The Illinois Route 66 Association is taking nominations for the state's Route 66 Hall of Fame through Feb. 29. According to this news release in the Morris (Ill.) Daily Herald: They can be submitted to Route 66 Association of Illinois, Attention Hall of Fame Committee, 110 W. Howard St., Pontiac, Ill. 61764. Deadline for nominations … Continue reading Nominations being taken for Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame
Category: People
A songwriter and Route 66 convert dies
John Stewart, 68, died of a brain aneurism on Saturday. He was best-known as a member of the Kingston Trio and the writer of "Daydream Believer," a hit single for the Monkees and Anne Murray that was covered by dozens of other artists. In this obituary from the Associated Press, I learned he had a … Continue reading A songwriter and Route 66 convert dies
“JJ’s Route 66 Cruise for ALS” video
Readers may remember John "JJ" Bouma's tour on Route 66 to raise awareness about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aka Lou Gehrig's Disease, and raise funds. A photographer traveled with the caravan to document other people near the route who have the disease. This video is the result. Bouma died of ALS in December 2006, at age … Continue reading “JJ’s Route 66 Cruise for ALS” video
Tucumcari leader Bettie Ditto dies
Bettie Ditto, the former mayor of the Route 66 town of Tucumcari, N.M., and longtime owner of the Pow Wow Inn, died at age 91 on Saturday, reports the Quay County Sun. She was so respected in the region, she was called "Mrs. Tucumcari." A former city commissioner and real estate developer, she is perhaps … Continue reading Tucumcari leader Bettie Ditto dies
A spotlight on a small section of 66
A reporter from the Noblesville (Ind.) Daily Times stopped on Route 66 in northeastern Oklahoma to visit Laurel Kane of Afton Station in Afton, the nearby Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park in Foyil, and the Blue Whale of Catoosa. Many media stories about the Mother Road become hugely expansive, to the point of being unwieldy. … Continue reading A spotlight on a small section of 66
Windy City Road Warrior starts a blog
David Clark, aka Windy City Road Warrior, knows about Route 66 and other historic roads in Chicago probably more than anyone. He has written a few books about the subject, and he also gives guided tours from time to time. Clark now has started a blog. Its mission statement is thus: To wage noble campaigns … Continue reading Windy City Road Warrior starts a blog
End of eras for two Tulsa restaurants
There was wistful news out of Tulsa Town this week regarding two Route 66 restaurants. First, the owners of Halim & Mimi's, a Lebanese restaurant on the 11th Street alignment of Route 66, are retiring after nearly 30 years in the business, reports the Tulsa World. The restaurant will reopen on Jan. 2 with new … Continue reading End of eras for two Tulsa restaurants
City wants nativity on Route 66 removed
Those who drive Route 66 in Illinois know of the Our Lady of the Highways shrine on a farm near Raymond, Ill. Many a person on the Mother Road has stopped at the well-tended landmark to pray or give it a moment of respectful silence. A second sort of shrine -- a nativity scene -- … Continue reading City wants nativity on Route 66 removed
Route 66 comic includes a tour
I received an e-mail from Phil Yeh, creator of the newly published "Dinosaurs Across Route 66" comic book. It looks like he's doing more than just publishing a salute to the Mother Road. Yeh said: I am planning to cover much of old Route 66 from January to April in 2008 and would love to … Continue reading Route 66 comic includes a tour
Victorville museum answers call for Christmas
Students at Sixth Street Preparatory, a charter school in Victorville, Calif., had a tradition for a number of years of decorating a Christmas tree at the local Amtrak station. This year, the station was unavailable because of a lack of water and power after a restaurant closed there. But on short notice, in steps the … Continue reading Victorville museum answers call for Christmas