The owner of the historic Soulsby Station along old Route 66 in Mount Olive, Illinois, is looking for a sign contractor who can do some restoration work on the main Shell sign in front of the station. We happened to be driving a few dozen miles of old 66 in Illinois on Sunday evening when … Continue reading Wanted: A restorer of signs for Soulsby Station
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.
A chat with Kumar Patel at the Wigwam Motel
The Genuine Route 66 Life series points the camera at Kumar Patel, whose family bought the historic Wigwam Motel of San Bernardino, California. https://youtu.be/agYR4mqizh4 The Patels have owned the Wigwam for about 10 years, and have received several awards for the restoration of the property. Before then, the Wigwam had declined into a seedy place … Continue reading A chat with Kumar Patel at the Wigwam Motel
French tourist dies in motorcycle crash
An apparent Route 66 tourist from France died in a motorcycle crash Saturday on Interstate 40 west of Albuquerque, reported the Albuquerque Journal. Erick Hamel, 53, of France died in the crash. The newspaper said he was part of a group of 15 who had landed in Albuquerque and were beginning a tour of America. … Continue reading French tourist dies in motorcycle crash
Bees removed from De Anza Motel
Several colonies of honeybees were removed from the long-closed De Anza Motel on Route 66 in Albuquerque, reported KRQE-TV. The bees took up residence inside the walls and roof of the motel, a fairly common occurrence in abandoned properties. Beekeepers were able to remove the bees from De Anza, where they were given new homes … Continue reading Bees removed from De Anza Motel
The oddest site on the National Register of Historic Places
Each week, I receive an email from the National Park Service that provides the latest additions to the National Register of Historic Places. A few sites are relevant to Route 66, as you might imagine. On Friday, this item led the listings: ARIZONA, COCONINO COUNTY, 1956 Grand Canyon TWA--United Airlines Aviation Accident Site Address Restricted, … Continue reading The oddest site on the National Register of Historic Places
El Garces reopens Saturday
The City of Needles, California, has planned an 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday for the remodeling and reopening of the long-closed El Garces intermodal transportation facility, reported the Mohave Valley Daily News. In addition to public speakers, the event at the former Harvey House will feature: A farmers market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. … Continue reading El Garces reopens Saturday
Route 66 organization raising funds for tornado-stricken towns
The Route 66 Chamber of Commerce has launched a Route 66 Cares page on Facebook and is collecting donations to help the tornado-wracked towns of Quapaw, Oklahoma, and Baxter Springs, Kansas, recover in the wake of this week's storms. The PayPal email address is visit66(at)yahoo(dot)com. Donations also can be mailed to: Route 66 Cares, c/o Baxter Springs Chamber … Continue reading Route 66 organization raising funds for tornado-stricken towns
New Pontiac business sells Route 66 memorabilia and classic cars
It's common to find a new business on Route 66 selling memorabilia from the Mother Road. But Octane 66 in Pontiac, Ill., has started something more unusual -- it's also selling classic cars so travelers can cruise Route 66 in style. David Ehresman opened Octane 66 in April at 829 N. Ladd St. in Pontiac (map here), on … Continue reading New Pontiac business sells Route 66 memorabilia and classic cars
Brand USA now focusing on Route 66 tourism in Missouri
A recent article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch confirms what we'd suspected -- that Brand USA next would be concentrating on promoting Route 66 in Missouri. We'd noted a few weeks ago that Brand USA, aka DiscoverAmerica.com, had posted high-quality YouTube videos promoting parts of Route 66 in Illinois for potential British, Japanese and German … Continue reading Brand USA now focusing on Route 66 tourism in Missouri
Artist will hold public unveiling of Gay Parita painting
Route 66 artist Jerry McClanahan will have a public unveiling of his newest painting of Gary Turner's Gay Parita gas station at the station near Halltown, Mo., on Saturday, May 17. According to a news release from the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, a meet-and-greet with hot dogs and soda will be at noon, with the official unveiling at … Continue reading Artist will hold public unveiling of Gay Parita painting