A 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Aire has sat on a pole at 2412 Clear Lake Ave. in Springfield, Ill., for 17 years. Locals call it the "Chevy on a stick," and Route 66ers are fond of seeing that landmark during excursions through town. Now that the car dealership that it presided over has moved, the "Chevy on … Continue reading “Chevy on a stick” faces iffy future
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 Marathon is Sunday
The annual Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa begins Sunday morning. The Tulsa World has a story about a runner from Missouri, Rick Roeber, who's going to do all 26.2 miles barefoot. I was wondering whether Roeber has run into (no pun intended) Barefoot Ted, who ran in the Mother Road 100 two years ago. They … Continue reading Route 66 Marathon is Sunday
Two great old bridges
Here's a video of not one, but two great old bridges on Route 66 in Oklahoma. One is the famed Pony Bridge over the Canadian River near Hydro. The other is the Lake Overholser Bridge near Oklahoma City. The music is great, too. UPDATE: The video's poster tells me the music is by the Pied … Continue reading Two great old bridges
Five good reasons to renew the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program
Highly respected Route 66 researcher Jim Ross assembled these compelling reasons to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on why the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program should be renewed for another 10 years. The program is set to end in late 2009. There is legislation proposed to renew the program for another 10 years, but Coburn is … Continue reading Five good reasons to renew the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program
Mojave back country
Here's a slide show someone posted of the old mining communities, small towns and ghost towns between Barstow, Calif., and Laughlin, Nev. Many of these towns shriveled up when Interstate 40 bypassed Route 66. Kudos to the Western score, although I can't place which movie it's from.
Ghost in the machine
The Williams (Ariz.) News reports that something tripped the surveillance video at Twisters '50s Soda Fountain and Route 66 Place during the wee hours of Oct. 16, when the business was closed. It wasn't a burglar or a short in the camera system itself, as there was something visible on the film, a floating white … Continue reading Ghost in the machine
Historic Tulsa building to be converted into hotel
Tulsa Business Journal reports that the historic Max Campbell Building on 11th Street (aka Route 66) in Tulsa has been purchased and will be converted into a hotel, events center and retail space. Group M. Investments Inc. purchased the historic building, which sits at 11th and Columbia, near the University of Tulsa. The site contains … Continue reading Historic Tulsa building to be converted into hotel
Illinois Hall of Fame taking nominations
Here's a news brief from the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph: The Route 66 Association of Illinois will take nominations for its Hall of Fame from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28. Nominations must include qualities, deeds and history on Route 66. To qualify, nominees must have made significant contributions to the character or history of the Illinois … Continue reading Illinois Hall of Fame taking nominations
Another stocking-stuffer
Mike Gassmann, champion of the historic World's Largest Catsup Bottle in Collinsville, Ill., says he is now selling Christmas ornaments featuring an image the landmark. Each ornament comes with a bright red ribbon and mounted on a decorative card with "Seasons Greetings 2008" and its production unit number on the back. The image of the … Continue reading Another stocking-stuffer
A mother of a footrace
I neglected to mention the Mother Road 100, Part 2 ultramarathon in western Oklahoma last weekend, which went from Elk City to the outskirts of El Reno on old Route 66. More than 150 hardy souls participated. The overall winner was Tim Neckar, 47, of Houston, who finished the 100 miles in 17 hours, 13 … Continue reading A mother of a footrace