A prominent Route 66 expert wrote a letter to a village, expressing his concern that truck traffic will negatively impact tourism on the Mother Road in Will County, Illinois, reported Suburban Life Publications. John Weiss, who won the prestigious Steinbeck Award for historic preservation with his late wife Lenore in 2002 and has written several books … Continue reading Route 66 expert worries about traffic congestion in Chicago suburbs
Category: Attractions
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A few years ago, Julian Audic of France took a Route 66 trip to produce a documentary for French television. His efforts to get the film broadcast are ongoing. If television doesn't work out, Audic says he'll make the documentary available via video-on-demand on the Internet. In the meantime, Audic was able to use a … Continue reading A message from our sponsor …
A promotional video for Kansas Route 66
Check out this well-made, three-minute video for Kansas Route 66, made for Kansas Byways. Route 66 MASTER from Gizmo Pictures on Vimeo. The segment was produced by Gizmo Pictures, a film and video production company in Topeka, Kansas. (A scene from downtown Baxter Springs, Kansas, by Aaron Sumner via Flickr)
Bloomington lands a grant for new visitors center
As expected, the Illinois Office of Tourism officially pledged Wednesday to give Bloomington a $249,000 grant to help build a new visitors center downtown, according to WJBC radio. The museum will prominently feature Route 66 in its exhibits. Illinois Tourism director Jen Hoelzel said the grant coincides with the office's effort to bring more international tourists to Illinois. Hoelzel said … Continue reading Bloomington lands a grant for new visitors center
Red Oak II now offering overnight stays
Red Oak II, a vivid re-creation of a now-vanished town by folk artist Lowell Davis, recently started offering overnight stays in cabins reclaimed from a former Route 66 motel in Duquesne, Missouri, reported the Joplin Globe in a feature story about Davis and his complex near Carthage, Missouri. Also, a former mayor who resides at Red Oak II … Continue reading Red Oak II now offering overnight stays
Will Oscar Mayer buy the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle?
Several media outlets in the St. Louis area reported the Oscar Mayer brand is interested in buying the World's Largest Catsup Bottle, which went up for sale earlier this month. However, at least one metro-east news website regarded the reports with skepticism. The speculation was fueled by Oscar Mayer's famous Wienermobile making an appearance at the … Continue reading Will Oscar Mayer buy the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle?
Did Springfield, Missouri, miss the boat in promoting Route 66?
A few days ago, the Springfield News-Leader published a long, soul-searching piece titled "Selling 66" that asks the question: Has Springfield, Missouri, done a good job promoting Route 66? If you have to ask, you know the answer. Springfield has realized its error and is trying new things to bring tourists, including the future Birthplace of … Continue reading Did Springfield, Missouri, miss the boat in promoting Route 66?
Will the Route 66 festival transform Kingman?
The Kingman Daily Miner newspaper posted an interesting article this week about Route 66's growing economic influence and whether the upcoming International Route 66 Festival will transform the host town of Kingman, Arizona. The article borrows heavily from the influential Route 66 Economic Impact Study and anecdotal evidence on how Route 66 affects other towns, … Continue reading Will the Route 66 festival transform Kingman?
World’s Largest Catsup Bottle up for sale
The World's Largest Catsup Bottle, a landmark for decades in Collinsville, Illinois, has been put up for sale and faces a cloudy future, according to several St. Louis-area media outlets. KPLR-TV posted this story today (the video isn't embeddable). The Metro Independent, based in Collinsville, also had this report today: Bethel-Eckert Enterprises Inc., owners of the warehouse below … Continue reading World’s Largest Catsup Bottle up for sale
Road to Our Lady of the Highways Shrine will close for repairs this fall
A badly deteriorated section of Interstate 55 west frontage road between Farmersville and Raymond in Illinois -- best known as a section of Route 66 that passes in front of the historic Our Lady of the Highways Shrine -- will be closed for repairs for several weeks starting in late September, according a story in The … Continue reading Road to Our Lady of the Highways Shrine will close for repairs this fall