The answer seems to be: No. The Pontiac Daily Leader decided to check with the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac to see whether tourism numbers are down from a year ago, when gasoline cost about a $1-a-gallon less. This May, 1,238 people visited it, a 77 percent increase over the … Continue reading Are high gas prices hurting Route 66 tourism?
Category: Attractions
Checking in
This post comes from a clean, comfortable and inexpensive room at the Gardens Motel in Litchfield, Ill. We got into Litchfield not long after the sun began to dip low on the ripened wheat and sprouting horseradish fields. On the way, we found the concretes at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis are as … Continue reading Checking in
News nuggets from the Route 66 Summit
I was unable to attend the Route 66 Summit before the Route 66 Festival set for this weekend in Litchfield, Ill. However, Peter Stork, an Illinois Route 66er was there and filed a detailed report for the Route 66 yahoogroup. Go there if you want to see the report in full. However, I gleaned a … Continue reading News nuggets from the Route 66 Summit
A view from across the pond
Here's an interesting view of Route 66 from Tony Collins of the Birmingham Mail in England. An excerpt: Interest began to grow following publication of a Route 66 book in the 1990s. But the scores of ordinary townsfolk dotted along its path are most indebted to 2006 animated movie Cars. In fact, my amazing two-week … Continue reading A view from across the pond
Final season for Antique Toy Museum?
Bruce Barnes, owner of the Antique Toy Museum, wouldn't say definitively that this summer would his last along Route 66 in Stanton, Mo., after 21 years. But if you're wanting to gaze at his collection, it'd be prudent to see it soon. David Clark, aka the Windy City Road Warrior, reported on his blog that … Continue reading Final season for Antique Toy Museum?
Very curious
The Frankfort Station, based in Frankfort, Ill., published a story today about how Frankfort Township is constructing a new administration building. Tucked into the story is this: When the new structure is completed and the administration has moved in, the current building will be torn down, to make room for several improvements Stipan can't wait … Continue reading Very curious
Arizona considers scenic trails to Grand Canyon
The state of Arizona is considering creating scenic trails from the Phoenix metro area to the Grand Canyon, reports the Arizona Republic. Naturally, such a trail would have to cross Route 66 at some point. One of the segments proposed hits the Route 66 town of Ash Fork. The idea is to create an alternate … Continue reading Arizona considers scenic trails to Grand Canyon
TV station touts Joliet’s Route 66 connection
The city of Joliet, Ill.'s fairly recent embrace of Route 66 has paid off again. This time, WLS-TV, the big ABC affiliate in Chicago, has featured it as one of its "one tank trips" for local tourists. Check it out. It's smart marketing. While the price of gas goes higher, Joliet is drawing visitors from … Continue reading TV station touts Joliet’s Route 66 connection
Pedestrian bridge at Avery Plaza is open
The pedestrian bridge at Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza in Tulsa is open, reports KJRH-TV. The bridge goes over Southwest Boulevard, which is one of the original alignments of Route 66. It is very close to the original 11th Street Bridge, on the east bank of the Arkansas River. Here's what the pedestria bridge looked like … Continue reading Pedestrian bridge at Avery Plaza is open
Illinois Motor Tour and Hall of Fame preview
The Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph has a preview about the 19th annual Route 66 Association of Illinois Motor Tour. It runs over the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge in north St. Louis on Saturday morning, overnights in Lincoln, and ends Sunday in Wilmington. Scotty's Route 66 Bar & Grill in Hamel is holding registration for the … Continue reading Illinois Motor Tour and Hall of Fame preview