The Oklahoma Historical Society launched a smartphone-optimized Oklahoma's Historic Route 66 Mobile Tour website this week. The website provides information, maps, photos, audio clips, global-positioning system alerts, and other features of 72 historic sites along Route 66 in Oklahoma. The site was developed by OnCell, which specializes in mobile tour programs. The OnCell app can be downloaded … Continue reading Mobile site launched featuring historic Oklahoma Route 66 locations
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.
Route 66-inspired rail bridge over Arcadia freeway is finished
The distinctively styled Gold Line Bridge for light rail over Interstate 210 in Arcadia, Calif., finished construction Saturday, according to a news release from the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority. The 584-linear-foot sculptured bridge is the largest single public art/transit infrastructure project in California. Guests at the dedication ceremony Saturday were allowed to walk on … Continue reading Route 66-inspired rail bridge over Arcadia freeway is finished
Frank Pastore, former Big Texan speed-eating champion, dies
Frank Pastore, a former Cincinnati Reds pitcher who ate the fabled 72-ounce steak dinner at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in a record 9 1/2 minutes in 1987, died Monday from complications after suffering severe injuries in a motorcycle accident. Pastore's death was announced by KKLA radio, a Christian station in Glendale, Calif., that hosted … Continue reading Frank Pastore, former Big Texan speed-eating champion, dies
The Angel interviews
A series of video interviews with Angel Delgadillo of Seligman, Ariz., recently were posted on YouTube. Here, Delgadillo talks about the first meeting of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona more than 25 years ago. It started with a core of five members and $10 in its treasury: https://youtu.be/jrHg-SkaAZs The YouTube account, called ANGELANDGOKINGMAN, … Continue reading The Angel interviews
“Does Springfield do enough to promote Route 66?”
That's one of the headlines for a long and informative story today from the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader. The story focuses on the College Street Corridor Plan, which aims to revitalize that stretch of Route 66 and pay tribute to it at the same time. The city is holding public hearings before implementing the proposal. Deep … Continue reading “Does Springfield do enough to promote Route 66?”
Motel in St. Louis will be renovated, add Route 66 to its name
The new owners of the Holiday Inn Southwest & Viking Conference Center in Sunset Hills, Mo., will change its name to Holiday Inn Route 66. They also will spend millions of dollars on renovations, including restoring the motel's early 1970s architecture, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Amrit and Amy Gill, who renovated the historic Hotel Blackhawk … Continue reading Motel in St. Louis will be renovated, add Route 66 to its name
Route 66 Corridor program now accepting grant applications
The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program is now taking applications for cost-share grants through March 29 for its 2013 season. The grant program’s purpose is: … to support the preservation of the most significant and representative historic Route 66 buildings, structures, road segments, and cultural landscapes in the eight states through which the route passes. Assistance is … Continue reading Route 66 Corridor program now accepting grant applications
Big Texan adds dinosaur to its parking lot
The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, is adding a 27-foot-tall dinosaur statue in front of the landmark restaurant, reported the Amarillo Globe-News and the Big Texan Brewery's Facebook and Twitter accounts. The dinosaur originally stood at a now-closed Planet Hollywood in Dallas. At the Big Texan, the big lizard will be decked out … Continue reading Big Texan adds dinosaur to its parking lot
Boots Motel’s original neon sign will be restored by spring
An anonymous donation will enable the neon sign of the historic Boots Motel in Carthage, Mo., to be restored by "early next year" -- including its original color scheme and original "Boots Court" name. Debye Harvey, co-owner of the Route 66 landmark that dates to 1939, explained what happened in a Facebook post on Wednesday: Thanks … Continue reading Boots Motel’s original neon sign will be restored by spring
A man’s trip on Route 66 in 1967
Magnum Redux, a self-proclaimed "writer, artist, published author, car lover, gun nut, professional musician, and nostalgia expert" on YouTube, describes a trip he took on Route 66 in 1967 from Joplin, Mo., to Santa Monica, Calif. https://youtu.be/pgfp3u9UudI He also gives a shout-out to the "Route 66 Adventure Handbook" and the "Here It Is!" map series … Continue reading A man’s trip on Route 66 in 1967