Voice of America reports: Surveys show that half of all Americans still prefer the car for summertime vacation travel — instead of a plane, bus, or train — despite rising gasoline prices. There appears to be a resurgent nostalgia for the great American road trip, a motorized odyssey that’s long been part of the popular … Continue reading Popularity of road trips strong despite gas prices
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.
All aboard the neon tour
The Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles conducts weekly nighttime tours of neon lighting in the area, including along old Route 66, using a double-decker bus. Cindy Chang tagged along on a tour for the Los Angeles Times. To get a taste, go to the museum's Web site, click on the button for the … Continue reading All aboard the neon tour
Library to occupy historical building
A library branch in Strafford, Mo., is set to move into the old MFA Feed Store at Pine and Madison streets, and the library will have a Route 66 theme, reports the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader. Strafford native Mac Whitmore, along with a partner, was motivated to acquire the 145-year-old building. "This is an old building … Continue reading Library to occupy historical building
Grand opening set for Elk City museum
The Route 66 Transportation Museum in Elk City, Okla., will have its grand opening Aug. 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. It's reportedly going to be a casual event, and Borden's ice cream will be served. The Transportation Museum is next-door to the town's National Route 66 Museum. Kathy Anderson, former president of the Oklahoma … Continue reading Grand opening set for Elk City museum
Here’s a promising blog
C. Beck has a relatively new blog called Life on the Access Road ... that may eventually hold a lot of delights for armchair (and real) travelers. The text shows that he understands the innate appeal of the Mother Road. But the next few sentences show why this blog could be a treasure trove: Traveling … Continue reading Here’s a promising blog
One man’s memories of Route 66
Ninety-year-old Gene Hodkin has lived on Route 66 virtually his entire life -- first in southwest Missouri, then in the high desert of California. The Barstow Desert Dispatch mined some of Hodkin's memories. Hodkin, by the way, is the father-in-law of Deb Hodkin, who is manager/curator of the Barstow Route 66 Mother Road Museum.
Bear with the Mother Road
I found a fun blog with the lengthy title, Bearnard B. Behr on Route 66 ... An Adventure Across the Nation! Mr. Behr is the mascot of Gary Fleshman, who's guiding a motorcycle group down the Mother Road. Gary's also a professional photographer, so there are plenty of images to go with the text that … Continue reading Bear with the Mother Road
Town plays up Route 66 connection
Wilmington, Ill., is trying to generate more business into its downtown area. So not only was one Web site created that hypes up the town's link to Route 66, but two, reports the Joliet Herald News. One Web site is www.route66wilmington.com. The other is a MySpace site, found here. (Hat tip to Lynn "Lulu" Bagdon.)
Restaurant inspired by Lucille’s to open next month
The Associated Press is reporting that a restaurant inspired by Lucille's in Hydro, Okla., will open in nearby Weatherford in August. Rick Koch, owner of the soon-to-open business, told me last week that Lucille's Roadhouse has a tentative opening date of Aug. 1. It was going to open late July, but he said they had … Continue reading Restaurant inspired by Lucille’s to open next month
Fiction and fact
Eugene Baak of the Renaissance Boy Go! blog recently discovered that the Ramone's House of Body Art toy from in the "Cars" movie bears a strong resemblance to the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas. To show us, he displayed photos of both. Heck, I could have told you that. 😉