It's not out of the woods yet, but the long-moribund Route 66 town of Galena, Kan., is looking more prosperous these days. The Joplin Globe newspaper, based in nearby Joplin, Mo., published a long story about the town's comeback. The whole thing is worth reading, but I'll highlight what has happened in Galena in recent … Continue reading Galena’s remarkable comeback story
Category: Restaurants
Bono’s restaurant plans to reopen after moving building
In a story by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin about Joe Bono greeting Route 66 tourists at his long-closed Bono's Italian restaurant in Fontana, Calif., was this little nugget: Looking over architect's drawings, Bono said the restaurant, whose front windows are just a few feet shy of the now-four-lane Foothill Boulevard, will be moved south … Continue reading Bono’s restaurant plans to reopen after moving building
Fire destroys downtown building in Carthage
A massive fire gutted the popular Sassy Spoon restaurant in downtown Carthage, Mo., on Saturday and extensively damaged a business next door. Firefighters were called to the scene earlier in the day and seemed to have the blaze under control. However, the fire flared up again. The upper floor, which contained apartments, collapsed, as did … Continue reading Fire destroys downtown building in Carthage
The story of the Palms Grill Cafe
GrahamSpencer, a communications firm with an office in Rockford, Ill., uploaded this video it produced about the Palms Grill Cafe in Atlanta, Ill. Route66 from GrahamSpencer on Vimeo. The film was made for the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway.
Former co-owner of Riviera Roadhouse dies
Margaret "Peggy" Kraft, longtime co-owner of the now-gone Riviera Roadhouse along Route 66 in Gardner, Ill., died Wednesday at age 89. According to her obituary, Kraft died in Miller Healthcare Center in Kankakee, Ill. Born in Valparaiso, Ind., she married Bob Kraft in 1971. Together, they owned the Riviera for 37 years until they retired … Continue reading Former co-owner of Riviera Roadhouse dies
Reality series being shot on Route 66
Reality shorts for "What Would You Do?" are being filmed on Route 66 by ABC News, reported the Amarillo Globe-News. The newspaper caught up with the camera crew at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo. Producers chose the iconic Amarillo restaurant after deciding to film down historic Route 66. The crew began filming May 8 in … Continue reading Reality series being shot on Route 66
New Illinois Route 66 Hall of Famers announced
The Route 66 Association of Illinois will induct three new members to its Hall of Fame on June 8, during its annual Hall of Fame banquet in Lincoln, Ill., reported the Morris Daily Herald. The newspaper said the association received 17 nominations for the annual induction. The Class of 2013 in the Illinois Route 66 … Continue reading New Illinois Route 66 Hall of Famers announced
Chicken-fried steak at Clanton’s
KTUL-TV in Tulsa continues its series about restaurants that serve chicken-fried steak with a road trip down Route 66 to Vinita, Okla., to visit Clanton's Cafe. If you can't see the video, just click on the link below: KTUL.com - Tulsa, Oklahoma - News, Weather Although the segment doesn't mention it, Clanton's also is famous … Continue reading Chicken-fried steak at Clanton’s
Local artist painting mural on McDonald’s Museum
Cartoonist Phil Yeh is painting an elaborate mural on the McDonald's Museum in San Bernardino, Calif., reported the San Bernardino County Sun. Yeh, who created a comic book about Route 66 several years ago, started the mural last year but was slowed by a stroke. Due to partial paralysis, he painted left-handed until he recovered … Continue reading Local artist painting mural on McDonald’s Museum
A word from our sponsor
It looks like the folks at the Schlotzsky's restaurant chain are running a Route 66-themed sandwich special again this summer. It's offering Windy City Pastrami, Albuquerque Turkey, and California Chick sandwiches. https://youtu.be/gEiUpgFA_-8 The new sandwiches will start to appear at Schlotzsky's on June 3, through Aug. 25.