The Joplin (Mo.) Globe has a story about how Route 66 communities in southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma are making greater efforts to restore their vintage gas stations. The story goes over territory that Route 66 News has already covered, but it does confirm that there indeed seems to be a movement afoot. … Continue reading Preserve those gas stations
Category: Attractions
Not just a “morgue”
Here's a story from The Oklahoman about the Saturday opening of the Route 66 Interpretive Center in Chandler, Okla. Choice excerpt: Anthony McDermid, principal designer at Tap Architecture of Oklahoma City, said they didn't want the center to be a morgue for old memorabilia. It was designed to complement other Route 66 stops, but be … Continue reading Not just a “morgue”
Route 66 Interpretive Center opens
The Daily Oklahoman has a story about the new Route 66 Interpretive Center in Chandler, which opened Saturday in an old National Guard Armory. For more on the Armory restoration, check out our earlier sneak preview.
Tourist center opens in San Bernardino
The new California Welcome Center for San Bernardino, one of just 13 in the state of California, opened today, reported the San Bernardino County Sun. It's expecting 100,000 visitors a year and a $6.5 million boost to the local economy. The center's opening may be a benchmark in the city's progress. After two consecutive years … Continue reading Tourist center opens in San Bernardino
A sneak peek of the Route 66 Interpretive Center
The new Route 66 Interpretive Center in the old Armory building in Chandler, Okla., doesn't open to the public until 11 a.m. Saturday, and I'll be out of town because of a prior engagement. However, Howard Dickman, chairman of the Old Armory Restorers group, showed me around the building a couple of days ago. The … Continue reading A sneak peek of the Route 66 Interpretive Center
Story of the Blue Dome
Tulsa has an area in downtown called the Blue Dome District -- an area of up-and-coming restaurants, taverns, businesses and residential lofts. The district's namesake is a blue-domed Gulf Oil station, built in 1924 on what became an early alignment of Route 66 through Tulsa. According to this article in Urban Tulsa, it was the … Continue reading Story of the Blue Dome
Launching Pad has a new owner
In December, we were the first to report that the Launching Pad Drive-In on Route 66 in Wilmington, Ill., was for sale. This restaurant is a Mother Road icon because of a 28-foot-tall fiberglass statue Gemini Giant, the only one of its kind. Today, the Naperville Sun reports that Morey Szczecin of Channahon is the … Continue reading Launching Pad has a new owner
Mother Road notebook
A few brief news items from Route 66: Reviews of Grand Canyon Skywalk have become so bad, its operators have hired a lawyer to send letters that threaten legal action against critics, reports East Valley Living. A prominent First Amendment attorney has scoffed at Skywalk's alleged intimidation efforts. Money quote from a nearby landowner: "We … Continue reading Mother Road notebook
Miami’s historic Marathon station
Here's a photo of the 1929 Marathon service station in Miami, Okla., that I mentioned a couple days ago. The City of Miami wants to restore it. Amanda Davis at the Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau was kind enough to e-mail a photo of it. Apparently a Marathon station this old is very rare. It's … Continue reading Miami’s historic Marathon station
Dwight gas station becomes a welcome center
A few days ago, we noted a dedication ceremony for the completed restoration of the historic Ambler's Texaco Station on Route 66 in Dwight, Ill. Now, as the Bloomington Pantagraph reports, the Ambler's station no longer pumps gas, but has settled into a new role as a welcome center for Route 66 travelers and other … Continue reading Dwight gas station becomes a welcome center