The City of Albuquerque received a grant from a state utility company to set up LED neon street lighting along a two-block stretch of downtown Central Avenue (aka Route 66), according to an announcement Wednesday from New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and a report from KRQE-TV. A grant also will be used to "establish a … Continue reading Albuquerque gets grant for LED neon lighting
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 senator again criticizes Route 66 preservation program
U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) again targets the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program with his "Wastebook," an annual publication released Tuesday that cites alleged government waste. In the publication, Coburn criticized the $81,224 the program awarded in cost-share grants to restore the roof of the historic DeCamp Junction near Staunton, Ill., the climate-control system of … Continue reading Oklahoma senator again criticizes Route 66 preservation program
Where Cars Land got its inspiration
This video shows how Disney engineers (they're called Imagineers) traveled Route 66 to research and figure out the right look for a life-size fictional town of Radiator Springs for Cars Land at Disneyland California Adventure. https://youtu.be/dKYi8gbbIn0 Route 66 author and "Cars" actor Michael Wallis led the trip about five years ago. My story about that … Continue reading Where Cars Land got its inspiration
Bill Shea, owner of Shea’s 66 Gas Station Museum, dies at 91
Bill Shea, a longtime owner of a gas station in Springfield, Ill., and then curator of a gas-station museum on Route 66, died in his sleep today at age 91, according to a post on the Shea's Route 66 Museum Facebook page. Funeral arrangements will be announced later. Shea started in the gas-station business shortly … Continue reading Bill Shea, owner of Shea’s 66 Gas Station Museum, dies at 91
Santa returns to Catsup Bottle after a long hiatus
A decorative Santa Claus figure on the lower structure of the historic World's Largest Catsup Bottle in Collinsville, Ill., has returned after a more than a 10-year hiatus, according to a news release from the landmark's preservation group. From the news release: The 12-foot-tall, 400-pound Santa figure is wrapped in lights and colorful garland and … Continue reading Santa returns to Catsup Bottle after a long hiatus
Pops store coming to Tulsa airport
If you're traveling by air to Tulsa or have a changeover at Tulsa International Airport, you'll soon have access to a taste of Route 66 while you're there. Pops, a convenience store and restaurant based on Route 66 in Arcadia, Okla., will open at the airport its third location. It will be inside the former … Continue reading Pops store coming to Tulsa airport
Santa Monica Pier considers designs to replace its aging bridge
The city of Santa Monica, Calif., is mulling over several designs to replace its 1939 bridge that links the mainland to the Santa Monica Pier, according to a report in The Malibu Times. The city had discussed replacing the bridge in the 1990s. But the passage of time and an upcoming light-rail line that … Continue reading Santa Monica Pier considers designs to replace its aging bridge
Joplin likely will acquire minor-league baseball team
The City of Joplin, Mo., is moving swiftly to accept a proposal to renovate historic Joe Becker Stadium and land a minor-league team from El Paso, Texas, as its new tenant, reported the Joplin Globe. The council voted to have the city staff write a formal agreement defining the terms of a deal toward relocating … Continue reading Joplin likely will acquire minor-league baseball team
Frenchman travels length of Route 66 on special bicycle
French cyclist Thierry Suptil last month became the first person to travel the 2,400-mile length of Route 66 in an ElliptiGO, an elliptical bicycle. According to a news release from the bicycle company: Averaging 47 miles per day, it took him just 52 days of riding to travel from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California, ending … Continue reading Frenchman travels length of Route 66 on special bicycle
Chinese tourists’ take on Route 66
This is fascinating. These two videos from the China-based Blue Ocean Network contain interviews with a Chinese couple that recently traveled Route 66. Those in the tourism industry should take notes. Part 1: https://youtu.be/AwFC0cVlj5g Part 2: https://youtu.be/bccQAT3wmfk The number of Chinese tourists in the United States reportedly will reach 100 million a year by the … Continue reading Chinese tourists’ take on Route 66