A trustworthy Route 66 source wrote on his Facebook account that a Missouri Department of Transportation official told him off the record that the endangered Route 66 Bridge at Route 66 State Park near Eureka will not be torn down in 2010, as had been widely expected. MoDOT is hopeful another entity will take over … Continue reading Route 66 State Park bridge gets a reprieve
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.
Former Club Cafe manager now an artist
Santiago Chavez, the longtime manager for the beloved but now-closed Club Cafe restaurant on Route 66 in Santa Rosa, N.M., apparently has found a second career as an artist based in Carson City, Nev. According to the Reno Gazette Journal, Chavez was the subject of an artist's reception Friday night at Fiesta La Posada in … Continue reading Former Club Cafe manager now an artist
Notes from the road
The Tulsa World reported that longtime Route 66 business McElroy Tire, at 1545 E. 11th St., will close at year's end. It had been there since the early 1930s, but company President Kent McElroy said the firm had been squeezed financially by national tire chains and discount stores. McElroy Tire is notable for its big … Continue reading Notes from the road
Don’t cramp their style
It was only a matter of time before this version of "Route 66" showed up. This version is by The Cramps, a psychobilly punk band that is now defunct, alas, because of the death of singer Lux Interior earlier this year.
Holbrook to mull opposition to bypass
I suspected that a proposed highway bypass in the Route 66 town of Holbrook, Ariz., would eventually encounter some opposition. It looks like the opposition is happening. According to the Tribune-News, the Holbrook City Council is considering a resolution to oppose a plan to route traffic from Highways 77 and 377 away from Holbrook and … Continue reading Holbrook to mull opposition to bypass
A look back at Henry’s restaurant
David Allen of the Inland Valley (Calif.) Daily Bulletin takes a nostalgic look at the unique Henry's restaurant on Route 66 in Pomona, Calif., which was demolished more than two decades ago. More remarkably, the exterior - a large oval dome with broad windows and wooden trellises at the roof's edges - is variously remembered … Continue reading A look back at Henry’s restaurant
The issues of the Route 66 State Park Bridge
Longtime roadie Joe Sonderman appeared on KTVI-TV in St. Louis to discuss his opposition to the state's planned demolition of the Route 66 Bridge at Route 66 State Park near Eureka, Mo. I think Sonderman did a good job outlining why it may be a bad idea to knock down the bridge. But given the … Continue reading The issues of the Route 66 State Park Bridge
Harley & Annabelle documentary released on DVD
Two years ago, Joe Summars of Fluxfaze Creative Enterprises began shooting a documentary about Harley and Annabelle Russell, aka the inimitable Mediocre Music Makers, at their Sandhills Curiosity Shop just off Route 66 in Erick, Okla. It appears the film is finished. Summars started selling the "Harley & Annabelle -- Living Legends in Erick, Oklahoma" … Continue reading Harley & Annabelle documentary released on DVD
A war for weiners
KSPR-TV in Springfield, Mo., reported an interesting conflict between two streetside hot-dog vendors operating in the city's downtown and an ordinance that threatens to shut one of them down. Pete Sterpe decided to start a business, Route 66 Hot Dogs, about a year ago. He chose a spot on the sidewalk where to sell them. … Continue reading A war for weiners
A dream in the desert
The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, Calif., posted quite an article about Gus Lizalde, who purchased the Route 66 hamlet of Chambless, Calif., years ago and hopes to eventually businesses in that spot. He described his vision for a multimillion-dollar makeover. "It's going to be a full-blown restoration to the way it was built," Lizalde said. "I … Continue reading A dream in the desert