Route 66 artist and researcher Jerry McClanahan has just released a revised version of his acclaimed "EZ 66 Guide for Travelers," published by the National Historic Route 66 Federation. It's $15.95 in a handy spiral-bound form, with $4.95 priority shipping. McClanahan keyed me in about the book's revisions: Despite a change in cover color, it’s … Continue reading New version of “EZ 66 Guide” is out
Category: Maps
Photo collection includes mapping
Nick Kenny of the United Kingdom has done several Route 66 trips and has wisely documented his experiences with a Nikon camera. His Flickr account contains more than 450 images of Route 66. That's reason enough to check it out. But then there's this: I have geocoded all photos exactly to help others planning a … Continue reading Photo collection includes mapping
A visit to Meteor City
A videographer checks out Meteor City in Arizona, which features what purportedly is the world's longest map of Route 66. There's another long map of 66 in Winslow, Ariz. The Meteor City map was painted originally by Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire, but it was repainted some years later. You can see Waldmire's version here.
Parking lot closed near Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
I was afraid this might happen, and it appears my fears were realized. The St. Clair County Journal in Illinois reports that the parking lot on the Missouri side of the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge was closed by Trailnet a few days ago. The pedestrian bridge, which once carried Route 66 over the Mississippi … Continue reading Parking lot closed near Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
Filling the holes
It wasn't long ago that if one wanted to find historic Route 66, vintage maps, old-timers and make plenty of guesses were required. Now there are maps and guidebooks. Realizing that Route 66 was a tourist attraction, states for the most part installed enough road signs to direct novice travelers. However, there are stretches of … Continue reading Filling the holes
Cozy Dog featured on Rand McNally guide
The Cozy Dog Drive-In restaurant, a landmark on Route 66 in Springfield, Ill., is listed as a "can't miss" stop in the Rand McNally Midwest Getaway Guide, published this month. According to the news release: Cozy Dog Drive In, locally owned and operated since 1946, has been a Route 66 attraction drawing travelers from around … Continue reading Cozy Dog featured on Rand McNally guide
Route 66 Trip Guide is out
The 2007-2008 edition of the ever-popular Oklahoma Route 66 Association Trip Guide is hitting the streets this week. Copies have been distributed at some state tourism centers, and over the course of the next few days, volunteers will be delivering copies to the association's member businesses across Oklahoma. The 72-page guide includes a full-color cover, … Continue reading Route 66 Trip Guide is out
Fun with Google Maps satellite images
I've been working on this for a few days, and I thought you'd like to see what familiar Route 66 landmarks would look like by satellite, via Google Maps: Buckingham Fountain, Chicago, near the start of Route 66 Sears Tower, Chicago Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant and its Gemini Giant, Wilmington, Ill. Old Chain of Rocks … Continue reading Fun with Google Maps satellite images
Multimedia Route 66
Here's an impressive Route 66 project that was posted a few days ago using the new My Maps feature from Google Maps. Jay Crim and Shekar Davarya drove Route 66 in 2002 with multimedia equipment. On video, they interviewed Mother Road personalities such as Michael Wallis, David Knudson, Ken Turmel, Bob Waldmire, Jerry McClanahan, Angel … Continue reading Multimedia Route 66
When U.S. 66 was U.S. 60
I recently was directed to this terrific site, the Broer Map Library, that has high-quality scans of maps from all over the world from different eras. This includes the eight states that carried Route 66, which can be found at an index here. The Broer collection is a great resource for highway researchers. You can … Continue reading When U.S. 66 was U.S. 60