Rental-car business opens in old gas station

The Journal Record reports that an old Phillips 66 cottage-style gas station at 602 S. Elgin in Tulsa recently opened in its new configuration -- as an Avis rental-car business. The station, built about 1932, was part of an older alignment of Route 66 through downtown. It's on the National Register of Historic Places. Local … Continue reading Rental-car business opens in old gas station

Still riding

The Daily Oklahoman caught up with Laddie Williams, who's cycling east across the country to raise money for the families of nine firefighters who died in a furniture store fire in Charleston, S.C. He was in Oklahoma City on Monday, and had raised $6,000 to $7,000 so far. Williams' site is here; information on how … Continue reading Still riding

Green Parrot Tavern’s demise is imminent

Longtime readers Dan and Cyndy Imming, who are relocating from Las Vegas to Route 66 in Galena, Kan., have informed me that the Green Parrot Tavern in Galena will be torn down Thursday. The building, which is more than 100 years old, became structurally unsafe when a sinkhole unexpectedly opened up behind the property in … Continue reading Green Parrot Tavern’s demise is imminent

Good choice

The residents of Pulaski County, Mo., were asked to choose the cover of its tourism bureau's brochure. According to the Waynesville Daily Guide, the cover that spotlighted Route 66 won by a 2-to-1 margin. You can see the cover image here, which will undergo some minor revisions before going to press.

Nob Hill holding pattern

About a week ago, I received a message from a reader in Albuquerque, expressing concern about the old Nob Hill Motel on Central Avenue, aka Route 66. And, well, I'll let the reader explain what he saw: The Nob Hill Motel (3712 Central Ave. SE) is just a few blocks from where I live and … Continue reading Nob Hill holding pattern

First public meeting held for scenic byways plan

The Joplin (Mo.) Globe reports that the first of 10 public meetings about designating Oklahoma's Route 66 as a national scenic byway was held Monday at the Civic Center in Miami, Okla. Those meetings will help develop a corridor management plan to help market the road. Pam Lewis, with the Oklahoma Byways Program at the … Continue reading First public meeting held for scenic byways plan

Mark your calendars

There a few things coming up that should be of interest to Route 66ers: On Friday, Sept. 28, a ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m. to dedicate a historical marker at the site of the former Pig Hip Restaurant Museum in Broadwell, Ill. The Pig Hip was destroyed by fire in March. Longtime Pig … Continue reading Mark your calendars

A hidden gem

On an obscure 1926-38 alignment of Route 66 between Kellyville and Bristow, Okla., sits the remnants of old motor court. It's mentioned in Jim Ross' "Oklahoma Route 66" guidebook, but little else seems to be known about it. It's been closed for many years, but its seems the owner is doing a good enough job … Continue reading A hidden gem

A wet Duarte parade

A certain song once said: Seems it never rains in southern California Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before It never rains in California, but girl, don't they warn ya? It pours, man, it pours That sure seemed to apply at the annual Route 66 Parade in Duarte, Calif., on Saturday.

Nuclear blasts for road construction

At least cooler heads prevailed. In Mark Muckenfuss' column in the Inland Press-Enterprise, he said he was doing some research about old Route 66 in Southern California when he uncovered a 1967 newspaper article by Earl E. Buie about Interstate 40 road-construction plans through the Bristol Mountains. Normally, construction crews would have blasted their way … Continue reading Nuclear blasts for road construction