This article by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the first I've seen since the Route 66 Bike Trail-Breaking event in Illinois on Saturday. The article also provides hints on the trail's potential popularity and its possible future: Marla Gursh, a trails planner for the department, said at the event in Edwardsville that the bike trails … Continue reading Route 66 Bike Trail kickoff
Category: Events
Joliet to celebrate Route 66 heritage
The city of Joliet, Ill., is holding a big bash downtown Saturday to celebrate its connection to the Mother Road, according to the Joliet Herald-News. It's an all-day block party with a classic car show, a sock hop, an ice cream parlor and outdoor showings of "Cars," a movie based on people and places along … Continue reading Joliet to celebrate Route 66 heritage
Route 66 Blowout preview
The Sapulpa (Okla.) Daily Herald has a preview of this coming weekend's Route 66 Blowout. Among the new events with the myriad activities is a salsa-tasting contest and a sock hop dance.
Memories of 66 — past and present
Max Nichols, a history columnist for the Daily Oklahoman, tells about the past and present attractions of Route 66 in Oklahoma before the National Route 66 Festival in Clinton in June.
Catsup Bottle Summerfest canceled
A couple days ago, I received an e-mail from Mike Gassman, reporting that the annual World's Largest Catsup Bottle Summerfest in Collinsville, Ill., was abruptly canceled less than two months before its July 8 date. Gassman promises more "gory details" over the weekend, but this story from the Belleville News-Democrat clearly shows that bickering, power … Continue reading Catsup Bottle Summerfest canceled
Route 66 Festival notes
The National Route 66 Festival is coming up in a few weeks in Clinton, Okla., on June 21-24, and here are a few items related to that event: -- The Oklahoma Route 66 Association is sponsoring a hands-on historic preservation project at the former Ray's Motel at 720 S. Eighth St. in Clinton from 11 … Continue reading Route 66 Festival notes
Not just a “morgue”
Here's a story from The Oklahoman about the Saturday opening of the Route 66 Interpretive Center in Chandler, Okla. Choice excerpt: Anthony McDermid, principal designer at Tap Architecture of Oklahoma City, said they didn't want the center to be a morgue for old memorabilia. It was designed to complement other Route 66 stops, but be … Continue reading Not just a “morgue”
Riding for charity
Mark Schultz is a platinum-selling and Dove Award-winning Christian musician. Right now, he is undertaking a bicycle tour across America -- part of it on Route 66 -- to raise money for the James Fund to help orphans and widows. The Gallup (N.M.) Independent caught up with him over the weekend. Apparently the bicycle trip … Continue reading Riding for charity
Pedal power
The publicity machine is gearing up for the Route 66 Trail-Breaking along the Route 66 bicycle trail in Illinois on June 2. Here's a story from the Edwardsville Intelligencer about the event. Edwardsville is one of the six gathering points along the route. Here's another one from the Pontiac Daily Leader. Pontiac also is a … Continue reading Pedal power
37 Miles of Smiles
That's that the organizer is calling the garage sale along Route 66 in Logan County, Ill., reports the Lincoln Courier. The event will be on June 9-10. Just look for the "Route 66 Garage Sale" signs along various alignments of the route. The towns participating are Atlanta, Lawndale, Lincoln, Broadwell and Elkhart. Vendors spaces are … Continue reading 37 Miles of Smiles