The Meramec Lanes bowling alley in St. Clair, Mo., which closed for a year, has just reopened as Route 66 Lanes & Lounge, reports the St. Clair Missourian. The new owners reconditioned the lanes so that leagues would resume. The snack bar was refurbished, a grill was added, and the building's heating and air-conditioning units … Continue reading Bowling alley reopens in St. Clair
Category: Businesses
Tucumcari loses bid for ‘racino’
Word came down Monday afternoon that the New Mexico Racing Commission approved a horse-racing and casino license application to Raton, and not the Route 66 town of Tucumcari, reports the Quay County Sun. It was a unanimous decision. Santa Fe also lost out on its bid to get a "racino" license. The Sun reported: In … Continue reading Tucumcari loses bid for ‘racino’
Historic store in Victorville closes
Western Outdoor Equipment Co. in the Old Town section of Victorville, Calif., has closed after 85 years in business, reports the Daily Press. It was founded as Victorville Hardware in 1923 and moved to its current location on Seventh Street, aka Route 66, in 1938. It became a Western Outdoor store in 1950. This is … Continue reading Historic store in Victorville closes
Yes, the Big Rocker actually rocks
On Monday, the owner of the World's Largest Rocker decided to show the world -- and the Guinness Book of World Records -- that his big rocking chair really does rock. Dan Sanazaro, owner of the Fanning U.S. 66 Outpost & General Store in the Route 66 hamlet of Fanning, Mo., installed the 42-foot-tall rocking … Continue reading Yes, the Big Rocker actually rocks
Historic Commerce filling station opens
Allen's Fillin' Station, in an cottage-style gas station located on old Route 66 near downtown Commerce, Okla., opened a few weeks ago, reports the Joplin (Mo.) Globe. An old adding machine sits on the glass-cased counter, and a shelf holds a 1950 edition of Chilton’s Flat Rate manual. A 1940s-era soda-pop box sits in one … Continue reading Historic Commerce filling station opens
Notes from the road
The Motel Safari in Tucumcari, N.M., has added another mural image, courtesy of local artist Doug Quarles. It's a 1953 Flxible Clipper bus. Motel owner Richard Talley also passed along this news: On another note, we just had our first celebrity guest check-in! No, it wasn't Sir Paul!!! During the annual Rattler Reunion weekend, a … Continue reading Notes from the road
“The Business of Poverty”
This episode of the PBS-TV's "Bill Moyers Journal" begins on Albuquerque's Central Avenue, aka Route 66. In fact, the Route 66 shield can be seen in a couple of shots (one in the screen shot above). The program can be viewed online here. A podcast of "The Business of Poverty" also can be heard here: … Continue reading “The Business of Poverty”
Panel to review Tucumcari racetrack petition Wednesday
Soon, we will know the date of whether Tucumcari, N.M., will receive a state license for a horse-racing track and casino, which would be on Route 66. According to the Quay County Sun, the New Mexico Racing Commission will announce Wednesday the date in which it will select the winner of the "racino" license. When … Continue reading Panel to review Tucumcari racetrack petition Wednesday
Feat of clay
Here's a video about Bradley's Pottery on old Route 66 in Chandler, Okla. The clip was produced by the state's tourism department.
POPS — one year later
One year ago today, POPS on Route 66 in Arcadia, Okla., opened its doors for the first time. The convenience store/restaurant was the brainchild of Cheseapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon and architect Rand Elliott, complete with a 66-foot-tall soda bottle festooned with multicolored LED lights and hundreds of brands of cold soda on sale. POPS … Continue reading POPS — one year later