If you're a Route 66 fan and a musician, you could do worse than this functional cigar-box guitar made with a Route 66 license plate: It's made by Chickenbone John Guitars, a one-man shop based in England. The Route 66 guitar isn't on his online shop, but he says on the video notes that he … Continue reading A license to play
Category: Businesses
Senator to propose national monument along Route 66 in Mojave
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) will introduce legislation today that will establish a national monument along Route 66 from Needles to Ludlow, Calif., reported the Los Angeles Times. It would be called the Mojave Trails National Monument, instead of the Mother Road National Monument that was proposed earlier. It would prohibit development along 941,000 acres … Continue reading Senator to propose national monument along Route 66 in Mojave
Nominations sought for Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame
The Route 66 Association of Illinois will begin to accept nominations for its Hall of Fame from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28, according to a news release by the association. To qualify, nominees must have made significant contributions to the character or history of the Illinois Route 66 while it was an official U.S. highway … Continue reading Nominations sought for Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame
Recession hurts Indian jewelers
According to an Associated Press story out of Gallup, N.M., traders and makers of American Indian jewelry have seen sales drops of as much as 80 percent since the U.S. recession began in earnest last fall. One of those interviewed was the owner of Richardson's Trading Co., one of the oldest such businesses in Gallup: … Continue reading Recession hurts Indian jewelers
Chips on Route 66
I got this e-mail the other day. Excerpt is below: My name is Dave Harber. My wife, Debbie, and I are huge Route 66 aficionados having traveled the route at various stages over the past fifteen years or so. We also are web developers, own a custom poker chip business and thought it would be … Continue reading Chips on Route 66
Wagon Wheel Motel’s restaurant reopens as gift shop
That didn't take long. Just a few months after the Wagon Wheel Motel building in Cuba, Mo., changed owners, the motel's long-closed restaurant building has been renovated and converted into a gift shop. According to the Viva Cuba blog: The opening followed months of restoration, where windows and doors were put back to their original … Continue reading Wagon Wheel Motel’s restaurant reopens as gift shop
Webb City seeks to play of Route 66 heritage
The Route 66 town of Webb City, Mo., has some ideas on how to revitalize its downtown, and Chuck Surface, economic development director, says playing up its Route 66 roots is one of them, reports the Joplin Globe. One vision, Surface said, is to turn the city’s east entrance at Broadway and Daugherty streets into … Continue reading Webb City seeks to play of Route 66 heritage
Notes from the road
The Tulsa World reported that longtime Route 66 business McElroy Tire, at 1545 E. 11th St., will close at year's end. It had been there since the early 1930s, but company President Kent McElroy said the firm had been squeezed financially by national tire chains and discount stores. McElroy Tire is notable for its big … Continue reading Notes from the road
Holbrook to mull opposition to bypass
I suspected that a proposed highway bypass in the Route 66 town of Holbrook, Ariz., would eventually encounter some opposition. It looks like the opposition is happening. According to the Tribune-News, the Holbrook City Council is considering a resolution to oppose a plan to route traffic from Highways 77 and 377 away from Holbrook and … Continue reading Holbrook to mull opposition to bypass
A dream in the desert
The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, Calif., posted quite an article about Gus Lizalde, who purchased the Route 66 hamlet of Chambless, Calif., years ago and hopes to eventually businesses in that spot. He described his vision for a multimillion-dollar makeover. "It's going to be a full-blown restoration to the way it was built," Lizalde said. "I … Continue reading A dream in the desert