Greg and Susan Wageman used to cruise down our nation's two-lane highways, including Route 66, in his blue Corvette. Greg did the driving; Susan did the navigating. Greg had always meant to teach his wife how to drive a stick-shift. But he didn't get the chance. He died unexpectedly of a pulmonary embolism at age … Continue reading Corvette cruise lessons
Author: Ron Warnick
I'm the editor and publisher of Route 66 News, a clearinghouse of events, information, and entertainment pertaining to historic U.S. 66, the Mother Road.
Restoration of Meadow Gold sign completed
OK, the refurbishing of the historic Meadow Gold sign on Route 66 in Tulsa isn't 100 percent done. After all, the sign still has to be re-erected at its new site at 11th Street (Route 66) and Quaker Avenue. But the repairs on the massive letters and new neon tubing were recently finished by Claude … Continue reading Restoration of Meadow Gold sign completed
Grand Canyon Skywalk isn’t all rose-colored views
Andrew Gumbel of The Independent newspaper in Great Britain wrote an interesting piece about the soon-to-be-open Grand Canyon Skywalk and the divisions it's creating in the Hualapai Indian tribe. In case you haven't heard about it, Skywalk is a horseshoe-shaped walkway covered in Plexiglass that juts 70 feet into the Grand Canyon. Near the end … Continue reading Grand Canyon Skywalk isn’t all rose-colored views
Historic Highways blog launched
The Historic Highways blog has been online only about a week, but I like it a lot already. Dave Eames of Kansas City, formerly of Tulsa, collects roadside memorabilia, including from Route 66. He seems to favor stuff from the '40s, '50s and '60s, which isn't a bad thing. The image above is from a … Continue reading Historic Highways blog launched
West Hollywood cited as a Distinctive Destination
The Route 66 city of West Hollywood, Calif., has been cited as one of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, reported a news release today from the city. Here's the citation by the National Trust: In a sprawling metropolis nicknamed the City of Angels, West Hollywood, Calif., maintains a unique … Continue reading West Hollywood cited as a Distinctive Destination
Historic Amarillo restaurant closes
Preservation Online, which is published by the National Trust of Historic Preservation, reports that the historic and distinctive-looking Beef Barrel Burger restaurant in Amarillo, Texas, closed about a month ago. Owner Bill Fischer, whose father-in-law, F.E. Waller, bought the barrel-shaped building in 1947, said high energy bills, food prices, and competition from fast-food eateries forced … Continue reading Historic Amarillo restaurant closes
Al’s Route 66 Cafe up for sale
Barely a year after Allen and Susan Shamburg moved from Colorado, bought a historic cafe in Sapulpa, Okla., and renovated it, word comes that they are reluctantly putting it on the market. The main reason Al's Route 66 Cafe is for sale is that Allen is encountering serious health problems that are keeping him from … Continue reading Al’s Route 66 Cafe up for sale
Pontiac museum may add elevators
It doesn't sound like much, adding an elevator to the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac. But, as the Bloomington Pantagraph recounts, it's fairly important. The building in which the Hall of Fame is housed needs to be brought up to code for handicap-accessibility. Also, the museum has not expanded onto … Continue reading Pontiac museum may add elevators
Pig Hip updates
I've started this new thread about the Pig Hip Museum fire and its aftermath for the stories that keep coming in. I also updated the previous thread about the Pig Hip clear into early Wednesday morning. Today, Dave Hoekstra of the Chicago Sun-Times has some interesting musings about the Pig Hip in his Travel Dispatches … Continue reading Pig Hip updates
Editorial urges more Route 66 involvement by Joplin
In an opinion piece by the Joplin (Mo.) Globe, the newspaper reports that Ron Hart of Route 66 TV Online is urging the city to pay more attention to its Route 66 roots. Hart would like to see more signs to mark the route and the use of the Route 66 logo downtown that would … Continue reading Editorial urges more Route 66 involvement by Joplin