Route 66 winery wins top award

Summerside Vineyards and Winery, right on Route 66 in Vinita, Okla., won the coveted Double Gold award at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition in New York earlier this month, reports the High Plains Journal. Summerside's big winner was its cream sherry. "We've always known this was a special wine," said Marsha Butler, Summerside Vineyards … Continue reading Route 66 winery wins top award

POPS will launch soda-buying kiosk on Tuesday

In case the 500 or so brands of soft drinks in the coolers at POPS in Arcadia, Oka., aren't enough, the Route 66 business is set to launch a kiosk that will allow customers to ship 700 brands of soda anywhere nationwide. The ceremonial first order will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday by Oklahoma first … Continue reading POPS will launch soda-buying kiosk on Tuesday

Work day scheduled at Henry’s Rabbit Ranch

Friends of the Mother Road have scheduled a work day starting at 9 a.m. Saturday to do some landscaping around the Stanley Cour-Tel neon signs and other Route 66 artifacts at Henry's Rabbit Ranch in Staunton, Ill. It's advised to bring shovels, iron rakes and weed trimmers. Also, the group is also going to box … Continue reading Work day scheduled at Henry’s Rabbit Ranch

Leave the driving to them

Here's a good idea: Esotouric, a husband-and-wife team that specializes in offbeat bus tours of the Los Angeles region, led one down Route 66 on Saturday, reported the Pasadena Star-News. Sights included the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia, the last commercial citrus orchard in Sierra Madre and the Golden Spur restaurant in Glendora. One particularly intriguing … Continue reading Leave the driving to them

Enough of this

Stop harassing tourists who are visiting our country: But on April 29, when Mr. Salerno, 35, presented his passport at Washington Dulles International Airport, a Customs and Border Protection agent refused to let him into the United States. And after hours of questioning, agents would not let him travel back to Rome, either; over his … Continue reading Enough of this

Route 66 may cause problem for casino project

The Navajo Nation is wanting to build its first casino near Gallup, N.M. But it has run into a snag that may mean construction delays and defaulting on its loan agreement, reports the Gallup Independent. There are two issues that could cause the Enterprise to miss the proposed opening date. “One is the easement. The … Continue reading Route 66 may cause problem for casino project

Century-old Grand Canyon business will close

Verkamp's Curios has operated on the edge of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for 102 years -- even before Arizona became a state. However, Verkamp's will close in September, and you can blame a good chunk of that on the federal government, reports the Canadian Press: The family's final chapter at the canyon … Continue reading Century-old Grand Canyon business will close

Wine country

No, I'm not talking about California. I'm talking about the Missouri Ozarks. And Appellation America has a nice rundown about its wineries, including those along the Mother Road: Historic Route 66 runs through the area, and much of the appellation seems unchanged from the highway’s heyday. The famous Wagon Wheel Motel and Finn’s Motel (“Vacancy!” … Continue reading Wine country

A Vespa on 66 … and other notebook items

Eric Swanger is planning on driving the length of Route 66 in a few days. What makes his trip special is he's doing it entirely on a Vespa scooter. He starts from Chicago on May 6. He e-mailed: I am keeping a blog and posting a ton of pics. For the Route 66 segment, I'm … Continue reading A Vespa on 66 … and other notebook items