The Desert Dispatch passed on some encouraging news -- the historic El Rancho Motel on Route 66 in Barstow, Calif., is undergoing renovations and improvements after a long slide into mediocrity and worse. Since the motel changed ownership about a year ago, general manager Tracey Ellison said motel staff have embarked on a process of … Continue reading Barstow’s El Rancho Motel getting a face-lift
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.
Checking in
This post comes from a clean, comfortable and inexpensive room at the Gardens Motel in Litchfield, Ill. We got into Litchfield not long after the sun began to dip low on the ripened wheat and sprouting horseradish fields. On the way, we found the concretes at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis are as … Continue reading Checking in
Hello from South Korea
This version of Bobby Troup's "Route 66" is by Park Sung Yeon, who's described as the "Mother of Korean Jazz."
News nuggets from the Route 66 Summit
I was unable to attend the Route 66 Summit before the Route 66 Festival set for this weekend in Litchfield, Ill. However, Peter Stork, an Illinois Route 66er was there and filed a detailed report for the Route 66 yahoogroup. Go there if you want to see the report in full. However, I gleaned a … Continue reading News nuggets from the Route 66 Summit
Treasure unearthed at the Rock Cafe
Dawn Welch, owner of the historic Rock Cafe on Route 66 in Stroud, gives a little TLC to a treasure she found buried under the rubble at the restaurant, which burned May 20. Sound quality on the video isn't great, but Cars fans will be excited to see what survived the fire: Friends of the … Continue reading Treasure unearthed at the Rock Cafe
A final goodbye
The San Bernardino County Sun today ran a belated obituary for Bessie Burris, 91, who died on May 17. Burris was the wife of Buster Burris, who co-owned Roy's and the Route 66 town of Amboy, Calif., for many years. Juan Pollo restaurant chain owner Albert Okura now owns Amboy and plans to restore it. … Continue reading A final goodbye
Senator urges renewal of Route 66 Corridor program
Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., asked for a renewal of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program during a Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday. The program, which provides cost-share grants and other assistance to historic Route 66 businesses, is scheduled to end in 2009. Domenici's bill would extend the program another 10 years. The legislation number is … Continue reading Senator urges renewal of Route 66 Corridor program
A view from across the pond
Here's an interesting view of Route 66 from Tony Collins of the Birmingham Mail in England. An excerpt: Interest began to grow following publication of a Route 66 book in the 1990s. But the scores of ordinary townsfolk dotted along its path are most indebted to 2006 animated movie Cars. In fact, my amazing two-week … Continue reading A view from across the pond
Final season for Antique Toy Museum?
Bruce Barnes, owner of the Antique Toy Museum, wouldn't say definitively that this summer would his last along Route 66 in Stanton, Mo., after 21 years. But if you're wanting to gaze at his collection, it'd be prudent to see it soon. David Clark, aka the Windy City Road Warrior, reported on his blog that … Continue reading Final season for Antique Toy Museum?
“Route 66” DVD maker sues porn producer
Roxbury Entertainment, the same folks that are re-releasing the original "Route 66" television show on DVD, has filed a federal lawsuit against Penthouse for using the words "Route 66" to market a pornographic film and DVD, reports Courthouse News Service. You can read all the -- ahem -- dirty details with a copy of the … Continue reading “Route 66” DVD maker sues porn producer