Longtime St. Louis-area roadie Joe Sonderman is interviewed by phone regarding his new book from Arcadia Publishing, "Route 66 in New Mexico," and talks about the Mother Road in general. Sonderman's comments about New Mexico itself are especially knowledgeable ... spoken like a person who's been there many times. Sonderman's 66 Postcards site is here, … Continue reading An interview with Joe Sonderman
Category: Attractions
Marker near Route 66 coming for Civil War site
Blackburn Park in Pacific, Mo., soon will install a marker to commemorate a Civil War battle that occurred along the bluffs that are now next to old Route 66, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I'd never heard of this battle, and the details show why: Civil War historians say the battle of Oct. 1, … Continue reading Marker near Route 66 coming for Civil War site
Four-wheeled flourishes
The Route 66 town of Pontiac, Ill., has come up with a novel way to decorate its downtown, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph: The Pontiac City Council voted Monday to spend about $8,000 to purchase nine fiberglass models of 1957 convertibles, three of 1930s-era pickup trucks and artist supplies. The cars will be about 5½ feet … Continue reading Four-wheeled flourishes
Notes from the road
It looks like planning on the proposed Route 66 bicycle trail in Logan County, Ill., is proceeding again after a hiatus. The county board this week discussed the possibility of leasing a gravel road parallel to the railroad tracks from AmerenCILCO to use as part of Logan County’s portion in the statewide, north-south bike route, … Continue reading Notes from the road
Notes from the road
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has nominated the Route 66 city of St. Louis as one of its Dozen Distinctive Destinations, it was announced this week. Such destinations "offer cultural and recreational experiences different from those found at the typical vacation destination. From dynamic downtowns and stunning architecture to cultural diversity and a commitment … Continue reading Notes from the road
More Harley & Annabelle
Here's a new video of Harley and Annabelle Russell at the Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick, Okla., performing "Route 66." Save for Harley half-doing the splits during the song's conclusion, it's mostly the same schtick during the song that the two have been doing for years. But it still brings a smile to my face.
Route 66 in miniature
Willem Bor of the Netherlands is a big Route 66 fan, and has decided to make models of landmarks along the Mother Road. The models are in 1/25 scale. Here's one of Lucille's near Hydro, Okla.: Here's one of the 66 Super Service Station near Alanreed, Texas: These amazingly intricate and accurate models are not … Continue reading Route 66 in miniature
Benld church will be converted to monastery
A 103-year-old Russian Orthodox Church on Route 66 in Benld, Ill., will be converted into a monastery -- instead of being razed -- because of declining attendance, reported the Springfield State Journal-Register. Mindful of Holy Dormition’s rich history, but acknowledging a declining membership and church rules that say an unused building must be torn down, … Continue reading Benld church will be converted to monastery
A tour of Cross Ministries
Here's a 10-year-old video of someone who visited each of the 10 stations of Jesus' crucifixion at the Cross Ministries complex off Route 66 in Groom, Texas. The site is simply known as the Big Cross.
A new old view
Here's a new twist on an old toy -- Wurlington Bros. Press has created three new reels for the old View-Master devices, including one for Route 66 in Chicago. The View-Master device, which looked like some sort of portable gizmo an eye doctor would use, created a three-dimensional effect on photographs, and were popular children's … Continue reading A new old view