It's hard to believe now, but from 1926 until 1937, driving Route 66 from eastern New Mexico to Albuquerque was hardly a straight line. Near Santa Rosa, one had to drive north to Santa Fe, then drop southward, following a mostly parallel path of the Rio Grande, to the Duke City. The Free New Mexican … Continue reading Road to Albuquerque was a “joke”
Category: History
A lodging option for Old Town tourists
Here's a place very close to historic Route 66 and the Old Town neighborhood of Albuquerque that I was previously unaware -- Bottger Mansion of Old Town. According to this travel article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Bottger, built in 1910, is the only survivor of four mansions built in Old Town. The B&B's … Continue reading A lodging option for Old Town tourists
Huge crowds expected for buried-car excavation
Organizers of the unearthing of a buried 1957 Plymouth Belvidere expect at least 50,000 visitors during the event on June 15, reported the Tulsa World. One fellow from Norway is shipping his '57 Belvidere from Norway is driving Route 66 to the time capsule's unsealing. About 1,000 tickets for the car's "unveiling" on the evening … Continue reading Huge crowds expected for buried-car excavation
Last of the Breed
Chicago Sun-Times columnist and Route 66 roadie Dave Hoekstra was in Prescott Valley, Ariz., for the first show of the Last of the Breed tour, the lucky dog. In case you haven't heard, the Last of the Breed tour features country-music legends Ray Price, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson with Western swing band Asleep at … Continue reading Last of the Breed
The summit of La Bajada Hill
Even though video can never quite do it justice, this 360-degree clip from the summit of La Bajada Hill gives you an inkling of what this primitive alignment of Route 66 is like. For a more Route 66-oriented viewpoint, go here. The road on La Bajada was Route 66 from 1926 to 1932. It contains … Continue reading The summit of La Bajada Hill
Historic Highways blog launched
The Historic Highways blog has been online only about a week, but I like it a lot already. Dave Eames of Kansas City, formerly of Tulsa, collects roadside memorabilia, including from Route 66. He seems to favor stuff from the '40s, '50s and '60s, which isn't a bad thing. The image above is from a … Continue reading Historic Highways blog launched
Pig Hip updates
I've started this new thread about the Pig Hip Museum fire and its aftermath for the stories that keep coming in. I also updated the previous thread about the Pig Hip clear into early Wednesday morning. Today, Dave Hoekstra of the Chicago Sun-Times has some interesting musings about the Pig Hip in his Travel Dispatches … Continue reading Pig Hip updates
Litchfield cafe-motel complex named to National Register
The Belvedere Cafe and Motel on 817 Old Route 66 in Litchfield, Ill., was named to the National Register of Historic Places on March 2. The Belvedere is better-known as the former home of the Route 66 Cafe before it moved down the street a few years ago. Last I heard, the restaurant building was … Continue reading Litchfield cafe-motel complex named to National Register
Storm blows down “Rattlesnakes” sign
Bob "Crocodile" Lile, president of the Texas Old Route 66 Association, reported that a severe storm blew down the historic "Rattlesnakes -- Exit Now" sign which stood for decades off old Route 66 near the Lela exit of Interstate 40. The sign advertised the Regal Reptile Ranch, which has been in ruins for many years … Continue reading Storm blows down “Rattlesnakes” sign
Historic house placed on endangered list
The former Duncan Manor farmhouse, aka Towanda Meadows, near old Route 66 in Towanda, Ill., has been placed on Landmarks Illinois' Ten Most Endangered Historic Places because the structure's deterioration, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph. The report says that a porch has collapsed, and that the eaves have sustained serious damage. It is hoped that the … Continue reading Historic house placed on endangered list