NOTE: Many updates below. Tornadoes killed at least 16 people Saturday evening in southwestern Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma, including six in Picher, a former mining town just off Route 66. The Joplin Globe reports: John Sparkman, of Picher, Okla., characterized the damage done by a tornado in the Northeast Oklahoma community this evening as "complete … Continue reading Tornadoes kill six in Picher
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.
Cyclist will test her recovery after accident
On Sunday, Amy Mack and about 40 other cyclists are embarking on a 3,400-mile ride from Los Angeles to Boston, part of it on old Route 66. That's a remarkable enough quest. But Mack is doing it three years after she was nearly killed in a biking accident, reports the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette: Thrown more … Continue reading Cyclist will test her recovery after accident
Springfield, Mo., a stop on Model T tour
NOTE: Bumped for important update below. The Ford Model T is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and enthusiasts from Southern California and beyond are celebrating with cross-country tours, including one that crosses the nation on Route 66 and the Lincoln Highway National Road, aka U.S. 40. According to the Springfield News-Leader, members of the … Continue reading Springfield, Mo., a stop on Model T tour
Hanging around in Hackberry
Here's a nicely done video about the Hackberry General Store, located on Route 66 in Hackberry, Ariz.
Final days
A couple of readers have submitted photos of the dismantling work being done on the Harvey House in Seligman, Ariz., before its final demolition later this month. Here, you can see workers removing the historic roof tiles: According to Dan Lutzick, who is overseeing the rehabilitation of another Harvey House in Needles, Calif.: The supervisor … Continue reading Final days
Berdoo Bikes festival will return
The first Berdoo Bikes & Blues Rendezvous in San Bernardino, Calif., was declared a success, and will return next year, organizers told the San Bernardino County Sun. it was estimated optimistically that it would draw 3,000 registered motorcycles and 12,000 paying spectators. The actual number was 1,500 bikes and 7,000 spectators. Despite the shortfall, organizers … Continue reading Berdoo Bikes festival will return
Scenes from the Fun Run
The Route 66 Association of Arizona's Fun Run has barely been over for 24 hours, and already videos have been posted on YouTube. The scene from a 1950 Chevy "rat rod." Here's one of the scene through Oatman: And here are dozens a photos from the event by David Schaubert, including a few way-cool panoramic … Continue reading Scenes from the Fun Run
Design proposed for downtown Miami
The Miami (Okla.) News-Herald reported that landscape architecture students have made their recommendations "Miami Beautiful" -- a revamped downtown area. The students clearly took the "Miami Beautiful" name from the historic Coleman Theatre Beautiful in downtown. According to the project material, the concept features Main Street as “center stage,” while the parking lots and alleys … Continue reading Design proposed for downtown Miami
Rail and road attractions
The Victorville (Calif.) Daily Press published a feature called Sunday Drive, for folks who want explore the high desert without shelling out a lot for gasoline. This one focuses a lot on the Harvey House in Barstow (which houses the Barstow Route 66 Mother Road Museum) and another restored railroad station in the settlement of … Continue reading Rail and road attractions
Wine country
No, I'm not talking about California. I'm talking about the Missouri Ozarks. And Appellation America has a nice rundown about its wineries, including those along the Mother Road: Historic Route 66 runs through the area, and much of the appellation seems unchanged from the highway’s heyday. The famous Wagon Wheel Motel and Finn’s Motel (“Vacancy!” … Continue reading Wine country