GreenLight Collectibles, a toy maker based in Indianapolis, is creating a Route 66 series of tie-cast cars and trading cards featuring real-life Route 66 landmarks. Both will hit stores next month. According to the news release: Each car in the series will be packaged with a Route 66 trading card that highlights a stop along … Continue reading Toy car maker introduces Route 66 series
Category: Attractions
Meramec Caverns barn damaged by storm
A barn near Hamel, Ill., that used its north side as an advertisement for Meramec Caverns in Missouri was severely damaged by a tornado in late February, reported Rich Henry at Henry's Rabbit Ranch in nearby Staunton, Ill. Henry wrote on the Route 66 yahoogroup: It didn't level it, but took it down considerably. The … Continue reading Meramec Caverns barn damaged by storm
An update on Cars Land
The Cars Land addition at Disneyland Resort in California will open in about 15 months. It's based on the fictional Route 66 town of Radiator Springs in the 2006 Disney-Pixar movie "Cars," and Cars Land no doubt will get a nice bump in interest after "Cars 2" hits theaters this June. I found out that … Continue reading An update on Cars Land
Oatman’s burros
This is one of the best videos I've seen about the semi-wild burros that roam the streets of the Route 66 town of Oatman, Ariz. You see the burros interacting with people and each other, plus you get to gaze on a cute young burro named Jelly Bean. The video was shot in 2004; Jelly … Continue reading Oatman’s burros
Harvey House in Barstow marks 100 years
The landmark Harvey House in Barstow, Calif., is marking its centennial, and a celebration is planned in the coming weeks, according to the Desert Dispatch newspaper. [T]he Chamber is planning a community-wide carnival style celebration of the Harvey House’s 100th anniversary in the spring, although details have yet to be worked out. The current Harvey … Continue reading Harvey House in Barstow marks 100 years
The woman behind Chicken Boy
Southern California Public Radio produced a feature about Amy Inouye, who saved a fiberglass Chicken Boy figure from the top of a closed downtown Los Angeles restaurant and re-erected it on her studio on 5558 N. Figueroa St. (aka Route 66) in the Highland Park neighborhood of L.A. https://vimeo.com/20152537 From the article: [S]he reached out to a … Continue reading The woman behind Chicken Boy
Midway point of what?
Amarillo Globe-News writer Lee Passmore discovered that the Route 66 hamlet of Bushland, Texas, apparently sits on the exact halfway point between Los Angeles and Chicago. While I was on the Net looking for high school baseball schedules (only eight days after four inches of snow covered the ground), I somehow found myself on the … Continue reading Midway point of what?
A tour of Cajon Pass
This is an enticing opportunity for history buffs. Historian Nicholas Cataldo will lead an all-day expedition at Southern California's Cajon Pass, which once carried Route 66, on March 12. According to San Bernardino County Sun columnist John Weeks: "Exploring the Cajon Pass: Gateway to the San Bernardino Valley" is offered through Cal State San Bernardino's … Continue reading A tour of Cajon Pass
Part of Cadillac Ranch goes topless — temporarily
The roof on one of the Cadillacs at the iconic Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, Texas, has rusted off. But its longtime benefactor says the roof will be welded back on, reported the Amarillo Globe-News. Stanley Marsh 3, the Ranch’s patron saint, isn’t sure when the top dropped from the vintage auto situated second from the … Continue reading Part of Cadillac Ranch goes topless — temporarily
More murals for Cuba
The Route 66 town of Cuba, Mo., is known for its outdoor murals along the main drag. Now, it appears Cuba will start to be known for indoor murals as well. Painter Ray Harvey has completed artwork of vintage vehicles on four walls inside the Midwest Petroleum Travel Plaza, located just north of Interstate 44, … Continue reading More murals for Cuba