As I've learned from a bunch of e-mails in the past few months, Pete Pettry is a tireless booster of Route 66. The Mother Road goes through Edmond, Okla., but the town up until recently seems to have expressed little interest in playing up that historic link. If Edmond jumps on board, Pettry will be … Continue reading Man seeks to boost involvement of town to Route 66
Category: History
A trip to remember
The Sacramento Bee asked readers to share memories of a cherished vacation. Patricia Robles of Sacramento recalled the details of traveling from California to Oklahoma on Route 66 to see family members during the 1940s and '50s. Read about it here (free registration is required). It includes a photo of Robles and her sister at … Continue reading A trip to remember
Tulsa time
Gary Lee of the Washington Post takes a closer look at Tulsa. Not much Route 66 content here, but it's still recommended reading for travelers who are staying for a day or so and want to explore the city.
A short guide to the Navajo Nation
Shirley Rose Higgins of the Royal Gazette in Bermuda has provided a pretty good travel guide about the Navajo Nation and its history. It includes this excerpt about the Route 66 town of Gallup, N.M.: If you approach through Gallup, New Mexico, you'll want to stop at the tourist information office in the old train … Continue reading A short guide to the Navajo Nation
McDonald’s history tour
I know many Route 66 aficionados are loathe to give restaurant chains any sort of attention. But a tour on April 22 led by historian Chris Nichols explores the very early history of McDonald's, from when the McDonald brothers came to Southern California to when Ray Kroc buys the business. And, yes, there is a … Continue reading McDonald’s history tour
Coliseum Ballroom in Benld is for sale
The historic Coliseum Ballroom, located on the 1926-34 alignment of Route 66 in Benld, Ill., is for sale, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The asking price: $210,000. And maybe, just maybe, the Coliseum will be returned to its original incarnation -- a live-music venue. And both of two prospective buyers would like to see … Continue reading Coliseum Ballroom in Benld is for sale
Trout Fishing in Miami
Route 66 got a hefty dose of music and humor Tuesday night as the Coleman Theatre Beautiful in Miami, Okla., hosted Trout Fishing in America. Trout, for the uninitiated, is a two-man folk band made up of guitarist Ezra Idlet and bass player Keith Grimwood. The pair, who look about like Mutt and Jeff (Idlet … Continue reading Trout Fishing in Miami
Crime on 66
People often complain about how crime is so much worse now. But crime was present even in the "good ol' days." Route 66 advocate Delbert Trew writes in his column (free registration required) for the Amarillo Globe-News about criminal activity on Route 66 in the 1930s, including a near-fatal bank heist in Alanreed, Texas, along … Continue reading Crime on 66
Here’s one who doesn’t get it
Peter Hannaford of American Spectator spends much of his column praising the interstate highway system and its homogeneity (I'm not kidding). He also writes about Route 66: Along the way, much is made of the old Highway 66, the Route 66 of song (as in "You'll Get Your Kicks on Route 66"). This went from … Continue reading Here’s one who doesn’t get it
A Route 66 refresher
The Did You Know? blog today features the history, facts and figures about Route 66. It's a pretty good overview, except for this one item: Route 66 was also the popular truck route because it was mostly flat. Well, no. I would never describe much of Missouri, parts of eastern Oklahoma, much of New Mexico … Continue reading A Route 66 refresher