About 20 company officials from Minneapolis-based Dairy Queen on Friday visited the restaurant where it all started -- at 501 N. Chicago St. (aka Route 66) in Joliet, Ill., reported the Chicago Tribune. The nearby Joliet Area Historical Museum passed out free DQ Dilly Bars to visitors. Then, Curly, DQ's soft-serve cone mascot, led the … Continue reading Dairy Queen officials visit original store
Category: Restaurants
A Bobcat Bite burger
An earlier report about green chile cheeseburgers in New Mexico reminded me of the Bobcat Bite restaurant, on an very old alignment of Route 66 in Santa Fe. This excellent clip from a documentary shows how these great burgers are made: https://youtu.be/SD2cI1i2vqQ
A burger too good to be at just one place
A green chile cheeseburger created eight years at a market in the tiny Route 66 town of Laguna, N.M., has garnered so much acclaim, it's listed in the state tourism department's Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail and the sandwich has been replicated at two other nearby locations, reported the Cibola County Beacon. The Laguna Burger, as … Continue reading A burger too good to be at just one place
Midpoint Cafe placed on the market
Fran Houser has put her Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas, up for sale after a 20-year tenure in which she elevated it to a prime stop for travelers on Route 66. Houser said in a phone interview Friday that the asking price is $195,000. Those interested should call her home phone at 806-538-6380. The Midpoint, … Continue reading Midpoint Cafe placed on the market
Grease the wheels
This is an enjoyable program called "Greaseweek," where our intrepid cyclist starts on Route 66 from Pasadena, Calif., all the way to the end of Route 66 in Santa Monica. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vuFSxtdQJ4 I also learned a few things. For instance, I didn't know the Arroyo Seco sported a bicycle trail, and I'll have to investigate the … Continue reading Grease the wheels
Students present revitalization plan for Carthage
Students from Drury University in Springfield, Mo., presented a final proposal Monday to revitalize the downtown area of Carthage, Mo., according to the Carthage Press. The plan includes the renovation and reopening of several R0ute 66 landmarks. A map of the proposal reveals a restored Boots Motel and the long-closed Boots Drive-In restaurant, a Route 66 … Continue reading Students present revitalization plan for Carthage
Fire damages historic building in Barstow
A blaze early Thursday heavily damaged a portion of the historic El Rancho Motel complex in downtown Barstow, Calif., along old Route 66, reported the Desert Dispatch. The newspaper said the fire destroyed the Cedar Restaurant and Travel Store — formerly known as El Rancho Restaurant — at the complex. A fire chief said the … Continue reading Fire damages historic building in Barstow
Festival will pay homage to first Dairy Queen
As if the Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival wasn't busy enough this coming weekend, Joliet is celebrating the creation of the first-ever Dairy Queen restaurant, according to the Joliet Herald-News. The public is encouraged to come to the Joliet Area Historical Museum, 204 N. Ottawa St., and experience: free admission to the Route … Continue reading Festival will pay homage to first Dairy Queen
Bell Restaurant closes in Lebanon
I'm late on this, but the historic Bell Restaurant on Route 66 in Lebanon, Mo., apparently closed a few months ago. I was alerted to this today by Kelly Ludwig, creator of the Road Trip 66 app. After checking the Lebanon Daily Record's archives, I found a letter to the editor from Jim Bell in … Continue reading Bell Restaurant closes in Lebanon
Good support for bras on the ceiling
This report in the Pulaski County Daily contains some off-kilter banter between officials at a Pulaski County (Mo.) Tourism Board meeting a few days ago. Officials were talking about how area restaurants could draw visitors from far away, instead of just locals. The discussion turned to an old business along an old alignment of Route 66 … Continue reading Good support for bras on the ceiling