You may have heard about the horrific chain-reaction wrecks along Interstate 44 in Missouri caused by icy roads. The accidents killed at least two people, and part of the interstate was closed overnight until all the vehicles could be cleared The Rocking Chair Restaurant along Route 66 in Conway, Missouri, served as a shelter to … Continue reading Conway restaurant becomes a shelter from the storm
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.
Federation discontinues “Route 66 Dining and Lodging Guide”
The National Historic Route 66 Federation a few months ago quietly discontinued publication of its "Route 66 Dining and Lodging Guide" book after almost 20 years. Federation Chairman David Knudson announced the decision in a brief post on the semi-private Route 66 yahoogroup last week. The 17th and last edition of the spiral-bound "Route 66 … Continue reading Federation discontinues “Route 66 Dining and Lodging Guide”
Neighbors fret over homeless shelter at Route 66 motel in Lebanon
The city of Lebanon, Missouri, has given the green light for a local ministry to convert the closed Forest Manor Motel into a homeless shelter. However, a few neighboring Route 66 businesses have voice concerns about the project. KOLR-TV produced this even-handed segment about Mike Duran's project for Ministers of Fire: Here's one of the … Continue reading Neighbors fret over homeless shelter at Route 66 motel in Lebanon
Technical difficulties delay Mad Mike Hughes’ rocket launch near Amboy
Technical problems apparently prevented a scheduled rocket launch Saturday afternoon near Amboy, California, by adventurer and flat-Earth advocate "Mad" Mike Hughes. People at the scene speculated Hughes might try to launch himself sometime during today's Super Bowl, but Hughes in a video shot by a bystander seemed noncommittal until he could look at the rocket … Continue reading Technical difficulties delay Mad Mike Hughes’ rocket launch near Amboy
Crystal City Shopping Center in Tulsa won’t allow Route 66 Carnival this year
The Route 66 Carnival that has set up annually at Crystal City Shopping Center in southwest Tulsa since 2011 won't be allowed this year because the fast-growing number of merchants at the once-moribund site needs the parking. Tulsa city councilor Jeannie Cue confirmed in an email this weekend Crystal City won't host the carnival scheduled … Continue reading Crystal City Shopping Center in Tulsa won’t allow Route 66 Carnival this year
Old Joliet prison to become haunted house this fall
The historic but long-abandoned Joliet Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois, best known for the opening scene of "The Blues Brothers" movie, will become a haunted house in time for Halloween. The Joliet Patch reported this week Evil Intentions, which operates an acclaimed haunted house in nearby Elgin, Illinois, announced it will open a second site … Continue reading Old Joliet prison to become haunted house this fall
Holiday Inn with Route 66-themed restaurant opens in Joplin
A new, rare-model Holiday Inn that contains a restaurant inspired by Route 66 and hopes to attract Mother Road travelers opened a few days ago in Joplin, Missouri. The only problem is Holiday Inn Joplin at 3402 S. Arizona Ave. sits more than 2 1/2 miles south of the nearest alignment of Route 66 at Seventh … Continue reading Holiday Inn with Route 66-themed restaurant opens in Joplin
Route 66 figures prominently in Chinese-food documentary
At least two restaurants on Route 66 were featured in "The Search for General Tso," a 2014 documentary about the rise of Chinese cuisine in America. The Route 66 town of Springfield, Missouri, also figures prominently. A total of only 13 theaters screened the film upon its early 2015 release, so it barely made a … Continue reading Route 66 figures prominently in Chinese-food documentary
Photography tips on Route 66 in Ludlow
Photographer Nick Carver has produced a semi-popular "Photography on Location" video series on YouTube. Recently, Carver traveled to the Route 66 town of Ludlow, California, deep in the Mojave Desert. I'm not a photography junkie, but I found Carver's video from the near-ghost town interesting and engaging. https://youtu.be/A3kyOnd3kmA In a follow-up video, Carver reviews the … Continue reading Photography tips on Route 66 in Ludlow
Bob Boze Bell’s garage find
Bob Boze Bell, an author, artist and owner of True West magazine, wrote on his blog he recently had found some long-lost photographs from the 1950s -- many of them on Route 66 -- in a yellowed box in his garage. He wrote: Wish I would have had them when we were doing "The 66 … Continue reading Bob Boze Bell’s garage find