Route 66 advocate named to Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame

Sally Bourne Ferrell of Chandler, Oklahoma, an early leader in the creation of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and one of the champions in restoring a historic armory that became the Route 66 Interpretive Center, was announced as an inductee to the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame, according to a report in The Oklahoman newspaper. The induction … Continue reading Route 66 advocate named to Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame

Two people found slain in Bristow motel

A man and a woman were found dead Sunday at the Carolyn Inn motel on Route 66 in Bristow, Oklahoma, according to several media outlets in the area, including KWTV. The Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation is treating the scene as a homicide. Dead were Jake Allen Wright, 19, and Ruth Ann Rex, 31, The state Medical Examiner’s … Continue reading Two people found slain in Bristow motel

Romeoville art fair will include Bob Waldmire tribute

The inaugural Route 66 Kiwanis Art Fair in Romeoville, Illinois, on Aug. 22 will include a tribute to late Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire. The fair will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Edward Hospital Athletic and Event Center at 55 Phelps Ave. in Romeoville (map here), less than a … Continue reading Romeoville art fair will include Bob Waldmire tribute

Albuquerque’s Aztec Motel sign taken down

The sign for the Aztec Motel, the only remainder of the historic Route 66 motel in Albuquerque that was torn down in 2011, was taken down Friday, according to several sources that included one eyewitness. The fate of the sign remains uncertain, although the city's Route 66 Action Plan mentions including it as part of a pocket … Continue reading Albuquerque’s Aztec Motel sign taken down

Route 66 festival planned in Europe in 2016

Route 66 aficionados across the pond in the past week have organized a European Route 66 Festival in 2016 that already includes firm dates, activities and the logo you see above. Longtime Route 66 enthusiast Dries Bessels of the Netherlands created the European Route66 Festival page on Facebook -- which is a closed group, but … Continue reading Route 66 festival planned in Europe in 2016

Grant sought for new roof on Navajo County Historic Courthouse

Navajo County will submit a cost-share grant application to help pay for new roof on its historic courthouse in Holbrook, Arizona, according to the The Tribune-News. The application for $30,000 is through the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. If awarded, Navajo County likely will have to share the cost of the roof 50/50 or supply … Continue reading Grant sought for new roof on Navajo County Historic Courthouse

Storage of Tropics sign irks Route 66 advocates

Several Route 66 advocates are upset the City of Lincoln, Illinois, is storing the historic Tropics Dining Room sign outdoors and exposed to the weather at a yard-waste disposal facility after it was taken down last year. Readers emailed me photographs of the Tropics sign laying on its side at the waste facility. From one of the images, it seems one … Continue reading Storage of Tropics sign irks Route 66 advocates

Chicago’s Willis Tower sold for $1.3 billion

Chicago's iconic Willis Tower, still called the Sears Tower by many Windy City residents, was sold for $1.3 billion to New York investment firm Blackstone Group last week. The price tag for the 110-story building -- the second-tallest in the United States -- was the highest for any office building outside New York City. The … Continue reading Chicago’s Willis Tower sold for $1.3 billion

66 Motel in Flagstaff converted into affordable rental housing

The historic 66 Motel in Flagstaff, Arizona, is being turned by a nonprofit group into a place for affordable rental housing until its residents can save enough money for better rentals or a down payment on a home. And the nonprofit, ANEW Living, wants to do the same thing to other distressed motels along Route … Continue reading 66 Motel in Flagstaff converted into affordable rental housing

Big Texan record-holder returning next month

Molly Schuyler, who destroyed the Big Texan Steak Ranch's 72-ounce steak challenge record by polishing off the meal in less than five minutes, is coming back to the landmark Amarillo restaurant April 19 to not only defend her title, but eat three of those monster slabs of meat and all the sides in under an … Continue reading Big Texan record-holder returning next month