Here's a fascinating article from the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail about the 200th anniversary of the National Road, aka U.S. 40. And it brings up an angle I haven't heard before: that the National Road withered not because of the interstate, but because of a railroad -- decades before the interstate highway system was a … Continue reading Railroad helped Route 66 become America’s highway
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.
Campgrounds list added
I don't care for camping on Route 66, especially when there are so many swell vintage motels out there. But I realize there are quite a few travelers to drive recreational vehicles or like to sleep out under the stars. On the Route 66 yahoogroup, I've seen a few requests each year for a list … Continue reading Campgrounds list added
Using the interstate to slow down
On the 50th anniversary of the interstate highway system, Kevin A. Wilson of Automotive News comes up with a novel argument for the interstates' existence that benefits Route 66, too. I've used this argument myself. I'll let him explain: Many such changes, however, are matters of choice, and how we use the highway system is … Continue reading Using the interstate to slow down
Rick and Jane near the end of their walk
Rick and Jane McKinney, the evangelical couple who traversed part of Route 66 in their Walk to Reclaim America, are near the end of their journey. They have just two miles left before they stroll into Washington, D.C., and they're going to finish on Independence Day. And it sounds like Rick is eager to do … Continue reading Rick and Jane near the end of their walk
“Cars” passes $200 million in grosses
This weekend, the Route 66-themed movie "Cars" passed the $200 million mark in terms of worldwide box-office grosses, according to Box Office Mojo. And the movie has barely opened in foreign markets, if it has at all. In the United States, "Cars" will pass the $200 million mark sometime next week. That would place it … Continue reading “Cars” passes $200 million in grosses
Wrink’s Market will reopen
March 16, 2005, was a sad day for many Route 66ers. That was the day that Glenn Wrinkle, longtime owner of Wrink's Food Market on old Route 66 in Lebanon, Mo., died at age 82. Wrinkle opened his store in 1950 and ran it until shortly before his death. I met him once, and he … Continue reading Wrink’s Market will reopen
A patriot act
Red Fork Hippy Chick says there's something you can do for the betterment of Route 66 and America during the Fourth of July weekend. Go read what she has to say.
100,000
About 10:37 a.m. CST Saturday, the front-page counter on Route 66 News passed the 100,000-hits mark since its inception in October 2005. I'm very happy with the traffic here so far. At one point, I would have been content with the 200 views I was averaging per day. But in recent weeks, it's been soaring … Continue reading 100,000
Crime spike isn’t affecting Route 66 Rendezvous
The city of San Bernardino, Calif., is seeing a spike in homicides from the previous year. It has 34 so far in 2006, compared to 58 in all of last year. San Bern isn't unique; the FBI recently reported a rise in violent crime across the nation. But the Press-Enterprise reports that the crime spike … Continue reading Crime spike isn’t affecting Route 66 Rendezvous
Gone to look for America
The New York Times has added Robert Sullivan's new book about American travel, "Cross Country," to its "First Chapter" excerpt feature. The feature includes a photo of the author in front of Amarillo's Cadillac Ranch. It looks like a promising book, but somebody better tell Sullivan and his editors that Interstate 70 was never associated … Continue reading Gone to look for America