Get your hits on Route 66

A story in the State Journal-Register caught my eye -- a groundbreaking ceremony June 6 for a large medical marijuana facility that will be built on old Route 66 north of Lincoln, Illinois. The Cresco Labs facility at Old Route 66 and 1800th Street on the north edge of town is a new thing in … Continue reading Get your hits on Route 66

Actor James Woods is traveling Route 66

pic.twitter.com/46Sdpz6SLD— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) May 24, 2015 Two-time Oscar nominee James Woods has been traveling with a buddy on Route 66 since Oklahoma City, based on his Twitter feed. Here are the Mother Road-related tweets I've sifted. The feed is going to be long, so you'll find it after the jump: https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/602568589208473600 https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/602580872361943040 https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/602594871375843328 https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/602595601981648897 … Continue reading Actor James Woods is traveling Route 66

Route 66 Gateway on Tulsa’s west side dedicated

A ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday marked the completion of one of the Route 66 Gateways on the west side of Tulsa. The main Gateway structure had been finished for months, but the concrete kiosks that explain the region's history had been completed only a few days before. The other Route 66 Gateway in Tulsa is on … Continue reading Route 66 Gateway on Tulsa’s west side dedicated

Wife of Gary Turner dies

Lena Turner, who was married to Gay Parita Sinclair station owner Gary Turner for more than 50 years, died Monday at age 72 -- less than six months after her husband died. The Springfield News-Leader posted a full obituary a few days after her death: She married Gary G. Turner on December 31, 1961 and … Continue reading Wife of Gary Turner dies

More Genuine Route 66 Lives

KC Keefer recently uploaded a few more videos as part of his Genunine Route 66 Life series. Here is Bob Russell, mayor of Pontiac, Illinois, who personally greets many Route 66 travelers as they arrive in downtown Pontiac. The clip prominently features the bus of late Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire. https://youtu.be/X6MmLMJ3RWQ Next is historian … Continue reading More Genuine Route 66 Lives

Pontiac looks at how to draw millennial tourists

The city of Pontiac, Illinois, is doing a great job attracting tourists from the baby-boom generation because of its Route 66 and other museums. But, according to the Pontiac Daily Leader, the city now is investigating how to draw tourists from the millennial era -- those born from 1981 to 1997. And it enlisted the … Continue reading Pontiac looks at how to draw millennial tourists

A closer look at the Route 66 Experience design

A few hours after I filed the story about the impending announcement Wednesday about the Route 66 Experience museum complex in Tulsa, I received architect renderings of the building that's set to open sometime in 2018. As you can see, it differs markedly from the artist rendering a decade ago (courtesy of Dana Dawson at … Continue reading A closer look at the Route 66 Experience design

Developer appeals city’s decision for De Anza project

A developer that finished second in bids to redevelop the historic De Anza Motor Lodge in Albuquerque is appealing the city's choice for the project, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Jerry Landgraf of De Anza Co., which proposed converting the long-closed Route 66 motor lodge into a 65-unit boutique motel, said the city's scoring system on … Continue reading Developer appeals city’s decision for De Anza project

Tulsa Route 66 museum’s opening finally has a date

The Route 66 Experience museum near the banks of the Arkansas River in Tulsa has been in the planning stages for more than a decade. Now, according to the Tulsa World, the city will announce plans later today to have what will be a $19.5 million project open by 2018, with a groundbreaking by summer 2016. The … Continue reading Tulsa Route 66 museum’s opening finally has a date

Odell Station to host commemoration for Lenore Weiss

Odell Station in Odell, Illinois, will host a commemoration Saturday to the late Lenore Weiss, who was one-half of the couple instrumental in getting the historic Route 66 gas station restored, according to the Pontiac Daily Leader. The event at from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the station will be a fundraiser for … Continue reading Odell Station to host commemoration for Lenore Weiss