renovations on the interior of the building, including updated rooms with high-speed Internet access. He has future plans for a pool, business center and meeting rooms, as well as a restaurant, pizza parlor and ice cream shop.

While visiting my parents in Illinois, my father strongly urged that I visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which is on Route 66 in Springfield. Because Dad isn’t easily impressed, I thought I’d better get there.

Dad was right. It is the best Lincoln tourist attraction out of many in that city. It has been open less than a year, and it’s already drawn 500,000 visitors. It’s a visual and aural feast, and it’s educational to boot. Having grown up about an hour from Springfield, I considered myself to be an Honest Abe buff. But even I learned a few things about our greatest president.

The attractions the museum contains are numerous, but I thought I’d mention a few:

– You think George W. Bush has it bad from the critics and the press? It’s nothing compared to what Lincoln faced. The Whispering Gallery displays editorial cartoons and writings that are breathtakingly vile and vicious against Honest Abe. Not only do you read them, you hear them — from actors reading the actual text. Dank lighting adds to the unsettling effect.

– The War Gallery has an interactive scrapbook of photographs from the Civil War. But the most impressive feature is “The Civil War in Four Minutes,” also known as the Electronic Map. Condensing one week of the war into one second, you see the Confederacy’s territory undulate like a giant amoeba from attacks, counterattacks and retreats. In a corner of the map, you see the number of casualties skyrocket until it reaches a total of more than 1.3 million by Appomattox. It’s a sobering experience.

– The most amazing segment is the “Ghosts of the Library,” shown above. It explains how researchers use historical items to gain a more complete picture of Lincoln’s era. Ghostly holograms that look like something from the climax from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” add to the effect. The best effect is saved for last, but I won’t reveal it — I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

The Lincoln Library and Museum is well worth the $7.50 to enter. It also is a triumph for BRC Imagination Arts, which designed the museum (and has quite a few details about it on its Web site here).

I’ve heard Michael Wallis talk about having many interactive displays in a proposed Route 66 Interpretive Center in Tulsa. After seeing the Lincoln Museum and how well it’s gone over, I understand more what he might have in mind.

I returned tonight from seeing family in Illinois and checking out a few road attractions — some on Route 66 and some not. I’ll get some rest tonight after logging about 1,100 miles in the past three days or so.

In the meantime, I thank Emily profusely for filling in on the news-reporting duties while I was gone. Give her a hand and check out her three Web sites while you’re at it.

The little Oklahoma Route 66 town of Foyil has turned out some spectacular athletes over the years. First there was Andy Payne, the distance runner who crossed the finish line first in the 1928 “Bunion Derby,” and now there’s NFL player Josh Brown, who will play for the Seattle Seahawks in next Sunday’s Super Bowl.

According to a Scripps Howard story, Brown grew up in Foyil and played eight-man football. He’s still pretty close to his hometown:

It’s a long way from Foyil, located in Rogers County just northeast of Claremore on historic Route 66, to the Super Bowl. …

Brown says sometime he’ll regale his teammates of his high school days, of scoring 50 touchdowns and kicking a 61-yard field goal. Then someone will spill the beans that it came in 8-man football.

“Just goes down the drain,” Brown said. “There’s no validity to your argument. I’ve dealt with that since I left Foyil.”

But in some ways, Brown never really left Foyil. He still returns often; his parents still live there and attend the House of Prayer. Brown comes back every summer for Bible School, where he’ll sing and work with the kids.

“You still want to help out the community,” Brown said. “They’ve always supported me. When I found troubled times, they stood beside me.”

You can read the full story here.

UPDATE: The Los Angeles Times has its own story about Brown, including his memories about growing up near the town’s big totem pole.

“Just down the end of our driveway, probably 300 or 400 yards, a 90-foot totem pole,” said Brown, who could see it from the window of his bedroom, still a shrine to the athletic accomplishments of an eight-man football phenom who will represent his little town — population 234 at last official count — in Super Bowl XL.

“It’s pretty fun. I tell people, ‘Why wouldn’t you go to Foyil? The world’s largest totem pole is there.’ “

Rick and Jane McKinney, the evangelists walking Route 66 as part of their Walk to Reclaim America campaign, posted an update yesterday about their recent adventures, including a memorable experience on the Hualapai reservation in western Arizona.

