As predicted here a few weeks ago,the Rose Bowl in Tulsa has been repainted back to some semblance of its original pink color, eschewing the red, white, blue and purple colors that it sported briefly before it closed, reports KOTV. Chris Whinery of Whinery Mortgage is the owner of the Rose Bowl, which was built … Continue reading Rose Bowl back in the pink
Category: Businesses
Hesperia’s Old Town Shops being renovated
Hesperia, Calif., is growing quickly, but a developer is seeking to preserve at least part of the town's roots by renovating the dilapidated Old Town Shops that were built in the 1950s, according to the Victorville Daily Press. (Hesperia is just south of Victorville.) Roofing work on the buildings began earlier this spring, and plans … Continue reading Hesperia’s Old Town Shops being renovated
Same as it ever was
One time, while dining at a dairy bar on Route 66 in Commerce, Okla., I chatted with this older gentleman who was traveling through the region. We started talking about vintage businesses along the Mother Road. "Just down the street, there's a place that when I walked in, it was like being in my hometown's … Continue reading Same as it ever was
Story of the Blue Dome
Tulsa has an area in downtown called the Blue Dome District -- an area of up-and-coming restaurants, taverns, businesses and residential lofts. The district's namesake is a blue-domed Gulf Oil station, built in 1924 on what became an early alignment of Route 66 through Tulsa. According to this article in Urban Tulsa, it was the … Continue reading Story of the Blue Dome
Mower Man near the end of his ride
Matt Land, who was driving on much of Route 66 with a propane-powered lawn mower built by his employer, Dixie Chopper, is supposed to finish his 2,000-mile trek from Indiana to California this morning, reports the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal. He was hoping to meet with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, but the guv has already made it know … Continue reading Mower Man near the end of his ride
Historic gas station will reopen as a B&B
Terri Ryburn's parents drove Route 66 from Bloomington, Ill., to California when she was 5 years old. She never forgot that exciting experience. She since has driven the length of the road several times. Her history doctorate focused on Route 66 tourism efforts. She's written several books about the Mother Road. Now she's the owner … Continue reading Historic gas station will reopen as a B&B
Grant preserves forest near Funks Grove
The forest that lies near the Route 66 settlement of Funks Grove, Ill., is mostly unchanged since the Funk family settled there in 1824. Thanks to a $2.5 million grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, that forest grove will remain pristine. The Sugar Grove Foundation in Funks Grove was able to buy 476 … Continue reading Grant preserves forest near Funks Grove
Old gas station to become visitors center
Rod Harsh of Route66TVOnline.com has acquired a vintage Sinclair service station on Route 66 in Carterville, Mo., and is converting it into a Route 66 Visitors Welcome Center and an office for his video production and Visit66.com Web site businesses. A current-day photo of the gas station is above. A photo of the station and … Continue reading Old gas station to become visitors center
Palms Grill sign relighted
The old neon sign of the Palms Grill in downtown Atlanta, Ill., was relighted in a ceremony this week, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph. The sign was restored in part with a grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. The newspaper didn't have any photos of the new sign, but here's an artist's rendering. The … Continue reading Palms Grill sign relighted
Mower Man makes it to Rolla
Matt Land, sales manager for Dixie Choppers lawn mowers in Indiana, stopped for a bite to eat during his quest to drive a propane-powered lawn mower across the country. Money quote from the Rolla Daily News: “I’ve been eating a lot of bugs and raindrops, and I know what it’s like to be a hood … Continue reading Mower Man makes it to Rolla