Scuttlebutt from the road March 28, 2006
Posted by Ron in Highways, Motels.add a comment
- Ken Turmel of Postmarkart fame reports that the Oklahoma highway department has begun replacing Oklahoma Highway 66 signs. New signs are being erected to celebrate the state's centennial next year. The new sign is pictured above.
- Scott Piotrowski reports that the Evergreen Motel in Duarte, Calif., has been torn down, apparently with little warning.
- And those who seek lodging along Route 66 in Vega, Texas, while the Vega Motel is closed indefinitely can use the once-maligned Bonanza Motel. Linda Drake of the Oldham County Chamber of Commerce reports that the Bonanza has new owners who've cleaned the place up, made repairs and are excited about operating a business on the Mother Road. Here's an old postcard image of the Bonanza.
Here’s one who doesn’t get it March 28, 2006
Posted by Ron in Highways, History.1 comment so far
Peter Hannaford of American Spectator spends much of his column praising the interstate highway system and its homogeneity (I'm not kidding).
He also writes about Route 66:
Along the way, much is made of the old Highway 66, the Route 66 of song (as in "You'll Get Your Kicks on Route 66"). This went from Chicago to Los Angeles. Interstate-40 more-or-less follows its route from Oklahoma City to Barstow. Every now and then there is a white-on-brown historical sign noting that Highway 66 is just off the Interstate to the left or right. We sampled it in the California desert at Newberry Springs. It is a few hundred yards of concrete paving. Very romantic. In truth, the old 66 was largely two-lane and slow going. The towns it went through featured seedy taverns, tired motels, and forgettable food. Not the stuff of legend.
I especially love the "forgettable food" part. Does American Spectator usually have writers that are this uninformed?