Route 66 is kind of a microcosm of American culture, in all its fascinating diversity, as the McKinneys are discovering with their cross-country stroll:

It’s really hard to believe, I mean really hard to believe, but we have just finished the first four weeks of the Walk To Reclaim America! We have walked through California, Nevada, and part of Arizona. We have walked 449 miles. We have crossed the Mojave Desert, climbed mountains (several), crossed Native American Reservations, and walked through a Marine Base. We have walked in rain, wind, heat, cold, and yesterday even a few flakes of snow. We have met every conceivable kind of person; all races, all economic levels, different sexual orientations, different religions, and different opinions about what we are doing. We have already seen America in a way few people since the days of the pioneers have had the unbelievable privilege to see it…up close and personal by walking across it. This has already been an experience of a lifetime.

In all that we have seen, experienced, and accomplished so far, the greatest single thing is by far, what we have learned. Every single day we learn. Every single day God shows us in our surroundings, in our communications with others, and yes even in our pain, the “life lessons� that we need to learn.

Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to read their latest observations.

Dennis Kinch, the spokesman for the National Pain Foundation who is walking the length of Route 66 as part of an awareness-raising campaign, has reached Vega, Texas, home of the Vega Motel and Dot’s Mini-Museum.

According to his Web site, Kinch has walked 1,124 miles. He should hit the halfway point of Route 66 in a day or so. Hope he stops for a slice of pie at the Midpoint Cafe while he’s out there.

The San Francisco Chronicle has an article about John Lasseter and Ed Catmull of Pixar, the animation studio behind the upcoming film Cars.

The article talks about Disney’s recent $7.4 billion purchase of Pixar and the synergy between Lasseter — the “creative spirit,” as the article calls him — and Catmull, whose technological wizardry helps bring Lasseter’s ideas to life.

According to the article:

“Ed and John are the Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth of animation,” said Dick Cook, chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, in an interview. “They both possess the balance that is needed, John being the creative fountain and Ed being not only the technological genius but a managerial one as well.”

Securing the duo was important enough that both their roles were written into the merger contract, along with a note that their loss could break up the deal, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

The article compares the pair to the Disney brothers, with Lasseter as Walt and Catmull as Roy.

It mentions Cars briefly:

To research this summer’s Pixar flick, “Cars,” Lasseter, Disney’s Cook, and a few Pixar folks flew to Miami to attend a NASCAR race. They hung out in the pit to study the cars, and afterward, enjoyed dinner at Joe’s Stone Crab. “Cars,” due in June, would have been Pixar’s last movie under its contract with Disney. But throughout the weekend, the Disney-Pixar agreement never came up, Cook said.

“We talked about everything,” Cook said. “We talked about cars, we talked about the trip that John took down Route 66.”

You can read the article here.

“Return to Route 66,” a touring exhibit of Mother Road photographs by Shellee Graham — Steinbeck award winner, author and graphic designer extraordinaire — is coming to St. Louis this spring.

The exhibit will be on display Feb. 12 through April 12 at the Old Courhtouse, 11 N. 4th St. in St. Louis. An opening reception is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 12.

Details are sketchy, as Shellee reports on the American Road group:

I think we’re having some kick-off event around 1 pm. I might give a slide show or talk.

The opening is probably from 1 - 4 pm. (I’ll probably send out another message closer to show time.)

Shellee’s photos are amazing, and if you can get to St. Louis on Feb. 12 to meet Shellee herself, you’ll be in for an even bigger treat, as she is a real pistol.

Stay tuned for more information once the reception details are firmed up.

Rick and Jane McKinney, the evangelists walking the length of 66 as part of their “Walk to Reclaim America” crusade, reached Seligman, Ariz., today, ending their fourth week on the road, according to their Web site. They’ve logged 449 miles since they started.

If they’re smart, they’ll grab a chiliburger at the Snow-Cap and go visit Angel Delgadillo at his barbershop/gift shop while they’re in town.

The Waynesville (Mo.) Daily Guide reports that in the span of two days, six cars were damaged in four crashes around the area — including at least one on Route 66.

