Longtime owner of Edmond restaurant dies

Bessie "Cleo" Noe Lamson, longtime co-owner of the now-defunct Wide-A-Wake Cafe on Route 66 in Edmond, Okla., died at age 102 on Monday, according to an obituary in the Edmond Sun. Lamson and her husband Crawford owned the Wide-A-Wake for about 50 years until they retired. The restaurant was open 24 hours a day, a rarity during … Continue reading Longtime owner of Edmond restaurant dies

At the Donut Drive-In

I happened to be driving through St. Louis on a snowy Christmas Eve, and stopped to check out the restored neon sign and the delectable products at Donut Drive-In.

Thumbs up

Television host Carson Daly tells about one of his favorite videos:

A taste of the past?

I stumbled onto this video today, posted by Casey Smalley. The description of the video: Here you can place an order for a 18 oz. bottle of my family's barbecue sauce that my grandpa, Ed Smalley, made popular through his days running the Okie Steakhouse, the world famous Rock Cafe [my emphasis -- Ed.] along … Continue reading A taste of the past?

Historic building in Joliet will be torn down

The century-old White Store in downtown Joliet, Ill., will be razed to make way for a new building being erected by Joliet Junior College, reported the Herald-News. The four-story White Store at 235 Chicago St. (on the Illinois 53 alignment of Route 66) will be demolished in about 20 days, the newspaper reported. Workers will … Continue reading Historic building in Joliet will be torn down

The fire is so delightful

Today, it's time to relax with an eggnog, with your feet propped up near a virtual Yule log fire. Music is by Sam Harris, who grew up just a few miles from Route 66 in Sand Springs, Okla.

“O Holy Night”

Route 66, a female a capella quartet based in Chicago, posted this Christmas-themed performance a few days ago. Alas, Route 66 does most of its work with sales conferences and private gatherings. So, if you notice a public performance on their schedule, catch them when you can.

Rancho’s plans for Foothill Boulevard

The City of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., has just posted a computer animation video of its plans to dress up Foothill Boulevard (aka Route 66), including the Pacific Electric Trail overpass. The pedestrian bridge is particularly impressive. 12/28/2010 UPDATE: The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reports that this project will be finished in late 2011.

Traffic report

Here's a recent TV report about the closure and detour from the westbound Bird Creek Bridge on Oklahoma 66 near Catoosa: I'm glad those rumble strips are being removed. I drove over them a few days ago, and they were incredibly bone-jarring.

He’s no tenderfoot

The Quay County Sun in Tucumcari, N.M., caught up with a Ron Zaleski, who's walking barefoot across the country -- including much of Route 66 -- for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. Zaleski is walking across the United States without shoes to gather signatures for a petition calling for mandatory counseling for soldiers heading into … Continue reading He’s no tenderfoot