Springfield, Mo., a stop on Model T tour

NOTE: Bumped for important update below. The Ford Model T is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and enthusiasts from Southern California and beyond are celebrating with cross-country tours, including one that crosses the nation on Route 66 and the Lincoln Highway National Road, aka U.S. 40. According to the Springfield News-Leader, members of the … Continue reading Springfield, Mo., a stop on Model T tour

Final days

A couple of readers have submitted photos of the dismantling work being done on the Harvey House in Seligman, Ariz., before its final demolition later this month. Here, you can see workers removing the historic roof tiles: According to Dan Lutzick, who is overseeing the rehabilitation of another Harvey House in Needles, Calif.: The supervisor … Continue reading Final days

Berdoo Bikes festival will return

The first Berdoo Bikes & Blues Rendezvous in San Bernardino, Calif., was declared a success, and will return next year, organizers told the San Bernardino County Sun. it was estimated optimistically that it would draw 3,000 registered motorcycles and 12,000 paying spectators. The actual number was 1,500 bikes and 7,000 spectators. Despite the shortfall, organizers … Continue reading Berdoo Bikes festival will return

Scenes from the Fun Run

The Route 66 Association of Arizona's Fun Run has barely been over for 24 hours, and already videos have been posted on YouTube. The scene from a 1950 Chevy "rat rod." Here's one of the scene through Oatman: And here are dozens a photos from the event by David Schaubert, including a few way-cool panoramic … Continue reading Scenes from the Fun Run

Design proposed for downtown Miami

The Miami (Okla.) News-Herald reported that landscape architecture students have made their recommendations "Miami Beautiful" -- a revamped downtown area. The students clearly took the "Miami Beautiful" name from the historic Coleman Theatre Beautiful in downtown. According to the project material, the concept features Main Street as “center stage,” while the parking lots and alleys … Continue reading Design proposed for downtown Miami

Rail and road attractions

The Victorville (Calif.) Daily Press published a feature called Sunday Drive, for folks who want explore the high desert without shelling out a lot for gasoline. This one focuses a lot on the Harvey House in Barstow (which houses the Barstow Route 66 Mother Road Museum) and another restored railroad station in the settlement of … Continue reading Rail and road attractions

Wine country

No, I'm not talking about California. I'm talking about the Missouri Ozarks. And Appellation America has a nice rundown about its wineries, including those along the Mother Road: Historic Route 66 runs through the area, and much of the appellation seems unchanged from the highway’s heyday. The famous Wagon Wheel Motel and Finn’s Motel (“Vacancy!” … Continue reading Wine country

Dining at the end of the road

The Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif., isn't officially at the western end of Route 66. But it's only a block or so away from that terminus, and it's a symbolic end of the Mother Road for many travelers. Other than a hotdog stand or two, the closest place to have a meal at … Continue reading Dining at the end of the road

Frigid weather suppresses crowds at Red Carpet event

A report by the Morris (Ill.) Daily Herald indicates that attendance at the second annual Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival was hurt by cold weather on Saturday, but it rebounded somewhat when the temperatures improved on Sunday. And there's sentiment to push the festival deeper into the summer months: Several community members said … Continue reading Frigid weather suppresses crowds at Red Carpet event