Route 66 State Park to host open house

The Route 66 State Park near Eureka, Mo., is holding an open house from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at the visitors' center. The park wants public comments and suggestions on how the grounds are run. Route 66 author Shellee Graham will make a presentation about the defunct Coral Court Motel at 1 p.m. and … Continue reading Route 66 State Park to host open house

Preservation group gets The Mill

Score one for the preservationists. The Lincoln Courier reports this afternoon that ownership of the dilapidated, long-closed The Mill restaurant on Route 66 in Lincoln, Ill., will be transferred to the fledgling Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County so it can be eventually restored. The current owner of The Mill is Dennis Koehler, who … Continue reading Preservation group gets The Mill

Carthage wants to keep ‘Tickle Tummy Hill’ around

Generally, drivers don't like bridges to be so steeply pitched that it feels like a roller coaster while driving over it. That's not the case with the Oak Street Bridge in Carthage, Mo. The bridge, built in 1920 and later becoming a part of Route 66, also is affectionately known by locals as Tickle Tummy … Continue reading Carthage wants to keep ‘Tickle Tummy Hill’ around

4M Farms is burglarized again

The Rolla (Mo.) Daily News reports that the 4M Farms and Vineyards, owned by Marvin and Donna Rippelmeyer along old Route 66 near St. James, was burglarized Friday. Unfortunately, it's not the first time: “We’ve been robbed four or five times at the Rosati Winery, we’ve been robbed three times here, three times at our … Continue reading 4M Farms is burglarized again

Meadow Gold sign is on appeals board agenda

The mothballed Meadow Gold sign in Tulsa is on the agenda the 1 p.m. Oct. 24 meeting of the Board of Adjustment at City Hall to determine its classification when it is eventually re-erected at Quaker Avenue and 11th Street (aka Route 66), reports the Batesline blog. Michael Bates, proprietor of Batesline, does a good … Continue reading Meadow Gold sign is on appeals board agenda

Paradise lost

Exotic Animal Paradise, located on Route 66 near Strafford, Mo., began auctioning its animals this weekend so the park can eventually make way for a housing development. The Associated Press has a story about the auction, as does the Kansas City Star. The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader has this video of the owner vowing to screen … Continue reading Paradise lost

Pontiac finds a tourism niche

Deep in this story by the Pontiac Daily Leader is this somewhat startling factoid that ties in to the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum: Karls said that Pontiac has found a tourism niche: coach tours to the Route 66 and Livingston County War museums. In 2005, there were 15 tours; this year … Continue reading Pontiac finds a tourism niche

More about Budville

You first read here about the impending reopening of Budville near Cubero, N.M. The Cibola County Beacon has more details about the historic store's refurbishment, including that it's going to be fully open in late November -- just in time for Christmas shopping. And a bare-bones version of the store's Web site is up. Based … Continue reading More about Budville

Preservation group tries to save The Mill

The Mill, a once-popular restaurant and lounge on Route 66 in Lincoln, Ill., has been closed for years and is a whisker away from being condemned. However, the Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County has stepped up to the plate in an effort to at least partially preserve it, reports the Lincoln Courier. A … Continue reading Preservation group tries to save The Mill

Carthage mural will mark 30th anniversary

Travelers who drive into Carthage, Mo., on Route 66 will quickly note the striking architecture of the Jasper County Courthouse, which was built in the 1890s. But behind those courthouse walls is a mural that's every bit as striking. In 1976, local artist Lowell Davis painted the 26-foot-long mural that depicts the history of Jasper … Continue reading Carthage mural will mark 30th anniversary