The Route 66 Treasure Chest antique store in downtown Commerce, Oklahoma, was destroyed by fire on the Fourth of July, reported KODE-TV in nearby Joplin, Missouri. It took about two hours Friday night to bring the fire under control. The business was at 501 Commerce St., which is old Route 66 through town. According to … Continue reading Fire destroys Commerce antiques business
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.
Williams trades Denny’s for a Route 66-themed restaurant
This is a switch I can get behind -- the landlord of a Denny's in Williams, Arizona, let the franchise go, remodeled the building, and opened a Kicks on Route 66 Bar and Grill in its place, reported the Williams News. Brad and Sally Olson opened the revamped restaurant about two weeks ago, reported the … Continue reading Williams trades Denny’s for a Route 66-themed restaurant
Promotion offers free gas tomorrow at Essex station
Snickers candy bar is offering free gasoline on Thursday, July 3, at a station in the middle of the Mojave Desert on Route 66. According to the news release: SNICKERS® Brand is about to see how far people will go for the chance to get free fuel. Literally. [...] To help fuel Independence Day road … Continue reading Promotion offers free gas tomorrow at Essex station
Harley begins Route 66 tour with its electric motorcycle
Harley-Davidson announced about a week ago it would begin a Route 66 tour with its Project LiveWire electric motorcycle -- a prototype that's not yet for sale. Apparently the tour has begun. Although Harley's website doesn't have a schedule posted online, a photo was posted Tuesday of the motorcycles at the eastern beginning of Route … Continue reading Harley begins Route 66 tour with its electric motorcycle
A visit to the Palms Grill Cafe
KC Keefer, on his Genuine Route 66 Life video series, interviews Angel French at the historic Palms Grill Cafe on Route 66 in downtown Atlanta, Illinois. https://youtu.be/BGNHcdCKaik The Palms Grill, built in 1934, was restored in 2009 and quickly became a must-stop for travelers -- especially for folks who like a small-town atmosphere and pie. … Continue reading A visit to the Palms Grill Cafe
NBC Nightly News airs segment about Route 66
NBC Nightly News aired a two-minute segment about Route 66 on Tuesday night. If you missed it, you can check it out below, or hit the above link if the embedding doesn't work. It painted a very flattering picture of the old road. The segment by correspondent Harry Smith features a stretch of Route 66 … Continue reading NBC Nightly News airs segment about Route 66
Joplin motor court will be restored
A historic motel along an alignment of Route 66 in Joplin, Missouri, will be refurbished and reopened as a tourist court again, according to Joplin Globe columnist Wally Kennedy. The Westport Lodge (shown above during the 1950s) at North Main Street and Fountain Road, which was on an alternate Route 66 alignment from 1934 to … Continue reading Joplin motor court will be restored
A history of Cadillac Ranch
On Sunday, the Amarillo Globe-News published a well-researched story about the history of the Cadillac Ranch art installation just off Route 66. Cadillac Ranch marked its 40th anniversary June 21 -- four days after owner Stanley Marsh 3 died at age 76. The story provides behind-the-scenes details about how Cadillac Ranch came about. I urge … Continue reading A history of Cadillac Ranch
Replica of historic hotel lobby re-created in Oklahoma Route 66 Museum
As if you don't have enough good reasons to visit the marvelous Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Celina Hawkins of the Odessa American in Texas explains why there's another: On Thursday, relatives and many others gathered inside the Route 66 Museum as the newest exhibit – an exact replica of the lobby of the … Continue reading Replica of historic hotel lobby re-created in Oklahoma Route 66 Museum
A visit to the Midpoint Cafe
KVII-TV reporter Larry Lemmons, based in Amarillo, traveled west on Route 66 to check out what was happening at the historic Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas. This television segment was more in-depth than I anticipated, and it captures the atmosphere of the restaurant as well as anything. https://youtu.be/IkywbkeqiPo Dennis Purschwitz and his wife Donna bought … Continue reading A visit to the Midpoint Cafe