A person from VirtualTourist.com asks this question on a BostonNow.com community forum blog under the title "Route 66: Overrated or Underappreciated?": Q: I’m going to be in the U.S. for five weeks, and I’m trying to figure out whether I should do Route 66 as I head east? The response provides both pros and cons … Continue reading Weigh in about Route 66
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.
Catsup Bottle party goes on
This is short notice, but I received word Thursday that boosters of the Official World's Largest Catsup Bottle in Collinsville, Ill., are holding a picnic after 11 a.m. Sunday, literally under the water tower that resembles a ketchup bottle. The event comes after the recent cancellation of the Catsup Bottle Summerfest because of infighting between … Continue reading Catsup Bottle party goes on
Illinois bridge being restored
John and Lenore Weiss are at it again. The two Illinois Route 66 preservationists are restoring the original appearance of the Division Street Bridge in Pontiac, which carried the original Illinois Highway 4 and the first alignment of Route 66 in the state during the 1920s, according to the Pontiac Daily Leader. Their work on … Continue reading Illinois bridge being restored
Over easy
In this entertaining report from the Mohave Daily News, we learned that an apparent ringer entered the annual Sidewalk Egg Fry in Oatman, Ariz., on the Fourth of July. Bob Blumer, host of an upcoming Food Network show "Glutton for Punishment," won first place in both cooking device and showmanship. He used a frying pan … Continue reading Over easy
Mixed emotions
This news item from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune in Southern California brought on a lot of mixed feelings for me: GLENDORA - Best Western International has expanded its presence in Southern California with a new location in Glendora. With roughly 4,200 hotels companywide, the world's largest hotel chain provides 400,000 travelers with lodging annually … Continue reading Mixed emotions
“Colors of the Mother Road”
Route 66 State Park near Eureka, Mo., is hosting a photo exhibit titled, "Colors of the Mother Road," by Sally Bobbitt Simpson on July 14, with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. that day in the visitors center. According to the news release: Simpson's fascination with Route 66 began four years ago while photographing … Continue reading “Colors of the Mother Road”
Searching Oklahoma City for Vietnamese food
Matt Gross, aka The Frugal Traveler, of the New York Times' travel section ventured to Oklahoma City to dine on ... Vietnamese food. That sounds like an odd combination, but Gross points out that 20,000 Vietnamese live in OKC. His excursion found a few Route 66 spots, including the Hospitality Inn (listed in the Route … Continue reading Searching Oklahoma City for Vietnamese food
Paradise returns
The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader published an informative article about the recent reopening of the former Exotic Animal Paradise near Strafford, Mo., now the Animal Paradise Family Fun Park. The park reopened in April after it was sold at auction last year. It sounds like a lot of improvements have been made: [T]hey brought in new … Continue reading Paradise returns
Flooding may cut off Miami, Okla.
Those who are traveling Route 66 through northeastern Oklahoma may need to make alternative plans over the next few days because of flooding. According to the Tulsa World: By the evening of July 4 the Neosho River is expected to crest 1.25 feet higher than it was during historic floods in 1986, Spurgeon said in … Continue reading Flooding may cut off Miami, Okla.
Old station keeps holding on
The Edmond (Okla.) Sun has a story about the history of a long-defunct Conoco gas station on Route 66 between Luther and Arcadia, Okla. The station dates to 1926 -- the very beginnings of Route 66. It also has a less-than-sedate past: Unsolved mystery looms there where the body of a murdered man was found … Continue reading Old station keeps holding on