Claremore spruces up its Mother Road artery

The Claremore Progress reports on the erecting of three memorials along the median of Lynn Riggs Boulevard, which is Route 66, in Claremore, Okla. The memorials pay tribute to native son Will Rogers and Route 66. Check it out.

Lexington, Ill., needs items for its time capsule

The Route 66 town of Lexington, Ill., was going to bury a time capsule during its sesquicentennial in July last year. But the committee that organized the event decided to allow the residents more time to gather items for the capsule. Among the items will be information from the Route 66 Biking Trail. According to … Continue reading Lexington, Ill., needs items for its time capsule

Grain elevator at Route 66 ghost town razed

The Associated Press reports that the old grain elevator at now-defunct Route 66 town of Ballard, Ill., northeast of Bloomington-Normal, was demolished Friday. The 80-foot-tall structure had been closed since the 1960s. Randy Smith a few years ago contributed an article to the Illinois Route 66 Association newsletter about the history the elevator (picture above). … Continue reading Grain elevator at Route 66 ghost town razed

A visit to Roy’s

This fine photograph is from Roy's along Route 66 in Amboy, Calif. It comes from The Lope's blog, in which Ace Jackalope continues his trip on the Mother Road through the Mojave Desert. In addition to plenty of shots of Roy's, there also are good photos of nearby Amboy Crater. Roy's is being slowly restored … Continue reading A visit to Roy’s

Route 66 radio show being produced

From the Route 66 yahoogroup: A syndicated radio show about Route 66 is in the works. The Route 66 Radio Show will be produced at the studios of KTOX-AM 1340, alongside Route 66 in Needles, Calif. The show will be hosted by Bob Moore and will feature topics, stories, and interviews of interest to Route … Continue reading Route 66 radio show being produced

Pre-Route 66 highways

Nicholas R. Cataldo wrote an interesting column for the San Bernardino Sun about the old trails that winded through the Cajon Pass area north of what is now the Los Angeles metropolitan area. In fact, there was a toll road along Cajon Pass as early as 1861. It later became the National Old Trails Road, … Continue reading Pre-Route 66 highways

Chow down the Big Texan’s history

Kathy Weiser, who owns the very cool Legends of America site, also has a Legends of America blog. Today, she writes about the storied history of the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, of the "free 72-ounce steak if you eat it in an hour" fame. Check it out.

Route 66 artwork holds exhibit’s center stage

The Associated Press is reporting that about 150 pieces of art from Los Angeles' Bohemian art scene of the 1960s are going on display at a high-rise residential tower in L.A. That includes the centerpiece -- Dennis Hopper's Route 66 photograph titled "Double Standard," shown above (hat tip to Art Collections for Educators). Hopper, as … Continue reading Route 66 artwork holds exhibit’s center stage

Postcards from the Mojave

Ace Jackalope from the lope blog took a trip in August on Route 66 through the Mojave Desert towns of Essex and Amboy. The photographs alone make it worth visiting the site. But Ace also added some history to it as well, including the horrifically bad idea in the 1960s of nuking the mountains in … Continue reading Postcards from the Mojave

Profile of the owner of Barney’s Beanery

The Palisadian-Post weekly newspaper of Pacific Palisades, Calif., published a terrific article about David Houston, the owner of Barney's Beanery, a Route 66 institution in West Hollywood. The article also contains tidbits about Barney's history, including with original owner John "Barney" Anthony, who started the restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard in 1927. The area was … Continue reading Profile of the owner of Barney’s Beanery