Betty Estes, the first tourism director for Pontiac, Ill., and a longtime booster of her town and Route 66, died Wednesday at age 81, reported the Bloomington Pantagraph and Pontiac Daily Leader. She served as Pontiac's treasurer, then its tourism director from 1999 to 2005. Among her key accomplishments were developing the Illinois Route 66 Red … Continue reading Pontiac and Route 66 booster Betty Estes dies
Category: Museums
A visit with Bill Shea and his gas-station museum
A few films about Bill Shea's Gas Station Museum in Springfield, Ill., have made it to the Internet over the years. But this one by Josh Hester is the best I've seen: Shea's Route 66 Gas Station Museum from Josh Hester on Vimeo. The thing that makes this film different is it concentrates more on … Continue reading A visit with Bill Shea and his gas-station museum
Pontiac now gives tours with mobile devices
The tourism department of Pontiac, Ill., has always seemed forward-thinking. Continuing that trend, it has created a Mobile Device Tour for smartphones and tablet computers. From the news release: The mobile device tour provides additional information on many of Pontiac’s most popular tourist attractions and can be accessed by visitors through the use of a … Continue reading Pontiac now gives tours with mobile devices
Litchfield museum going up fast
On June 7, City of Litchfield Tourism in Litchfield, Ill., emailed a news release about the Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Museum being built in town. This news had already been reported here and other news outlets. However, I didn't know how far along the museum construction had proceeded until I received this photo Monday: … Continue reading Litchfield museum going up fast
Route 66 stories from Betty Estes
Here's the latest in a series of videos created for Illinois Route 66. This one's an interview with Betty Estes, who was instrumental in landing the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum in Pontiac and has been honored for her hospitality to Route 66 tourists. https://youtu.be/AqpgZTqjumY
Route 66 News, catch-up edition
I've been out of town for about 10 days traveling Route 66 and more. Here are the stories from the Mother Road that broke while I was away ... --- The biggest news was the announcement that the historic Aztec Hotel in Monrovia, Calif., would undergo extensive renovations with its new owners, reported the Monrovia … Continue reading Route 66 News, catch-up edition
Tulsa Art Deco Museum opens today
The Tulsa Art Deco Museum, dedicated to that city's abundant style of architecture, opens today in the lobby of the downtown Philcade Building at 511 S. Boston Ave., reported the Tulsa World. More about Tulsa Art Deco, from a 2008 film by Jack Frank: https://youtu.be/rkMQdEW6v5A Local artist William Franklin, president and founder of the museum, … Continue reading Tulsa Art Deco Museum opens today
The finished 3-D sidewalk mural in Pontiac
During the Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival in Pontiac, airbrush artist Tang Dongbai spent the weekend painting a three-dimensional sidewalk mural downtown. Here's the finished product: He finished the mural last Monday, but the artwork was barricaded for two more days until the paint cured. I believe one of the fish in the painting … Continue reading The finished 3-D sidewalk mural in Pontiac
Will Rogers, Carol Duncan voted to Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame
Longtime Oklahoma Route 66 volunteer Carol Duncan and the late comedian, writer, and actor Will Rogers will be inducted into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame when the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton officially reopens May 26, according to a news release today from the Oklahoma Route 66 Association. The Hall of Fame … Continue reading Will Rogers, Carol Duncan voted to Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame
Illinois county may apply for grant to build visitors center at history museum
A committee for McLean County, Ill., supports applying for a half-million-dollar grant that would establish at visitors center at the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington, reported the Bloomington Pantagraph. The $522,000 project moved to the front of the line when the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced in March that it has $15 million available … Continue reading Illinois county may apply for grant to build visitors center at history museum