They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that's the case, Route 66 should be very flattered indeed by what certain highway boosters are wanting to do in Australia. We'll let The Australian newspaper explain: Grain silos rising from flat terrain vie with open-cut mines for the attention of truckers who use the … Continue reading Australia highway wants to use Route 66 to rebrand itself
Category: Highways
A trip down Memory Lane in a 1950 Hudson
Here's a nearly quarter-century-old video from Dan Uscian cruising Route 66 near Lexington, Ill., in his 1950 Hudson, including a 1926 alignment now called Memory Lane that includes re-creations of vintage billboards. The original stretch of Route 66 in Lexington is open for pedestrians or cycling, but townsfolk reopen it for vehicular traffic on special … Continue reading A trip down Memory Lane in a 1950 Hudson
Public meetings set for California Route 66 management plan
The Bureau of Land Management and the California Historic Route 66 Association are scheduling two public hearings later this month about a proposed Route 66 Corridor Management Plan from the western edge of Barstow, Calif., to the Colorado River in Needles, Calif. All members of the public are invited to these meetings: Tuesday, Feb. 25, … Continue reading Public meetings set for California Route 66 management plan
Pasadena may narrow Colorado Boulevard
The city of Pasadena, Calif., may narrow Colorado Boulevard (aka Route 66) to make it more friendly for pedestrians and cyclists, reported the Los Angeles Times. Pasadena is considering plans to narrow portions of Colorado by as much as two lanes and use that space to widen sidewalks and create tiny parks with seating and … Continue reading Pasadena may narrow Colorado Boulevard
Old road west of Glenrio
Rich Dinkela posted this video of an old and hard-to-access piece of Route 66 west of the ghost town of Glenrio in New Mexico. This old road carried Route 66 from the 1950s to the early 1970s and runs up to the current Russell's Travel Center. https://youtu.be/NqDqFSBwSN4 You can see the old road on satellite … Continue reading Old road west of Glenrio
Biography about Cyrus Avery coming next year
Susan Croce Kelly, well-known among Route 66 fans for co-writing "Route 66: The Highway and Its People" with photographer Quinta Scott in 1988, will publish a biography about Cyrus Avery, the so-called Father of Route 66, in 2014. The Avery book will be published by University of Oklahoma Press. Asked to describe her forthcoming volume, Kelly wrote … Continue reading Biography about Cyrus Avery coming next year
Repairs being made on historic Route 66 near Springfield
A 1.3-mile stretch of old Route 66 near Springfield, Ill., that is on the National Register of Historic Places is being carefully repaired this week by county road crews, according to the Springfield State Journal-Register. The 1920s section, called Olde Carriage Way, is south of East Lake Shore Drive south of Lake Springfield. Much of … Continue reading Repairs being made on historic Route 66 near Springfield
“Blacktop”
This song by Alan Jackson comes from his new bluegrass album, which is drawing praise from a lot of corners. https://youtu.be/xe0CZxfS-fw The lyrics sound like something you'd hear from an old rancher who grew up near Jericho Gap (aka dirt-road Route 66) in the Texas Panhandle. (Image of the Jericho Gap by TheRogue, via Flickr)
“The American Dream and the American Drive”
Longtime roadie Kathy Anderson produced this film for the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Okla. Using Route 66 as a springboard, it shows how highways evolved in the United States. You'll probably see a few familiar faces: The American Dream, The American Drive from Kathy Anderson on Vimeo. Anderson explained more of the … Continue reading “The American Dream and the American Drive”
Proposed freeway may affect Route 66, landmarks
A proposed Illiana Expressway that will connect Interstate 55 to Interstate 65 near Gary, Ind., may affect Route 66 and other historic landmarks in Wilmington, Ill., reported The Herald-News of Joliet, Ill. Virginia Ferry, chairwoman of the Will County Historic Preservation Commission, told the newspaper she is determined to mitigate those effects. “I know we … Continue reading Proposed freeway may affect Route 66, landmarks