The old Route 66 town of Gillespie, Illinois, received a $33,800 state grant to improve its Illinois Coal Museum. The museum was one of 43 that received $22.3 million in grants from the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program. State Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, made the announcement, according to The Telegraph in Alton: “The Gillespie … Continue reading Gillespie receives state grant to improve its Illinois Coal Museum
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.
Oklahoma is getting new road signs to mark historic Route 66
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is manufacturing slightly redesigned road signs to mark historic Route 66 throughout the state, including adding dozens of more signs to stretches that lacked them. The Oklahoma Route 66 Association made the announcement earlier this week on its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OklahomaRoute66/posts/10158087435772775 The association stated the redesign removes the white bands … Continue reading Oklahoma is getting new road signs to mark historic Route 66
Joliet officially reopens Chicago Street, an original alignment of Route 66
The Joliet City Council on Monday marked the official reopening of North Chicago Street in downtown Joliet, Illinois, along with officials from the Joliet City Center Partnership, Joliet Chamber of Commerce and Will County. According to The Times Weekly: “This is an exciting day for all of Joliet as we reopen an iconic street in … Continue reading Joliet officially reopens Chicago Street, an original alignment of Route 66
Lonely Planet features a Route 66 trip through Arizona and New Mexico
Lonely Planet, which publishes a bunch of travel guides and has a popular website, posted this three-minute video of an Atlanta couple who traveled Route 66 in Arizona and New Mexico. Lonely Planet said this about the video: Historic Route 66 is full of hidden gems -- towns that seem frozen in time from the … Continue reading Lonely Planet features a Route 66 trip through Arizona and New Mexico
New sign marks Paul McCartney’s brief stop on Route 66 in Oklahoma
Oklahoma County and several residents of a stretch of original Route 66 on Monday installed a sign that commemorated a brief stop by a former Beatle, Paul McCartney, there in 2008. Shellee Graham, who lives on that segment of historic road with Route 66 historian Jim Ross, was there to help document the installation with … Continue reading New sign marks Paul McCartney’s brief stop on Route 66 in Oklahoma
“Two for the Road” episode on PBS-TV features the Texas Panhandle
A PBS-TV show titled "Two for the Road" recently aired a special episode that features the Texas Panhandle, of which a prominent portion includes Route 66 country. The show generously showcases the Route 66 towns of Shamrock, McLean, Groom, Amarillo, Vega, Adrian and Glenrio, along with Palo Duro Canyon, a popular side trip south of … Continue reading “Two for the Road” episode on PBS-TV features the Texas Panhandle
New Mexico adds new COVID-19 restrictions for two weeks starting Monday
The state of New Mexico will add new restrictions effective Monday because of soaring coronavirus cases there, and more states are likely to join it as the virus reaches a dangerous stage in the growth of infections and overwhelmed hospitals. Four other states on Friday also added COVID-19 restrictions. USA Today, which published a handy … Continue reading New Mexico adds new COVID-19 restrictions for two weeks starting Monday
Cycle 66 tour and festival in Edmond announced for November 2021
The inaugural Cycle 66, a first-of-its-kind urban and rural bicycling tour and festival along historic Route 66, is set for November 2021, with diverse cycling routes showcasing the Mother Road via starting and finishing lines in vibrant downtown Edmond, Oklahoma. The Nov. 7, 2021, tour and festival is a charitable event that seeks to raise … Continue reading Cycle 66 tour and festival in Edmond announced for November 2021
Pulaski County offers playful but serious COVID-19 cautions in a new tourism video
The Pulaski County Tourism Bureau in central Missouri wants people to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously but still wants them to travel Route 66 and to other destinations. With those things in mind, the bureau released a #DoTheFive video that briefly details five things that can be done to slow the spread of the virus, … Continue reading Pulaski County offers playful but serious COVID-19 cautions in a new tourism video
Long-closed gas station in Miami to be converted into Route 66-themed restaurant
A long-vacant gas station at a prominent corner of Miami, Oklahoma, will be converted into a Route 66-themed bistro, tea house and ice cream shop. The Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma recently purchased the former Texaco station that dates to the 1920s, reported the Miami News-Record. The property sits at South Main Street and Steve Owens … Continue reading Long-closed gas station in Miami to be converted into Route 66-themed restaurant