Rihanna paints anti-Trump message on Cadillac Ranch; Trump supporters respond

It's an election year, so that means pro and con messages about presidential candidates will abound on Route 66 in the coming months. That includes at the famed Cadillac Ranch along Route 66 in Amarillo, where pop megastar Rihanna -- the one with 250 million records sold in her career -- spraypainted a message on … Continue reading Rihanna paints anti-Trump message on Cadillac Ranch; Trump supporters respond

Ireland, UK added to 30-day European travel ban to U.S.

President Trump's recent 30-day travel ban on people from Europe was expanded Saturday to the United Kingdom and Ireland. The UK-Ireland ban will take effect at midnight Eastern time Monday. The ban was in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which had sickened more than 156,000 people worldwide (and rising) and killed 5,800 as of Saturday … Continue reading Ireland, UK added to 30-day European travel ban to U.S.

Route 66 Navigation launches “Keep Calm and Travel Route 66 (Later)” campaign

Touch Media on Thursday announced the launch of a "Keep Calm and Travel Route 66 (Later)" campaign in the wake of President Trump's 30-day ban of travelers from Europe because of the coronavirus pandemic. Touch Media, which created the Route 66 Navigation app, started the campaign because of some grim data in the wake of … Continue reading Route 66 Navigation launches “Keep Calm and Travel Route 66 (Later)” campaign

President Trump restricts European travel to U.S. for 30 days because of pandemic

President Donald Trump on Wednesday night announced he is restricting travel from Europe -- a significant portion of Route 66 tourism -- for 30 days in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic. The travel blockade, which doesn't cover the United Kingdom, takes effect at midnight Friday. Coronavirus COVID-19 has sickened more than 126,000 people and … Continue reading President Trump restricts European travel to U.S. for 30 days because of pandemic

Oklahoma senator says he’ll withdraw bill to rename a part of Route 66 for Trump

One day after the bill was introduced, an Oklahoma state senator withdrew a proposal to rename a stretch of Route 66 as President Donald J. Trump Highway after the measure received widespread criticism from Route 66 fans and fellow lawmakers, including Trump's supporters. State Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow) said Wednesday he would withdraw the … Continue reading Oklahoma senator says he’ll withdraw bill to rename a part of Route 66 for Trump

Oklahoma state senators propose renaming Route 66 segment as President Donald J. Trump Highway

Two state senators in Oklahoma on Tuesday introduced a bill that would rename a short stretch of Route 66 in Commerce as President Donald J. Trump Highway. Sens. Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow) and Marty Quinn (R-Claremore) announced the bill. State Rep. Sean Roberts (R-Hominy) will be the bill's primary Oklahoma House author. According to a … Continue reading Oklahoma state senators propose renaming Route 66 segment as President Donald J. Trump Highway

What to do about less foreign tourism?

Route 66 author Jim Hinckley observed that foreign tourism to the United States -- a key driver to the Mother Road economy -- began to decline in the past a year and a half. Hinckley said the downward trend began about 20 months ago. It's not just anecdotal evidence, either. The U.S. Department of Commerce … Continue reading What to do about less foreign tourism?

Is Route 66 immune from the international travel slump?

Fewer international travelers came to the United States during the first quarter of 2017. But two Route 66 landmarks that keep visitor records reported stable or higher numbers for the year to date over the previous year. U.S. Department of Commerce data show a decrease of 4.2 percent of international visitors during the first three … Continue reading Is Route 66 immune from the international travel slump?

Interior Secretary recommends no changes to Mojave Trails National Monument

Ryan Zinke, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, recommended shrinking six national monuments after a review ordered by President Donald Trump. But the Mojave Trails National Monument wasn't one of them, nor did Zinke recommend any other changes to the Southern California site in his memo. The Zinke's report to the president wasn't supposed to … Continue reading Interior Secretary recommends no changes to Mojave Trails National Monument

Route 66 a reason Trump picked Springfield for speech

U.S. President Donald Trump will give a speech today about tax reform in Springfield, Missouri, and one of the reasons he choose the Ozarks city was because of its historic link to Route 66. According to the Springfield News-Leader, a senior White House official mentioned Route 66 prominently during a conference call with reporters: "This is … Continue reading Route 66 a reason Trump picked Springfield for speech