The Bob Waldmire-designed mural of a Route 66 map on a downtown building in Pontiac, Ill., was recently finished, according to an e-mail I received from Pontiac Tourism. Click on the image to enlarge it in another window: Pontiac Tourism says it probably will lobby to have the tree removed, however. A mural isn't much … Continue reading Waldmire mural is finished
Category: Attractions
Talks over Round Barn billboard break down
Negotiations to move a controversial billboard near the historic Round Barn of Arcadia, Okla., have reached an impasse, reports the Edmond Sun. In September, Zoom Media bought a small parcel just east of the Round Barn and began to install a billboard. Claiming it was an eyesore, officials with the Arcadia Historical Society protested, even … Continue reading Talks over Round Barn billboard break down
State funding cuts to Claremore museums prove minor
Funding cuts to two prominent museums in Claremore, Okla., were much less than originally anticipated, reported the Claremore Daily Progress. Oklahoma lawmakers reached a budget agreement this week that included a 7 percent reduction in funding to the state tourism office. But the Will Rogers Memorial Museum and the J.M. Davis Arms Museum in Claremore each … Continue reading State funding cuts to Claremore museums prove minor
Midpoint Cafe placed on the market
Fran Houser has put her Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas, up for sale after a 20-year tenure in which she elevated it to a prime stop for travelers on Route 66. Houser said in a phone interview Friday that the asking price is $195,000. Those interested should call her home phone at 806-538-6380. The Midpoint, … Continue reading Midpoint Cafe placed on the market
Oklahoma Route 66 Bike Trail signed into law
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin today signed into a bill that creates a 90-mile Historic Route 66 Bike Trail from Sapulpa to Edmond. House Bill 2049, introduced by Rep. Lewis Moore (R-Arcadia) and co-sponsored by Sen. Andrew Rice (D-Oklahoma City), passed by wide margins in both the House and Senate. The law goes into effect on … Continue reading Oklahoma Route 66 Bike Trail signed into law
Tucumcari resumes gas station face-lifts this weekend
Volunteers in Tucumcari, N.M., who dressed up two long-closed gas stations last year with attractive paint jobs will start their efforts again this weekend. The face-lift target this time is the gas station at the Paradise Motel on the city's west edge. Volunteers will paint the station so it looks like an old Gulf or … Continue reading Tucumcari resumes gas station face-lifts this weekend
Students present revitalization plan for Carthage
Students from Drury University in Springfield, Mo., presented a final proposal Monday to revitalize the downtown area of Carthage, Mo., according to the Carthage Press. The plan includes the renovation and reopening of several R0ute 66 landmarks. A map of the proposal reveals a restored Boots Motel and the long-closed Boots Drive-In restaurant, a Route 66 … Continue reading Students present revitalization plan for Carthage
Students help design Mickey Mantle projects
Students from Oklahoma State University helped design what will be called Mickey Mantle Monument Park and other related projects in the Route 66 town of Commerce, Okla., where Mantle grew up, according to a story in the Tulsa World. A 9-foot-tall Mickey Mantle statue dedicated last summer stands at Mickey Mantle Field, next to a … Continue reading Students help design Mickey Mantle projects
A pitch for Pontiac
This is a new tourism video produced by McCoy Studios for the Route 66 town of Pontiac, Ill. https://youtu.be/bSlWGLrP178 It's well done. Chambers of commerce, take note.
Tourist season begins at Blue Whale … and more
Today marked the opening of the souvenir shack at the historic Blue Whale, just off Route 66 in Catoosa, Okla. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, or for special occasions or sizable tour groups. The stand sells postcards (many of them decades old), T-shirts, magnets, coozies, Catoosa creme soda, and … Continue reading Tourist season begins at Blue Whale … and more