According to a Marshfield (Mo.) Mail story posted today, the new owner of the land where the Exotic Animal Paradise once sat off Route 66 in Strafford is going to reopen the attraction as Animal Paradise Family Fun Park. The planned reopening is April 1, despite a recent ice storm that damaged many of the … Continue reading Exotic Animal Paradise will open under new name
Category: Attractions
A tourism train in the Mojave?
It certainly looks like a bunch of folks are considering it, according to the San Bernardino County Sun. And one of the stops would be historic Harvey House in Barstow, Calif., which now houses the Route 66 Mother Road Museum. Taking a page from the Grand Canyon Railway in Arizona, the tourism train would run … Continue reading A tourism train in the Mojave?
A visit to Nob Hill in Albuquerque
The folks at TurnHere.com, a travel site about "cool places," have produced a three-minute video about the Nob Hill district along Route 66 in Albuquerque that captures the neighborhood's funkiness, eclecticism and home-grown vibe as well as anything I can think of. Check it out:
Grand Canyon Railway buyout is accepted
It took longer than expected, but a buyout offer by Xanterra Parks and Resorts for the Grand Canyon Railway based in the Route 66 town of Williams, Ariz., was accepted in late January, according to a news item in Arizona Republic. The sale of the railway from longtime owners Max and Thelma Biegert had been … Continue reading Grand Canyon Railway buyout is accepted
Kicks in Amarillo
This recent story in the entertainment section of the Amarillo Globe-News does a decent job of summing up the Route 66 attractions in the Texas Panhandle's largest city.
Gardner jail sign stolen
There is a historic, two-jail in the small Route 66 town of Gardner, Ill. The stone jail was built in 1906. It never was much of a lockup; it was more of a drunk tank and cool-your-heels joint. It's similar to the equally Spartan old jail in Texola, Okla. Naturally, anything that small had better … Continue reading Gardner jail sign stolen
Old Chain of Rocks Bridge closes parking lot
In a column by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Matthew Hathaway, we learn that Trailnet, which runs the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge that connects a pedestrian/biking trail from north St. Louis to Madison, Ill., is closing a parking lot on the Missouri side of the river indefinitely because of vandalism to vehicles there. In an … Continue reading Old Chain of Rocks Bridge closes parking lot
Another class ring found at Blue Whale is returned
For the second time in a month, a class ring that was found years ago at the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Okla., was returned to its rightful owner, according to the Tulsa World. The ring was was stolen from the owner's house in the burglary in the 1980s. It either was pawned to someone else … Continue reading Another class ring found at Blue Whale is returned
A Riverwalk — in Grants
The Gallup (N.M.) Independent has an interesting story about Riverwalk in the nearby Route 66 town of Grants, N.M. San Antonio has the best-known Riverwalk; it appears Grants decided to have one of its own. The Riverwalk in Grants is a greenbelt along the Rio San Jose that in the midst of a three-stage development. … Continue reading A Riverwalk — in Grants
Glenrio, Odeon added to National Register
According to an e-mail from the director of the National Park Service, Glenrio's historic district -- which comprises most of the Route 66 community straddling the border between Texas and New Mexico -- was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Jan. 17. Glenrio's location in two states (and two counties) at … Continue reading Glenrio, Odeon added to National Register