Route 66 Visitors Center to open Saturday October 11, 2007
Posted by Ron in Attractions, History, Preservation.1 comment so far
A new Route 66 Visitors Center, housed in a renovated 1930 Phillips 66 gas station in Baxter Springs, Kan., is set to open Saturday afternoon, reports the Joplin (Mo.) Globe.
Auman said that by Saturday, he expects the building to be stocked with tourism brochures and Route 66 souvenirs.
Most of the building has been painted tan, with doors, door frames and window frames painted maroon. The roof is orange. Auman said it is the color scheme the Phillips 66 stations used from 1947 to 1959.
The station was renovated with the help of a $26,000 cost-share grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.
The center is being run by the Baxter Springs Heritage Center and Museum, which has a page devoted to the visitors center renovation, including photos.
Deferred again October 11, 2007
Posted by Ron in Motels, Preservation.add a comment
Albuquerque’s Landmarks and Urban Conservation Commission again on Wednesday deferred a decision on whether to designate the historic El Vado Motel as a city landmark.
The decision has been moved to Nov. 14.
It has been reported that the city and owner Richard L. Gonzales have been negotiating a possible buyout of the motel. Gonzales initially wanted to tear down the motel so he could build luxury townhouses. But Mayor Martin Chavez — who, incidentally, announced Wednesday he is running for U.S. Senate — has very publicly vowed to not let that happen.
Chavez has said he would use eminent domain to protect El Vado as a last resort (and one New Mexico insider has assured me that Chavez is as serious as a heart attack about that).
Taste of Route 66 tour is Saturday October 11, 2007
Posted by Ron in Events, Food, Restaurants.2 comments
The second annual Taste of Route 66 self-driven tour will be held in the Los Angeles area on Saturday, reports the Fontana Herald News.
The tour begins between 4 and 5 p.m. at Upland Sergio’s Restaurant at 659 W. Foothill Blvd. There, the other destinations in the gourmet tour will be revealed.
The driving tour is produced by the California Taste of Route 66 Corridor Committee, a group of individuals from nine communities on or near old Route 66 in California dedicated to increasing awareness of their area. The cities include Fontana, Azusa, Glendora, La Verne, Pomona, Rialto, San Bernardino, and Upland.
Proceeds from the event will be used to beautify the famous road in several affected cities as Caltrans relinquishes control of Foothill Boulevard over the next six months.
Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 on Saturday. For information, call Bob Lundy at 909-383-1256.
Death of a cyclist October 11, 2007
Posted by Ron in Highways, People, bicycling.add a comment
The Alibi, an alternative newspaper in Albuquerque, tries to piece together the scant facts about an accident on Route 66 in nearby Tijeras that killed an area cyclist, James Quinn, 27.
I’d heard about the accident weeks ago, but information was infernally sketchy. Even now, the sheriff still hasn’t released an accident report, the vehicle’s driver remains undisclosed, and no tickets have been issued.
And this is troubling, too:
According to BCSO spokesperson Erin Kinnard Thompsom, the driver was passing a group of cyclists going up a hill. “Then the driver saw oncoming traffic and had no choice but to swerve back — I’m not sure I would even call it a swerve — and that’s when the cyclists were hit.” She said it did not appear the driver was at fault. Responding to complaints that BCSO was not taking this accident seriously, she said, “We consider this accident a tragedy, and we will do a complete and thorough investigation.
“If she meant what she said about “a complete and thorough investigation,” Thompson should not have instantly absolved the driver of responsibility for killing someone. Thompson might also want to take a closer look at the roadway before firing off quick opinions. Passing is not permitted on the hills through the two-lane stretch in this area. If the driver had been passing on a hill, she was passing illegally. Thompson also has some explaining to do on how and why the driver put herself into a situation where she had “no choice” but to kill someone.
I drove that stretch no more than two weeks ago, and I’m a bit mystified how the accident happened myself. There aren’t any sharp curves in that area, nor blind hills. Johnny Mango, whose a longtime cyclist in Albuquerque, made some of the same observations and more in this report.
Whatever the reason was for the accident, I drove extra-careful while on Highway 333 (aka Route 66) through the Sandia Mountains heading to Albuquerque.
UPDATE 10/15/07: About 200 participated in a memorial ride for Quinn. Story from the Daily Lobo.
