Springfield festival will honor Bob Waldmire

The International Route 66 Mother Road Festival and Car Show in Springfield, Ill., on Sept. 24-26 will pay tribute to deceased Route 66 artist and area native Bob Waldmire, according to a preview story in the Springfield State Journal-Register. Organizers announced Wednesday that proceeds from the event will go toward the Illinois Route 66 Hall … Continue reading Springfield festival will honor Bob Waldmire

Caravan of motorcycles older than the Mother Road

Dozens of long-distance motorcycle cruises are organized on the Mother Road each year. But this one is too unusual to ignore. In a few days, the Pre-1916 Motorcycle Cannonball endurance run begins in Kitty Hawk, N.C., and ends 17 days later at the shores of Santa Monica, Calif. The caravan will drive on a large … Continue reading Caravan of motorcycles older than the Mother Road

And they call the thing rodeo

Though I've lived in Oklahoma more than six years, for the first time I attended the annual Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo in Vinita. Will Rogers, who grew up near Vinita and attended college there, promised townsfolk in 1934 he would return to Vinita if they put together a rodeo. Just weeks before the rodeo would … Continue reading And they call the thing rodeo

San Bernardino soon will open a Route 66 museum

A Route 66 museum soon will open in San Bernardino, Calif., with a sneak preview during the Route 66 Rendezvous classic-car festival next month, according to the San Bernardino County Sun. The museum, at Fifth Street near Mount Vernon Avenue (map here), will open at 10 a.m. Sept. 17 during the Rendezvous. The museum will … Continue reading San Bernardino soon will open a Route 66 museum

New “Route 66: Ten Years Later” trailer

A new trailer has just been posted for the "Route 66: Ten Years Later" documentary by Tim Steil and Jim Luning. The big premiere will be at the Portage Theater in Chicago at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9.

Bushyhead rodeo event moving away from Route 66

The Bushyhead Pasture Roping and Barrel Race, long presided over by rodeo legend Clem McSpadden, is moving away from the Route 66 hamlet of Bushyhead, Okla., to Bristow, Okla., and away from the Mother Road, reported the Pryor (Okla.) Daily Times. The longtime event on Route 66 between Chelsea and Claremore, Okla., went on a … Continue reading Bushyhead rodeo event moving away from Route 66

Route 66 photo exhibit on display near Detroit

If you live or pass through the Detroit area in the next week, you ought to go see Michael Campanelli's Rotue 66 photography exhibit in Royal Oak, Mich. According to the Detroit News, Campanelli's photos will be on display at the Shrine of the Little Flower Conference Center in Royal Oak (map here) through Aug. … Continue reading Route 66 photo exhibit on display near Detroit

Notes from the road

The documentary "Route 66: Ten Years Later" will have its debut at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Portage Theater in Chicago. Writer Tim Steil and photographer Jim Luning collaborated on their "Route 66" book during a Mother Road trip in 1999. A decade later, they decided to revisit the places they saw and see … Continue reading Notes from the road

Scenes from the Okie Twist-Off

We decided to go to Oklahoma City on Saturday to see the fourth annual Okie Twist-Off car and music festival. The event, which brings in rat-rod and rockabilly fans, also served as a fond farewell to its host, 66 Bowl, which has been sold and soon will be converted into an India grocery store. Organizers … Continue reading Scenes from the Okie Twist-Off

The neon road

Well, this is a neat project. The city of West Hollywood, Calif., and the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles have installed a new art installation of four neon signs along Route 66, according to The LAist. The display began Thursday. "We were looking at projects that would sort of help our history, even … Continue reading The neon road