These are the best alternatives to driving Route 66
A US road trip doesn’t have to follow Route 66. (Getty Images / iStockPhoto)
From The Independent: Route 66 turns 100 years old on 11 November this year. The historic American road trip route is rightly lauded for being as classic as apple pie – stretching from Illinois in the east across Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and ending in California in the west, it allows drivers to see a diverse cross-section of country.
But it isn’t the only way to see the US. In fact, whether you want a raucous night out in New Orleans, or a family trip to the Great Lakes, there’s a road trip route for you. And many of them are much more of a secret than Route 66, meaning that instead of road rage, you’ll have the open highway to yourself.
Here are some of the best alternatives to Route 66, from Scenic Byway 12 in Utah to the Extraterrestrial Highway in Nevada.
Ghost Sign Discovered In Gaslight Village, Remes Drug Store From 1950s
Courtesy of the East Grand Rapids History Room
From WGRD Grand Rapids: A city is constantly changing, and when one business closes, another opens in its place. It isn’t anything new. But what is always super cool is when you find a piece of history in unexpected places, and it’s even more exciting when those links to the past are in fantastic condition. The discovery of former business signs covered by new businesses, known as ghost signs, has become common in recent years.
Yesterday, one of these ghost signs from the 1950s was uncovered on Wealthy St., sending people on a trip back in time after the sign for Reme’s Drug Store was discovered during a building renovation in perfect condition.
At Pann’s, Googie Architecture (and Really Good Patty Melts) Live On
Dining room at Pann’s. Wonho Frank Lee
From Eater Los Angeles: At the intersection of La Cienega, La Tijera, and Centinela Boulevards sits an eccentric building that looks ready for lift off. Welcome to Pann’s, a beloved Los Angeles diner run by the Poulos family that has become something of a local landmark; it remains one of the finest surviving examples of the city’s Googie Architecture. Since 1958, Pann’s has occupied this bizarre patch of triangular land and served as a beacon of the Space Age, a bygone era when Americans looked to the stars with wide-eyed hope, eager to witness all the wonderful, incomprehensible gifts technology seemed to have in store for them.
In a sign of things to come, county officials agree to fund Alameda marquee project
Alameda Theater served as a prominent Mexican-American entertainment venue and housed the offices of the Mexican Consulate and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
From San Antonio Report: With a decision during Commissioners Court on Tuesday, the 86-foot pylon sign adorning the historic Alameda Theater marquee could again light up West Houston Street.
Commissioners approved allocating $2.5 million to refurbish and restore the blade-shaped, neon sign, a distinctive feature of the former movie palace in downtown San Antonio along San Pedro Creek.
The project is expected to start this summer in tandem with a complete renovation of the 1949 theater — a goal that’s been in the works almost since the day it closed in 1990.
The Founders of the Neon Art Collective ‘She Bends’ On the Womxn at the Forefront of the Trade
Artist Leticia Maldonado puffs into a tube of neon
From Colossal: Since co-founding She Bends, Meryl Pataky and Kelsey Issel have been upending the notion that neon signage is solely a commercial endeavor. The duo fosters a collective of womxn creating the illuminated works, offering support for the artists while working to make the medium more sustainable and diverse.
Contributor Claire Voon recently spoke with the duo via Zoom in August 2020. The three dive into how COVID-19 has changed She Bends’ plans, the commercialization of neon, and the role toxic positivity plays in modern messaging.
Remembering neon artist and glass-bending master Wil Kirkman
From PBS: Neon signs aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were, but the artistry has been receiving renewed appreciation. Wil Kirkman was well-known for his ability to make and repair intricate and fragile glass lights. Kirkman died of cancer last year, but Marcia Franklin of Idaho Public Television got the chance to see him at work before his passing and reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.