I'm not going to say that the National Route 66 Festival in Clinton, Okla., was the best ever. I've been interested in the Mother Road only since about 2000, and a number of national Route 66 festivals were held before that. But I've attended each national roadie gathering since 2002, and I enjoyed this past … Continue reading Clinton, ya done good
Category: Businesses
Barstow may restore old Route 66 signs
The City of Barstow, Calif., may restore nine old neon signs along Route 66, reports the Desert Dispatch of nearby Victorville, in an effort to boost tourism. The total cost of the project will be an estimated $180,000, with half expected from a grant by the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. The article doesn't provide … Continue reading Barstow may restore old Route 66 signs
Scenes from the festival
On Saturday afternoon, I took a walk at downtown Clinton, Okla., to check on the activity during the National Route 66 Festival. Inside the Frisco Center, Delbert Trew, who won the Route 66 Lifetime Achievement Award with his wife Ruth on Friday, is displaying one of the letters salvaged from "Rattlesnakes -- Exit Now" sign … Continue reading Scenes from the festival
Oklahoma dominates Will Rogers Awards
Representatives from Oklahoma took home four of the top six honors during the Will Rogers Awards Evening in the Frisco Center on Friday night at the National Route 66 Festival in Clinton, Okla. Author and actor Michael Wallis of Tulsa was given the Will Rogers Award, the group that restored the Old Armory in Chandler, … Continue reading Oklahoma dominates Will Rogers Awards
National Route 66 organization proposed
The formation of a new, national Route 66 organization was proposed during the Route 66 Summit on Thursday at the National Route 66 Festival in Clinton, Okla. The organization would be similar to the old U.S. Highway 66 Association, which operated from 1927 to 1976, and the current-day Lincoln Highway Association, which has a paid … Continue reading National Route 66 organization proposed
Show some pride
Daily Oklahoman writer Steve Lackmeyer traveled Route 66 in Oklahoma, and he thinks, if anything, that the Mother Road isn't getting enough attention in the state. Go read it. Lackmeyer also has a blog about his Route 66 trip. Here also is a slide show of Route 66 in Miami, Okla., and Afton, Okla. The … Continue reading Show some pride
Wave ’em in
A few days ago, we reported about the Mule Trading Post near Rolla, Mo., restoring a an animated hillbilly sign that waves its arms. Ace Jackalope took a brief video of the sign to show you what it looks like in action: Also, Ace took a short video of the main animated neon sign at … Continue reading Wave ’em in
History to a T
This is an interesting idea: an apparel company in Portland, Ore., scours the country for cool graphics from now-defunct 1930s to '60s roadside businesses and puts them on T-shirts. Vintage Roadside not only helps preserves the memory of a long-gone motel or restaurant on a T-shirt, but its site also provides a brief history of … Continue reading History to a T
Aztec Hotel will undergo renovations
The historic Aztec Hotel in Monrovia, Calif., is set to have a bunch of renovations in the coming weeks, including the renaming of its Elephant Bar, reported the Pasadena Star-News. The building has an extensive Mayan theme, and the work done will better reflect that. The hotel is receiving a $50,000 grant from the California … Continue reading Aztec Hotel will undergo renovations
Miami, Okla., jumps on Route 66 bandwagon
The Daily Oklahoman has a good overview about big changes in the offing for Miami, Okla., which once was tepid to Route 66 but now seems to have jumped onto the Mother Road bandwagon. The city has applied for a bunch of grants for streetscape improvements, shoring up historic properties and better signs to direct … Continue reading Miami, Okla., jumps on Route 66 bandwagon