4 Women on the Route gets a surprise

It was quite a weekend for the 4 Women on the Route of Galena, Kan. First, their restaurant and gift shop, in renovated gas station, was named New Business of the Year during the Will Rogers Awards Event on Saturday in Litchfield, Ill., at the Route 66 Festival. Next, during the annual Route 66 yahoogroup … Continue reading 4 Women on the Route gets a surprise

Swa Frantzen wins top Route 66 award

Swa Frantzen (shown above), an Internet pioneer in publicizing Route 66 with his Historic66.com site, won the top honor during the Will Rogers Awards Event on Saturday night during the Route 66 Festival in Litchfield, Ill. The New Business of the Year was 4 Women on the Route in Galena, Kan. Chicago Route 66 researcher … Continue reading Swa Frantzen wins top Route 66 award

Checking in

This post comes from a clean, comfortable and inexpensive room at the Gardens Motel in Litchfield, Ill. We got into Litchfield not long after the sun began to dip low on the ripened wheat and sprouting horseradish fields. On the way, we found the concretes at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis are as … Continue reading Checking in

News nuggets from the Route 66 Summit

I was unable to attend the Route 66 Summit before the Route 66 Festival set for this weekend in Litchfield, Ill. However, Peter Stork, an Illinois Route 66er was there and filed a detailed report for the Route 66 yahoogroup. Go there if you want to see the report in full. However, I gleaned a … Continue reading News nuggets from the Route 66 Summit

Treasure unearthed at the Rock Cafe

Dawn Welch, owner of the historic Rock Cafe on Route 66 in Stroud, gives a little TLC to a treasure she found buried under the rubble at the restaurant, which burned May 20. Sound quality on the video isn't great, but Cars fans will be excited to see what survived the fire: Friends of the … Continue reading Treasure unearthed at the Rock Cafe

Pottery exhibit has a Mother Road link

The American Museum of Ceramic Art of Pomona, Calif., is presenting its latest exhibit, "Pueblo Clay," through July 12, according to ArtDaily.org. It's a showcase of Native American pottery, especially from the Southwest. What does this event have to do with Route 66? Plenty. The construction of a Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway, officially designated Route 66 … Continue reading Pottery exhibit has a Mother Road link

Busy weekend

A number of things are coming up for Route 66 enthusiasts this coming weekend: It's the second annual Route 66 Garage Sale in Logan County, Ill., on Saturday and Sunday. The sale will stretch through 37 miles of Route 66 in the county, with sanctioned locations in Atlanta, Lincoln, Broadwell, Lawndale and Elkhart. Brochures with … Continue reading Busy weekend

Hitched on 66

The Morris (Ill.) Daily Herald has the story about Thomas Kowaczek and Jennifer O'Dowd, who got married Sunday on Route 66 at the old Odell Station in Odell, Ill. “He said he wanted to get married in Odell, at the Route 66 gas station,” O'Dowd said. “I just looked at him and said, ‘No, really, … Continue reading Hitched on 66

Ghost tours in Bloomington

The folks who run the Abe on 66 gift shop at 402 1/2 N. Main St. in Bloomington, Ill., tried a Spirits of Bloomington haunted historical ghost tour on Memorial Day weekend. It was such a hit, according to the press release, that they're scheduling others. The tour is hosted by Abraham Lincoln and Mary … Continue reading Ghost tours in Bloomington

Scenes from the Route 66 Blowout

On Saturday, we spent an hour or two at the Route 66 Blowout in Sapulpa, Okla. The town closes off Route 66 through downtown and turns it into a pretty good car show. This looks like a refugee from the Dust Bowl: Here's a "rat rod" pickup truck. Yes, that's airplane equipment on the dashboard. … Continue reading Scenes from the Route 66 Blowout