Ken Ehresman of Pontiac, Ill., and 14 members of his family are planning a Route 66 journey from Los Angeles to Pontiac. But according to the Pontiac Daily Leader, they won't be piled into a couple of minivans. Instead, they'll be driving down the Mother Road in three classic cars -- a 1976 El Camino, … Continue reading A classic Route 66 trip
Category: People
Faces of Route 66 in Illinois
Pounds Media recently videotaped interviews with several Route 66 veterans for Central Illinois Tourism and the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway. Today, several of those clips were posted on the Internet. First is Ernie Edwards, longtime owner of the Pig Hip Restaurant in Broadwell, Ill.: https://vimeo.com/39277870 Nick Adam, longtime owner of the Ariston Cafe in … Continue reading Faces of Route 66 in Illinois
Two former soldiers riding part of Route 66 for veterans
Two former soldiers are cycling down a good portion of Route 66 as part of a 4,200-mile ride from Bakersfield, Calif., to Washington, D.C., to help raise awareness on veterans' issues. The Wall to Wall Cross Country Bicycle Ride is being undertaken by Wesley Barrientos, a double amputee who was injured by a roadside bomb in … Continue reading Two former soldiers riding part of Route 66 for veterans
New Mexico Route 66 advocate Bob Audette dies
Bob Audette, 85, a longtime booster of Route 66 in New Mexico who was born about the same time the Mother Road was federally certified in 1926, died on March 19, according to an obituary at Riverside Funeral Home in Albuquerque. According to the funeral home, cremation will take place, and no services are planned. In … Continue reading New Mexico Route 66 advocate Bob Audette dies
A visit to the Summit Inn
This is an old episode of "Gems of the Inland Empire." The host interviews C.A. Stevens, owner of the Summit Inn in Oak Hills, Calif., along old Route 66 at the top of Cajon Pass. https://vimeo.com/38862374
Historic Sunset Boulevard house may face wrecking ball
One of the oldest homes on Sunset Boulevard (aka Route 66) in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles may be razed for redevelopment, according to a blog by the Echo Park Historical Society. The compound of cottages at 2225-2235 Sunset Blvd. (map here) is more than a century old. But the most significant part … Continue reading Historic Sunset Boulevard house may face wrecking ball
The Rock Cafe, circa 2009
Here's a video shot in 2009 by Channeling Media when it was pitching Dawn Welch and her Rock Cafe in Stroud, Okla., for a possible Food Network show. It was about a year after the historic Route 66 restaurant was gutted by a fire and rebuilt. The cable channel passed on the idea, but Welch … Continue reading The Rock Cafe, circa 2009
Meet the Midpoint Cafe’s new owners
When Dennis Purschwitz and his wife, Donna, started a Route 66 trip in May 2011, little did they know that journey would lead to them owning the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas. Traveling in a 2009 Ford Mustang GT, the couple from Thompson Station, Tenn., started their trip in St. Louis and motored west. "We … Continue reading Meet the Midpoint Cafe’s new owners
Midpoint Cafe is sold
The Midpoint Cafe, located on the midpoint of Route 66 in Adrian, Texas, has been sold, a little less than a year after longtime owner Fran Houser announced she was putting it on the market. I wasn't able to contact Houser on Monday night, but I received an email from a longtime Route 66er who … Continue reading Midpoint Cafe is sold
Illinois Route 66 Hall of Famer dies
Former Illinois State Police Capt. Francis Mowery, who was inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame, died at age 99 last week, reported the Bloomington Pantagraph. The Illinois Route 66 Association reported Mowery's death today on its website. Mowery was among the very first members inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of … Continue reading Illinois Route 66 Hall of Famer dies