According to the article:

Shortly after noon Thursday, a two-vehicle crash on Historic Route 66 just east of the Pulaski County Courthouse snarled traffic for about a half hour until Jacks Towing removed a Chrysler Pacifica SUV which had been rear-ended by a silver Chevy Cavalier.

There’s a reason they called her “Bloody 66.” As they used to say on La Bajada Hill:

This Road Is Not Fool Proof
But Safe For A Sane Driver

Be careful out there … and buckle up.

The article can be read here.

The Clovis (N.M.) News Journal ran a story today highlighting Amarillo’s famous Cadillac Ranch.

Nothing really new, but the story includes a description, directions from Clovis, history and general background information, including the address of the Cadillac Ranch Web site.

You can read the CNJ story here.

The Pontiac (IL) Daily Leader reports that the city’s street superintendent, Andy Eckel, is retiring after 32 years with the city. One of Eckel’s pet projects during his long employment with the city was taking care of the city’s trees. The Route 66 Hall of Fame museum in Pontiac will benefit from his interest in trees, according to the article:

“Each year a ring is formed, so that tells the age of the tree. Small narrow rings indicate very little growth in a year and probably little rain. The bigger, wider rings usually indicate a good growth year and ample moisture. A tree was taken down at Vermillion and Reynolds streets this year and it was a very old tree. A large piece of wood from that tree will be sanded down. Important dates in Pontiac’s history will then be noted on the rings of the tree as its age and growing seasons are determined. The wood slab will then be given to the Route 66 Museum here,” said Eckel.

The full story can be read here.

Kristy’s Coffee Shop, which occupied a former Denny’s on Route 66 in Gallup for 40 years, has closed.

The Gallup Independent reports that the restaurant’s longtime owner, Barbara Stanley, decided to retire in December.

The story contains some great anecdotes, including this gem:

Stanley said officials for Denny’s weren’t exactly unhappy to see the restaurant go independent, mainly because there were times when the Stanleys would complain about various restrictions put in place by the head company that made no sense to them.

Take the uniforms, for example.

The company provided uniforms for its waitresses but only in small and medium sizes. For those who wore a dress size above 10, well, the company’s policy was not to hire someone who would not fit into their size uniforms.

This didn’t sit well with the Stanleys.

Stanley said she remembers talking to an official of the company and telling her that the Stanleys had this well-known California attorney who loved to take on the big companies. The larger sized uniforms were ordered.

Bully for them. A restaurant known for such culinary achievements as patty melts and wet fries can’t afford to stand on ceremony about its waitresses’ weight. Wet fries are as irresistible as deep-fried Twinkies … and almost as good for you.

The Independent also reports that the Stanleys annoyed Denny’s officials (and endeared themselves to the local populace) by allowing teenagers to hang out at the restaurant so they would have a safe place to sit and talk to their friends. When the Denny’s lease expired, the Stanleys renamed their 24-hour coffee shop in honor of one of their kids.

The complete article can be read here.

Thanks to Mike Taylor of the National Park Service’s Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, for the heads-up.

Emily

Rick and Jane McKinney, the evangelists who are walking the length of Route 66 as part of their “Walk to Reclaim America” crusade, posted this notice on their Web site:

Week #4 - Help Wanted

We have a real need for a driver for the week of Feb. 5th through Feb. 11th. We will be in the Eastern Arizona area. This person would need to get to us (fly or drive) and spend the week. It helps if you have a camper or RV, but if not, we’ll make a way. All you need to do is drive the van each day as we walk. It’s exciting, rewarding, and will allow you to see the “walk” up close and personal. Please pray about helping that week.

1-866-462-7464 (Toll Free)

E-Mail: walk@walktoreclaimamerica.com

Any takers?

Talk about luck in spades. First, this Motor Trend writer decides to take up marathon running and ends up getting to meet Jeff Galloway — which, in distance-running circles, is the rough equivalent of having an audience with the pope — and then, in the course of conversation, Galloway mentions he just happens to have a ‘57 Chevy Bel Air that his wife wants out of the garage.

The Motor Trend writer buys the car, and he and his boss decide it would make a cool story if they restored it and took it out for a spin on Route 66.

The trip journal starts here.

