El Trovatore resurrected as a motel

El Trovatore Motel in Kingman, Ariz., recently reopened to overnight travelers after being used as apartments for the past few years. The owner says he plans to restore the historic Route 66 motel in the coming months, including its distinctive neon signs. El Trovatore owner Sam Frisher, born in Israel but has lived in the … Continue reading El Trovatore resurrected as a motel

Route 66 in 2 minutes

Ludwig Bispink, the fellow who traveled the length of Route 66 and posted his videotaped experiences in three parts, has just posted a two-minute summary of his big road trip: https://youtu.be/NlLhW4-BZi0 Music is the Rolling Stones' version of Bobby Troup's "Route 66."

Painter takes his inspiration from Route 66

A painter who gets his inspiration from Route 66 will have an exhibit of his work at the Peoria Public Library in Peoria, Ariz., reported the Peoria Times. Red Rohall's "Roadside Americana" will be on display starting this weekend at the Main Library at 8463 W. Monroe St. (map here). Many of Rohall's oil paintings … Continue reading Painter takes his inspiration from Route 66

Typical day at Carl’s Drive-In

Rich Dinkela of HookedonRoute66.com filmed this slice-of-life video at the typically busy Carl's Drive-In restaurant in Rock Hill, Mo. https://youtu.be/-bw_ljnqXlc Carl's remains one of the treasures of the old Manchester Road alignment of Route 66 in the St. Louis area. Carl's has fewer than 20 stools to serve its customers, and nearly all of them … Continue reading Typical day at Carl’s Drive-In

Springfield continues to negotiate for Bel-Aire Motel

The City of Springfield, Ill., is continuing negotiations with the owners of the historic Bel-Aire Motel, with the hope to eventually convert it into a Route 66 museum and visitors center or some other use, reported the State Journal-Register. The owners are Gopal and Nimal Motwani, based in Florida. The motel, on the Sixth Street alignment … Continue reading Springfield continues to negotiate for Bel-Aire Motel

You don’t often see a live one

You can spot plenty of armadillos in Oklahoma, but nearly all of them are deceased along the sides of highways. This videographer found a live armadillo digging for food along the historic Lucille's property, on Route 66 near Hydro, Okla. https://youtu.be/vbl_IMD26os It's hard to believe the guy got as close to this critter without it … Continue reading You don’t often see a live one

It’s a small world after all

Every time you think you've seen everything regarding photography on Route 66, someone comes up with a new twist. The latest is Kurt and Edwige Moses of St. Paul, Minn. The husband-and-wife team recently created a fine-art photo project titled "Un Petit Monde," which translates from French to "A Small World." He photographs small HO scale train figures … Continue reading It’s a small world after all

New Operation Route 66 trailer

A new trailer for Operation Route 66, which will raise funds in May 2012 for U.S. veterans of the Middle East wars, was posted a few hours ago: https://vimeo.com/33673314 More about this charity road trip can be found here. I'm nearly 100 percent certain the narrator is "Route 66: The Mother Road" author Michael Wallis. It … Continue reading New Operation Route 66 trailer

Pontiac’s impressive tourism surge

Today's story in the Pontiac Daily Leader gave many details about a tourism summit Monday in the Route 66 town of Pontiac, Ill., and how local officials and businesses will handle travelers in the future. It'd been previously reported that Pontiac was seeing a 30 percent increase in tourists in 2011. But City Administrator Bob … Continue reading Pontiac’s impressive tourism surge

Tribute to Bob Waldmire

This video popped up in my YouTube feed today, and it hit me like a ton of bricks, especially the last 30 seconds or so. https://youtu.be/IwY5GmoXUYE In case you're new to the site, here's more about Bob Waldmire. We're fast approaching the second anniversary of Waldmire's death from abdominal cancer on Dec. 16, 2009. The … Continue reading Tribute to Bob Waldmire