Looks like Route 66 is the only way west for Tulsans heading for OKC this morning. TV station KSWO out of southwestern Oklahoma is reporting that I-44 is closed between Oklahoma's two largest cities after a snowstorm dumped more than 10 inches of snow on Tulsa. The storm brought an influx of business to one … Continue reading Winter on the Mother Road
Category: Highways
Swastikas on old Arizona road maps?
It's true. But it's not as sinister as it first appears. Fellow road warrior Tim Steil pointed out this Arizona roads site, which shows a scan from a 1927 Rand McNally atlas. And look on the lower right corner of the page -- a swastika on the Arizona highway marker. I included a close-up excerpt … Continue reading Swastikas on old Arizona road maps?
Carthage wants to keep ‘Tickle Tummy Hill’ around
Generally, drivers don't like bridges to be so steeply pitched that it feels like a roller coaster while driving over it. That's not the case with the Oak Street Bridge in Carthage, Mo. The bridge, built in 1920 and later becoming a part of Route 66, also is affectionately known by locals as Tickle Tummy … Continue reading Carthage wants to keep ‘Tickle Tummy Hill’ around
Hard miles
Hank Billings of the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader usually delves into little-known local history with his columns, and Monday's was no exception. Robert Goodman of Carthage sent Billings a diary that his late grandfather, J.W. Goodman, kept during a 1,019-mile journey from Cleveland to Gilbert, Ark., in 1921. A good portion of the trek was on … Continue reading Hard miles
Blue Cut blues
This has been previously reported. But this story from the San Bernardino County Sun reiterates that the Blue Cut portion of Cajon Pass in California, aka Route 66, has become more of a target of law enforcement because of anonymous sex cruisers and other illicit activity. Blue Cut also attracts train aficionados, geologists and Route … Continue reading Blue Cut blues
Route 66 named one of Top 10 drives
Luxury Link, an online travel company, has named its World's Best Drives. Route 66 in Arizona made the top 10, at No. 7. The only other American roads to make the cut were the Pacific Coast Highway in California and the Hana Highway in Hawaii. Luxury Link said: These days, you can do more than … Continue reading Route 66 named one of Top 10 drives
Two Route 66 segments in Oklahoma named to National Register
The Tank Farm Loop near Kellyville and a 1926 truss bridge near Chelsea, both on older alignments of Route 66 in Oklahoma, were added to the National Register of Historic Places, reports the Associated Press. Here's a picture of the Chelsea bridge, which goes over Pryor Creek, from the Oklahoma Highway Bridges site. Here are … Continue reading Two Route 66 segments in Oklahoma named to National Register
A street is hoppin’ in Joplin
Joplin (Mo.) Globe columnist Mike Pound reports that Broadway in Joplin, which is part of an old alignment of Route 66, seems to be undergoing a traffic resurgence. The restaurants along the street are busier, and a promising lunch-only place called the Cobblestone Cafe has opened there. The cafe, which has been open for three … Continue reading A street is hoppin’ in Joplin
Scenic Byways grants awarded
The New Mexico Tourism Department has given out $473,000 in grants through the Federal Highway Administration's Scenic Byways program for the fiscal year. Here are the grants that affect Route 66, according to Travel Daily News: Historic Route 66 Bike and Pedestrian Path Construction in Gallup ($50,000): This joint-use path along the Route 66 Scenic … Continue reading Scenic Byways grants awarded
Interstates may become slightly less boring
Highway officials are set to rebuild a part of Highway 40, aka Interstate 64, in St. Louis County. As anyone who's traveled America knows, the design of interstate highways isn't exactly interesting architecturally. But thanks to the influence of Route 66, that may be changing, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Instead, the department has … Continue reading Interstates may become slightly less boring