Roadrunner Retreat cleanup set for Nov. 3-4; fundraiser announced

Volunteer work days to help the owner clean up the long-closed but photogenic Roadrunner Retreat restaurant near Chambless, California, have been set for Nov. 3-4, and a GoFundMe page has been launched to help defray its expenses. Beth Murray, organizer of the GoFundMe page, has set a relatively modest goal of $500. She wrote on … Continue reading Roadrunner Retreat cleanup set for Nov. 3-4; fundraiser announced

An update on the Texaco gas station in Foyil

When we'd last heard almost three years ago, a local man bought a 1920s Texaco station along old Route 66 in Foyil, Oklahoma, and shortly had it added to the National Register of Historic Places. The station's owner, Kean Isaacs, pledged to restore it to as close as its original look as possible. Last week, … Continue reading An update on the Texaco gas station in Foyil

Fundraisers for old Joliet prison net nearly $150,000 so far

Tours and a major fundraiser -- all at the old Joliet Correctional Center -- have generated more than $142,000 so far, with a disc-golf benefit next month slated to generate at least anther $5,000 for the old prison. The big event was the Great Joliet Prison Break-in event last month at the century-old facility, which … Continue reading Fundraisers for old Joliet prison net nearly $150,000 so far

Vintage Motel Task Force sets goals, identifies challenges of Route 66 motels

The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership this week announced its Vintage Motel Task Force set two goals and identified seven challenges that face owners of historic Route 66 motels. According to a news release from the partnership, the task force's purpose is is "to retain, sustain, and enhance the viability of vintage motels along Route 66 … Continue reading Vintage Motel Task Force sets goals, identifies challenges of Route 66 motels

New Tulsa Route 66 master plan likely will include rehabbing 11th Street Bridge

The Tulsa Route 66 Commission is considering an update to its master plan. If it does, rehabbing the historic but long-closed 11th Street Bridge over the Arkansas River will be high on the to-do list. Tulsa Public Radio reported the master plan last was updated in 2005. Because almost all the projects of the original … Continue reading New Tulsa Route 66 master plan likely will include rehabbing 11th Street Bridge

Restoration of Underpass Cafe near Phillipsburg accelerates

A volunteer work crew from the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society helped the owner of the long-closed Underpass Cafe near Phillipsburg, Missouri, clean his property before it undergoes an exterior restoration. The cafe -- named because of a low-clearance Frisco railroad bridge to the east -- closed about 50 years ago after a new alignment … Continue reading Restoration of Underpass Cafe near Phillipsburg accelerates

Another old building in downtown Baxter Springs being renovated

It's not just the Decades of Wheels ownership group that's revamping century-old buildings in downtown Baxter Springs, Kansas. According to a story in the Cherokee County News-Advocate, Coltyn Seifert, his brother Casye and wife Kelsey have worked for months to restore at building at 1020 Military Ave., which is part of Route 66. According to the … Continue reading Another old building in downtown Baxter Springs being renovated

Cucamonga Service Station wins Governor’s Award for preservation

The restored Cucamonga Service Station along Route 66 in Rancho Cucamonga, California, on Friday received one of six of the Governor's Historic Preservation Awards. The annual awards are sponsored by the California Office of Historic Preservation and California State Parks to projects, people and organizations "whose contributions demonstrate significant achievements in preserving the heritage of California," according … Continue reading Cucamonga Service Station wins Governor’s Award for preservation

Rails to Trails project to involve Sidewalk Highway near Miami

Officials in Miami, Oklahoma, want to use a Rails to Trails project to help rehabilitate the historic stretch of the 9-foot-wide Sidewalk Highway of Route 66 between Miami and Afton, Oklahoma. KSNF-TV reported the four-phase project will involve an eight-mile route across Ottawa County and the Neosho River, near Miami. The project will also incorporate … Continue reading Rails to Trails project to involve Sidewalk Highway near Miami

Section of original 66 in Marshfield to become roadside park

A section of original Route 66 in Marshfield, Missouri, will be converted into a roadside park after the state abandons it as a part of State Highway CC. The Marshfield Board of Alderman recently voted to hire the Crawford, Murphy and Tilly Inc. engineering firm draw up plans for the park, reported the Marshfield Mail newspaper. … Continue reading Section of original 66 in Marshfield to become roadside park