The California Route 66 Museum in Victorville marked its 20th year of operation Saturday with a car show and hundreds of visitors -- and lots of anticipation for Route 66's 90th anniversary next year, reported the Daily Dispatch newspaper. The museum is open from Wednesday through Monday, with the other two days open by appointment … Continue reading California Route 66 Museum marks 20th year
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.
Ground broken for Lebanon’s Route 66 park
City officials in Lebanon, Missouri, last week broke ground for construction of a new Route 66-themed section of Boswell Park. According to the Lebanon Daily Record: “This is a great day for Route 66. This is our heritage, and this is our culture. We should not forget that,” said Lebanon City Councilman and Route 66 … Continue reading Ground broken for Lebanon’s Route 66 park
Trains return to Erick for the first time in years
Residents of Erick, Oklahoma, saw a passenger train come through their town for the first time in nearly 50 years Friday as Farmrail commemorated the opening of rail service between there and the fellow Route 66 town of Sayre, Oklahoma, for a fracking-sand manufacturer, according to The Oklahoman newspaper. The passenger train was just for … Continue reading Trains return to Erick for the first time in years
Bison reintroduced to Midewin Prairie
Nearly 30 head of native bison were reintroduced this week to the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie along Route 66 in Wilmington, Illinois -- the first time buffalo have roamed in that area in nearly two centuries. Bison were exterminated by the 1830s in northern Illinois, and the animals were hunted to near-extinction in the United … Continue reading Bison reintroduced to Midewin Prairie
More long-ago Route 66 adventures in a 1959 Cadillac
Anthony Reichardt recently posted more videos from 1994 and 1995 when he drove Route 66 in a 1959 Cadillac. The first is of the Hackberry General Store in Hackberry, Arizona, when it was owned and operated by the now-deceased Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire. When you hear him talk about bats, you know you're listening … Continue reading More long-ago Route 66 adventures in a 1959 Cadillac
Motorist attacks cyclist on Sapulpa’s Ozark Trail
A New York cyclist exploring the Old Ozark Trail alignment of Route 66 near Sapulpa, Oklahoma, when he was attacked by an inexplicably enraged motorist, according to the Tulsa World. Jeffrey Tanenhaus, 35, of Scarsdale, New York, who became bored with his office job and decided to see the country by bicycle, had spent an … Continue reading Motorist attacks cyclist on Sapulpa’s Ozark Trail
James Cracknell’s near-fatal accident, five years later
Longtime readers may remember hearing about British gold medalist James Cracknell, who was seriously injured during a cycling accident in July 2010 on Route 66 near Winslow, Arizona. A side mirror of a passing vehicle struck Cracknell in the head, fracturing his skull. A hospital in Phoenix was forced to put the endurance athlete into an … Continue reading James Cracknell’s near-fatal accident, five years later
Lebanon will hold groundbreaking Thursday for Route 66 park
The city of Lebanon, Missouri, will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m. Thursday at Boswell Park, according to a story at 417news.com. The much anticipated construction of a Route 66 themed addition to the southwest corner of Boswell Park will be underway soon. Some of the planned additions include a new parking area, a … Continue reading Lebanon will hold groundbreaking Thursday for Route 66 park
Kingman vice mayor resigns after complaint from Route 66 restaurant
The vice mayor of Kingman, Arizona, resigned last week after a prominent Route 66 restaurant criticized him for his company's unfinished construction job there, plus other problems, according to recent reports in the Kingman Daily Miner. Vice Mayor Mark Wimpee resigned Thursday after Rutherford's Route 66 Family Diner complained about the unfinished construction during the public-comment … Continue reading Kingman vice mayor resigns after complaint from Route 66 restaurant
Book review: Lonely Planet’s “Route 66 Road Trips”
You know the renaissance of Route 66 has become a global phenomenon when the biggest travel guidebook publisher, Australia-based Lonely Planet, released its first guidebook on the Mother Road this year. With that in mind, one should consider "Route 66 Road Trips" (128 pages, soft cover, illustrated color) as an appetizer designed for an international audience, not … Continue reading Book review: Lonely Planet’s “Route 66 Road Trips”