Dr. Howdy and his Thought & Humor blog have posted some swell neon sign photos from Albuquerque’s Route 66. Check them out.

The St. James Winery just off old Route 66 in St. James, Mo., was named one of the Hottest Small Brands of 2005 by Wine Business Monthly magazine, according to Kansas City InfoZine.

St. James Winery was recognized as a small brand nationally, but continues to be the largest producer of wine in Missouri by producing 160,000 cases annually.

“The work of two generations is finally coming to fruition,” says Andrew Hofherr, president of St. James Winery. “We can now state plainly that Midwestern grape growing and winemaking from St. James Winery is maturing and able to compete on a national scale offering consistent quality at a great value with unique flavor.”

Additionally, St. James Winery achieved top honors and received number one ranking on domestic wine brand sold in the Greater St. Louis market, according to ACNielsen. This ranking is based on the number of sales units scanned through cash registers at supermarkets.

The Arizona Daily Sun reports that the City of Flagstaff will more aggressively write citations to businesses and homeowners who add brighter lighting, including those along Route 66.

I was wondering why the city is doing this. It’s because Flagstaff, with its high elevation and its clear Southwestern skies, is a good place for observatories, including Lowell Observatory and the U.S. Naval Observatory. But bright nighttime lighting diminishes the ability to see faraway solar systems. Flagstaff has an ordinance in place to curb brighter lighting.
It’s not Flagstaff that’s the big problem, though.

The statewide astronomy community is perennially looking to the glow of Phoenix, Luginbuhl and others have said, asking what can be done to keep Arizona from losing its rank as one of the top three places in the world for astronomy.

“You can see Phoenix all the way from Gallup to Holbrook along Interstate 40,” city councilman Joe Haughey said.

Here’s a Web site for stargazing advocates.

The ordinance doesn’t affect current Route 66 business signs. But I wish the city would write an exemption for new neon signs along the Mother Road. Neon is bright and intense, but its glow doesn’t go high into the sky like regular security lighting. And neon adds to the roadie experience.

Kip Welborn of Friends of the Mother Road reports that the wonderful old Chain of Rocks Motel sign (above), located off Illinois 3 and Chain of Rocks Road (old Route 66) in Granite City, Ill., has been replaced by this snoozer sign (below).

No word on what has happened to the sign. More than likely, it’s headed to the landfill.

That pretty much eliminates any reason for Route 66 travelers to stay at the motel. It was already a dicey proposition to do so, because years of bad management had allowed it to be a hangout for drug dealers and prostitutes.