Incidentally, I used Galloway’s method to survive my own little 26.2-mile Route 66 fundraiser last fall, and I highly recommend it for those of you planning to participate in the inaugural Route 66 Marathon this fall in Tulsa.

Emily (filling in for Ron in his absence)

EPA put out a press release yesterday on the Route 66 Initiative to deal with abandoned gas stations along the Mother Road in Navajo County, AZ. The initiative has been covered here previously.

Here’s the upshot:

EPA and the Arizona DEQ had a couple of public meetings yesterday and today — one at the incomparable La Posada in Winslow and one at the Navajo County fairgrounds in Holbrook — to discuss initiative.

The idea behind the program is to clean up the underground gas tanks, which pose a threat to the environment by leaking fuel into the water supply. Such cleanups are extremely expensive, and the property owner often gets stuck with the bill, which scares off a lot of roadies who otherwise might buy a historic gas station and restore it the way preservationists have done in Odell and Mt. Olive, IL, and Chandler, OK.

According to the press release:

In June 2004, ADEQ launched its Route 66 Initiative to investigate and clean up leaking underground tank sites. … Nearly 100 sites, or 28 percent, still need further investigation or cleanup.

Redevelopment at many sites has been slow and many abandoned gas stations remain idle. The EPA and ADEQ have partnered to explore viable options to stimulate redevelopment along Arizona’s Route 66 corridor. …

“The Route 66 Initiative is an excellent example of how partnerships can make a significant difference in the underground tank cleanup program,â€? said Cliff Rothenstein, the EPA’s national director for the underground storage tanks program. “I am pleased that EPA Region 9 and Arizona, along with other stakeholders – tank owners, industry, and community members – will work together to identify viable cleanup options for historic Route 66’s blighted sites and make them safe so communities can productively reuse them.â€? …

Arizona’s State Assurance Fund provides monetary assistance for assessment and cleanup at leaking underground storage tank sites in small communities located along Route 66. Property owners must report releases and apply by June 30, 2006 to be eligible for state funding.

According to the press release, ADEQ has focused on Winslow, Holbrook and Joseph City because those communities have had a lot of problems with groundwater contamination from underground petroleum tanks.

The whole press release can be read here.

… but Route 66 News will be in good hands at that time with Emily, who’s eastern vice president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association.

She knows about as much about Route 66 as I do, maybe more. This is evidenced by two of her sites: Route 66 Motels and Spring Break 66. She also runs the mostly non-Route 66 but charming blog, Red Fork Hippy Chick.

Because Emily is experienced with both Route 66 and blogging, don’t think that you can con her like you would a substitute teacher. So behave yourselves.

In the meantime, I’ll see you down the road.

I just got an e-mail from Richard Randals of the New Mexico Property Group in Tucumcari, N.M. He just told me the Blue Swallow Motel, one of the most historic and best-preserved properties on Route 66, is under contract with a potential buyer. This Web page also confirmed the Blue Swallow as being under contract.

I’ll have more details as I have them …

UPDATE: The Blue Swallow’s co-owner, Dale Bakke, is asking me to keep details under wraps because the sale isn’t yet final. If things go well, he said they should have something to announce within a few weeks.

UPDATE: In case you aren’t familiar with the Blue Swallow Motel, check here, here, here and here to give you a taste.

Ace Jackalope of The Lope blog continues to post some fine photographs from his trip across the Mojave Desert. The latest entry includes a lot of nice images of neon signs and vintage motels, including the El Rancho, in Barstow, Calif.

The Lope, thanks to his quick trigger finger on the camera, also effectively busts a few rude teenagers.

Brief item in the Bloomington Pantagraph: The Illinois Route 66 Association seeks nominees for its Hall of Fame. Nominees can be businesses or people with a connection to the road.

Nomination letters should be no more than four pages and include the history. Photos and memorabilia are welcome, but not required. Deadline to submit is Feb. 25.

Winners will be inducted during the group’s annual Motor Tour in June.

If you’re not sure who’s in the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and who’s not, you can check the list here.

I have a suggestion for a nominee hare (hint hint).

Mail nominations to Route 66 Association of Illinois, Attn: Hall of Fame Committee, 110 W. Howard St., Pontiac, IL 61764.