The Austin American-Statesman published a good article about Stanley Marsh 3, the helium magnate who came up with the idea behind Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, Texas, in 1974. Marsh bought the old cars from junkyards, paying $100 to $125 each. Some didn't have engines; most couldn't run. But from the waist down, they were gorgeous. … Continue reading The man behind Cadillac Ranch
Category: History
Route 66 Visitors Center to open Saturday
A new Route 66 Visitors Center, housed in a renovated 1930 Phillips 66 gas station in Baxter Springs, Kan., is set to open Saturday afternoon, reports the Joplin (Mo.) Globe. Auman said that by Saturday, he expects the building to be stocked with tourism brochures and Route 66 souvenirs. Most of the building has been … Continue reading Route 66 Visitors Center to open Saturday
A tribute to Route 66
This is a video made by students at St. Martin of Tours Parish Catholic School in St. Louis. A few of the images, coupled with the music, hit me hard. You might find it affecting, also. The music is "Our Town," the Oscar-nominated song written by Randy Newman and sung by James Taylor for the … Continue reading A tribute to Route 66
A tour of the Victorville Route 66 Museum
If you've never been to the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville, this three-part video by Best Syndication provides a good overview of what it's like. Museum volunteer Bruce Davis does a yeoman's job in explaining the background of many displays.
Happy Burger marks 50 years
The Happy Burger restaurant along Mission Street, aka Route 66, in Sapulpa, Okla., is marking its 50th year in business this month, reports the Sapulpa Daily Herald. The Happy Burger was a Tastee Freez franchise when it opened in 1957. The name was changed to Happy Burger during the 1970s. The restaurant's floor and counters … Continue reading Happy Burger marks 50 years
Rest area
During a recent trip to New Mexico on Route 66, we stopped to check out an old cemetery near the settlement of Montoya. A few graves predated the commissioning of Route 66, and burials occurred there as recently as 2005. There are traditional engraved tombstones, including a fair number of markers for local soldiers of … Continue reading Rest area
Chery Cory’s road journal is online
Web guru and fellow roadie Guy Randall had been working on this, and I'm excited to see it's done. What I'm talking about is Chery Cory's Route 66 journals from 1992 until her untimely death in 2001. She and her husband Earl traveled Route 66 in an RV, and Cheryl wrote about her experiences. She … Continue reading Chery Cory’s road journal is online
Need a lift?
It looks like the Route 66 Hall of Fame Museum and Livingston County War Museum, which are part of the same complex in Pontiac, Ill., will have an elevator by next summer. The Pontiac Daily Leader reports that the City Council authorized an architect to proceed with those plans. The elevator would provide access to … Continue reading Need a lift?
KiMo Theatre marks 80th year
The KiMo Theatre in Albuquerque, which is along the Central Avenue alignment of Route 66, is marking its 80th year. Check out this excellent story by the Albuquerque Tribune about the theater's doughnut-loving ghost, performers such as a beer-drinking mule and Sally Rand, and its non-Nazi swastikas.
Do you know the road?
To coincide with the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival this weekend, the Springfield (Ill.) Journal Register published a quiz to test your knowledge of America's most famous highway. I gained Big Daddy status (barely) by getting 12 of the 15 questions right. The Springfield questions might trip up even the most devoted roadies.