Here's a neat story by the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph from the Rock 'N Rods on Route 66 festival this weekend. A fellow who restored a 1950 Buick Sedanette (here's what one looks like) in the 1970s but hadn't seen the car for 35 years was reunited with it Saturday. Go read about it here.
Month: July 2006
How two towns survived the bypass
The Duluth (Minn.) News-Tribune has an interesting story about how two Wisconsin towns survived when U.S. 53 bypassed them. The story starts by comparing them to the fictional Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. In "Cars," the latest big-screen creation from Pixar and Walt Disney, a new highway bypasses a dusty desert town called Radiator … Continue reading How two towns survived the bypass
A new preservation target — barns
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that a group called the Illinois Barn Alliance is trying to preserve what's left of the state's historic barns. The group is encountering two problems. One, it's not sure how many old barns are even left in Illinois. Second, farmers tend to be a practical lot and often tear … Continue reading A new preservation target — barns
“Route 66” musical to be at KC festival
A musical that aims to eventually get itself to Broadway, "Route 66," will be staged today at the Kansas City Crossroads Musical Theater Festival. Here's the plot, according to Lower Hudson Online in New York: A hard-charging, ambitious free-lance writer, Liz Mitchell, is assigned to write a magazine piece about Route 66, a road that … Continue reading “Route 66” musical to be at KC festival
Pixar fan site to start tonight
According to a news release I received Friday, a new Web site will be dedicated to Pixar Animation Studios, called Pixar Planet. The site will officially launch about 8:15 p.m. CDT Saturday. Here's a description of the site from the press release: Pixar Planet is a fansite for Pixar Animation Studios and the films, people, … Continue reading Pixar fan site to start tonight
Triangle Motel update
The folks who are restoring the Triangle Motel on old Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, hope to have electricity restored to the long-closed motel by the weekend. After that, new owner Alan McNeil and volunteers should be able to remove the rest of the contents from the rooms that were previously used for storage. McNeil … Continue reading Triangle Motel update
Route 66-loving artist revamps Web site
Artist Gerald "Maestro" Gaxiola has informed me that he's revamped his Web site. There you can look over the photos and text from his Route 66 trip, look over his extensive artwork, and gaze on the very cool Route 66 boots he created.
Pain Walker writes his final entry
It took nearly a week, but Dennis Kinch posted the final entry in his Notes from the Road after completing his walk on Route 66 for the National Pain Foundation. Go read it. Kinch expresses a lot of thoughts about his adventure, and there are plenty of photos of him finishing his walk, too.
More meetings like this are needed
The Lincoln (Ill.) Courier has an article about a panel discussion concerning Route 66 in Lincoln and Illinois in general. Attending were representatives from the Illinois Bureau of Tourism, Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project. The Courier reported: The three women on Wednesday's panel explained that it's important for Route … Continue reading More meetings like this are needed
Onyx Mountain Caverns closes
Onyx Mountain Caverns, a tourist attraction for years near Route 66 in Pulaski County, Mo., closed about a month ago and has been sold to the U.S. Forest Service. "I lost my husband (Harry) about a year ago ... I didn't want to monkey with it anymore," said former co-owner Agnes Thiltgen, who's in her … Continue reading Onyx Mountain Caverns closes