Lenore Weiss, a co-winner of the prestigious Steinbeck Award and other preservation honors for work that she and her husband John Weiss did for Route 66 in Illinois, died today after a battle with cancer. She was 63. Lenore had told me some months ago that she had been diagnosed with a serious form of … Continue reading Illinois Route 66 advocate Lenore Weiss dies
Category: Books
An interview with Joe Sonderman
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
Director’s cuts
Jim Luning, an accomplished photographer, has delved into filmmaking as well in the past few years. This clip below contains samples of his recent film work, including clips from "Route 66: Ten Years Later" with cohort Tim Steil. The two decided to revisit the Mother Road 10 years after they first began research for their … Continue reading Director’s cuts
Book about U.S. 89 published
We at Route 66 News concentrate on news concerning the Mother Road, but occasionally pay attention to developments about other historic two-lane highways. So it is with interest that we take note of a new photo-and-essay book by Ann Torrence titled "U.S. Highway 89: The Scenic Route to Seven Western National Parks" (Sagebrush Press, 160 … Continue reading Book about U.S. 89 published
Notes from the road
If you're traveling the Mother Road this week, you may have to make other plans for the midsection. As this map from the National Weather Service shows, the Route 66 corridor is under a winter storm warning all the way from about Springfield, Mo., to Gallup, N.M. -- much of it freezing rain. Authorities closed … Continue reading Notes from the road
Rock Cafe owner will be on “Today” show
Dawn Welch, owner of the Rock Cafe on Route 66 in Stroud, Okla., will make an appearance on NBC-TV's "Today" show at 8:49 a.m. Central on Thursday. According to her "Dollars to Donuts" blog, Welch will be making her three-cheese white lasagna on the show. Welch is there to plug her new book, "Dollars to … Continue reading Rock Cafe owner will be on “Today” show
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
New novel takes place on Route 66
Michael S. Anderson has published a novel that is partially based on his reminiscences of traveling the Mother Road five decades ago, according to the Quincy (Ill.) Herald-Whig. Driving cross country in a red convertible on Route 66 was an adventure for a young man in the late 1950s. Add a pretty girl, and themes … Continue reading New novel takes place on Route 66
A chat with Quinta Scott
A little over three decades years ago, photographer Quinta Scott was learning how to use a recently purchased but unwieldy Speed Graphic camera. After shooting a photo at the historic Eads Bridge in St. Louis for a book, she made the fateful decision to also shoot photographs along the city's Route 66 alignment of Watson … Continue reading A chat with Quinta Scott
A chat with Michael Wallis
I talked with Michael Wallis, author of the best-selling "Route 66: The Mother Road" and more than a dozen other books, by phone Friday night from his home in Tulsa. Wallis was in an expansive mood, and talked about a few things that probably will be of interest to roadies: --- Wallis and Jim Conkle, … Continue reading A chat with Michael Wallis