Tri-County Truck Stop soon will reopen as an auction house

The long-closed Tri-County Truck Stop, aka The Diamonds, along Route 66 in Villa Ridge, Missouri, soon will reopen as The Diamond's Trading Post that will host auctions twice a month. The truck stop, which closed in 2006, is slated to reopen Oct. 2. Naturally, the auction house will have a Route 66 theme. A recent … Continue reading Tri-County Truck Stop soon will reopen as an auction house

Albuquerque mayor wants rapid-transit buses on Central

Albuquerque Mayor Richard Perry this week pitched a $100 million plan to spur economic development along the city's Route 66 corridor -- two lanes of dedicated bus lines to mimic a light-rail system. The bus system would cover a 10-mile stretch of Central Avenue between Louisiana and Coors streets, according to the Albuquerque Journal. City … Continue reading Albuquerque mayor wants rapid-transit buses on Central

More 1993 videos of a Route 66 trip

Anthony Reichardt of Santa Ana, California, has uploaded four more videos from 1993, when he and a friend drove a 1959 Cadillac down old Route 66. The first is Thelma White, longtime proprietor of Whitehall Mercantile in Halltown, Missouri. She also was a co-founder of the Route 66 Association of Missouri. She died in 2010, but … Continue reading More 1993 videos of a Route 66 trip

Brooks Building in Arcadia soon will have a Route 66-friendly tenant

Joel Rayburn, owner of the Route 66-related GlassBoy Studios and Tourist Trap Tees, soon will move into the historic Brooks Building just a stone's throw from the Round Barn in Arcadia, Oklahoma. Rayburn told me in a text he should be ready to open the doors to those businesses there by early October. According to … Continue reading Brooks Building in Arcadia soon will have a Route 66-friendly tenant

Joplin approves rezoning of Dale’s Ole 66 Barber Shop

The city council of Joplin, Missouri, on Monday night unanimously voted to approve a special-use permit for Dale's Ole 66 Barber Shop that would allow an artist to set up a gallery and visitors center there, according to the Joplin Globe. The barber shop, owned by Dale Holly's widow, is in a former Phillips 66 cottage-style … Continue reading Joplin approves rezoning of Dale’s Ole 66 Barber Shop

Milk Bottle Building reopens with new tenant

Prairie Gothic, a boutique based in nearby Guthrie, Oklahoma, opened a second store in the historic Milk Bottle Building along Route 66 in Oklahoma City last week after months of renovations, according to an article in The Oklahoman newspaper. It's not a carbon copy of the other Prairie Gothic store, either. The Milk Bottle Building … Continue reading Milk Bottle Building reopens with new tenant

The Nat may have a new owner soon

Tucked deep into a KFDA-TV story about The Nat in Amarillo, Texas, is the news the historic venue's current tenant intends to buy it as soon as her lease expires. Here's the relevant excerpt about Kasey Tam, who runs The Nat as an antique store: Tam is leasing the building currently. Her lease agreement expires … Continue reading The Nat may have a new owner soon

Bowling alley in Bloomington closes after 55 years

The AMF Circle Lanes bowling center near Route 66 in Bloomington, Illinois, closed Sunday after more than 55 years in business, according the Bloomington Pantagraph. Management didn't explain the closure, but told the newspaper a decision was made to shutter it after "a comprehensive analysis." Translation: The AMF Circle Lanes was another in a long line of … Continue reading Bowling alley in Bloomington closes after 55 years

One way to repurpose an old sign

Steve Paulken, city manager for Winslow, Arizona, sent these photos of the old Moore's Pawn & Trading sign along Route 66 in town being refurbished, thanks in part to a city program. Paulken wrote in an email: This sign has been here for over 30 years, but in recent years has been unused and totally faded out. … Continue reading One way to repurpose an old sign

Gasconade River Bridge makes Missouri’s Most Endangered list

Route 66's closed Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen, Missouri, made Missouri Preservation's Most Endangered Historic Places list for 2015. The Old Phillipsburg General Store in the Route 66 town of Phillipsburg, Missouri, also made the list. The annual list, announced Friday, is designed to call attention to properties endangered because of deterioration, neglect, encroachment, potential demoltion … Continue reading Gasconade River Bridge makes Missouri’s Most Endangered list