It looks like the Route 66 Hall of Fame Museum and Livingston County War Museum, which are part of the same complex in Pontiac, Ill., will have an elevator by next summer. The Pontiac Daily Leader reports that the City Council authorized an architect to proceed with those plans. The elevator would provide access to … Continue reading Need a 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.
Round Barn in Arcadia receives grant
The Round Barn in Arcadia, Okla., is receiving a $50,000 grant from the Oklahoma Centennial Commemoration Commission, reported the Edmond Sun. The money will be used for improvements to its restrooms and parking lot. Also, a new sign and a sidewalk around the 1898 structure will be built.
KiMo Theatre marks 80th year
The KiMo Theatre in Albuquerque, which is along the Central Avenue alignment of Route 66, is marking its 80th year. Check out this excellent story by the Albuquerque Tribune about the theater's doughnut-loving ghost, performers such as a beer-drinking mule and Sally Rand, and its non-Nazi swastikas.
Living in Tijeras Time
While driving on old Route 66 to Albuquerque during the weekend, we stumbled onto the Tijeras Open-Air Arts Market in the mountain town of Tijeras, N.M. It's on the grounds the Imagine Gallery and Coffee House. There, we saw a mix of paintings, pottery, sculpture and photographs. There also were locally grown apples and barbed-wire … Continue reading Living in Tijeras Time
Not fade away
While returning to Tulsa from a weekend outing in the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico, we saw a slight but welcome change to the restoration of the closed Lucille's near Hydro, Okla. See it? Here's a hint: The little Lucille's sign has been restored. The sign had continued to fade after Lucille Hamons' death in … Continue reading Not fade away
Skywalk road update
Roadside America has an interesting update about the horrible, 14-mile Diamond Bar Road that leads to the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which is off Route 66. The developers of Skywalk spent millions of dollars on their horseshoe-shaped walkway, but apparently couldn't spent a million or two more to improve the primitive road leading to it. Complaints … Continue reading Skywalk road update
An interesting view
Using the recent $300,000 grant for a bicycle trail as a springboard, the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph's editorial board ponders why Route 66 has such an enduring appeal to tourists: What draws these people? Maybe it is John Steinbeck's reference to "The Mother Road" in his novel, "The Grapes of Wrath," or the old "Route 66" … Continue reading An interesting view
New paint job
We stayed at the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., just a few months after owners Bill Kinder and Terri Johnson put a new, old coat of paint on the historic Route 66 motel. Kinder said he wanted to bring back the Blue Swallow to its original shades, circa 1939. Much of the complex was … Continue reading New paint job
More Asleep at the Wheel
There's already a couple of Asleep at the Wheel videos and the band's version of Bobby Troup's "Route 66" on this site. But another dose of Western swing can't hurt. This performance is from a show in France in 2004.
Selling with video
Video is a fast-growing and often effective tool for businesses to sell their products on the Internet. The Saga Motor Hotel, which has graced Route 66 in Pasadena, Calif., since 1957, is making use of this tool. Check it out: We've stayed at the Saga. Not only is it a well-preserved Southern California motel, but … Continue reading Selling with video