An article in the Daily Oklahoman reiterates what we've been saying for months -- that Route 66 won't be as adversely affected by the weak U.S. economy as other tourism segments because of a boom in foreign visitors. "This year the overseas tourists are taking advantage of a weak U.S. dollar,” said Amanda Davis, Miami … Continue reading Route 66 draws in foreign travelers
Category: Highways
Sidewalk highway
Here's a little video I spliced together of the 9-foot-wide "Sidewalk Highway" of Route 66 near Afton, Okla. There's a similar such segment near Miami, Okla. The narrow highway was built in 1922, a few years before it was designated as U.S. 66. Reputedly, there was not enough money to build a full-sized highway, so … Continue reading Sidewalk highway
Book review: “Roads to Quoz”
After losing his job and marriage, William Least Heat-Moon and his Ford Econoline van (dubbed Ghost Dancing) embarked on a 13,000-mile journey around America. He avoided the interstates and drove two-lane highways and country roads. He eschewed chain restaurants for mom-and-pop eateries. And he met a lot of interesting people. "Blue Highways: A Journey into … Continue reading Book review: “Roads to Quoz”
Illinois historic roads receive byway grants
A reader passed along a news release today from Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) about Illinois receiving grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Scenic Byways program for several of the state's historic highways, including Route 66. Here are the grants that should be of interest to roadies: $60,000 to update the 1999 Great River … Continue reading Illinois historic roads receive byway grants
Historical icon returning to Miami
There was a time that an Ozark Trail obelisk once graced the Route 66 town of Miami, Okla. It's been gone for many years. But, according to the Miami News-Record, it will return: On Monday, councilmembers accepted the recommendation that a 21-foot obelisk be placed on the corner of Central Avenue and Main Street - … Continue reading Historical icon returning to Miami
Another stocking-stuffer
In case you didn't get to the National Preservation Conference in Tulsa last month, you now can buy over the Internet the Route 66 T-shirts recently created by the folks at Vintage Roadside, which specializes in putting retro graphics from defunct roadside businesses onto apparel. Here's the story about this T-shirt: Route 66, also known … Continue reading Another stocking-stuffer
Two great old bridges
Here's a video of not one, but two great old bridges on Route 66 in Oklahoma. One is the famed Pony Bridge over the Canadian River near Hydro. The other is the Lake Overholser Bridge near Oklahoma City. The music is great, too. UPDATE: The video's poster tells me the music is by the Pied … Continue reading Two great old bridges
Preview: “A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway”
The Lincoln Highway is not Route 66. Instead of going from Chicago to L.A., it traverses the country from New York City's Times Square to San Francisco. The Lincoln is 1,000 miles longer. And it predates the Mother Road by more than a decade. However, Mother Road aficionados will find a lot to love during … Continue reading Preview: “A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway”
Portion of original National Road found
This isn't on Route 66, but still significant for lovers of historic highways. After all, we're talking about the granddaddy of the entire bunch. From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: While excavating for construction of a new bridge overpass near the Brownsville Drive-In, PennDOT workers discovered what turned out to be a 200-year-old portion of the original … Continue reading Portion of original National Road found
So how much is the Illinois Route 66 plan going to cost?
The answer: no one knows. But the Chicago Sun-Times group attempts to fish for a few answers regarding an ambitious proposal to enhance the Route 66 experience in Illinois: ... Ambrose said they are continuing to seek state and federal funding. Most recently the group applied to receive a federal grant for $475,000 which would … Continue reading So how much is the Illinois Route 66 plan going to cost?