Improvements to Interstate 215 in San Bernardino, Calif., may ease travelers' access to Mount Vernon Avenue, an old alignment of Route 66, reports the San Bernardino County Sun. The improvements include several new exit ramps off the freeway by 2013 for Second, Third and Fifth streets as well as Base Line. Currently, drivers sometimes have … Continue reading Freeway project may improve Route 66 access
Category: Restaurants
Route 66 display being installed in Carthage
A Route 66 historical display that mimics the original Boots Drive-In restaurant in Carthage, Mo., is being installed now at the iconic Jasper County Courthouse in Carthage, reports the Joplin Globe. At 18 feet wide and 13 feet tall, the display is a representation of the front of the former drive-in that will hold artifacts … Continue reading Route 66 display being installed in Carthage
It’s My-am-uh
Alexander Basek of the New York Post went to the Route 66 town of Miami, Okla., where he checked out the Route 66 Vintage Iron Motorcycle Museum, ate at Waylan's Ku-Ku restaurant, and learned how to pronounce the town's name (hint: it doesn't sounds like the big city in southern Florida). The whole thing is … Continue reading It’s My-am-uh
Celebrity sightings at the Summit
The Summit Inn, a restaurant at the top of Cajon Pass in Southern California, has been a popular place to eat for decades because of the atmosphere and the food. However, this story by the Hesperia Star is most interesting because of who has eaten at the Route 66 diner: Elvis Presley once ate in … Continue reading Celebrity sightings at the Summit
Lou Mitchell’s restaurant will franchise
Lou Mitchell's Restaurant, a Route 66 icon near the eastern terminus of the Mother Road in Chicago, is set to begin selling franchises for the first time, reports NBC Channel 5 in Chicago. I'm not sure this can be pulled off easily. The interesting thing is that Lou Mitchell's president feels the same way. "We've … Continue reading Lou Mitchell’s restaurant will franchise
Roiled Riviera
The good news is that the Riviera Roadhouse, a seminal Route 66 business in Gardner, Ill., reopened about 10 days ago after longtime owners Bob and Peggy Kraft retired earlier this year, with the new owner using the Riviera's old recipes. The bad news is that the Riviera received a "shut-down letter" from the City … Continue reading Roiled Riviera
Bent Door update
I hadn't heard from Roy and Ramona Kiewert, the new owners of the long-closed Bent Door restaurant in Adrian, Texas, for a long while. But this weekend, I got an e-mail from her: Our family spent most of our summer vacation painting inside and out. [...] Things are improving, most of which you can not … Continue reading Bent Door update
What’s happening with El Garces?
While in the Route 66 town of Needles, Calif., this summer, it appeared there was little recent activity in the restoration of the historic El Garces Hotel. A sign said the century-old Harvey House would have a "limited" opening by winter 2008, and the hotel's Web site hadn't been updated since last year. El Garces' … Continue reading What’s happening with El Garces?
Grand El Rancho Grande
El Rancho Grande restaurant on Route 66 in Tulsa had been working for the past few months in restoring its vintage neon sign. On Wednesday night, Modern Tulsa hosted a celebration as the refurbished sign was turned on. Here a video of the lighting by the Oklahoma Modern blog: El Rancho Grande has been in … Continue reading Grand El Rancho Grande
Authentic American Spook Light
Time magazine put out a list of 50 Authentic American Experiences 2009 -- one from each state. The state-by-state listing can be seen browsed here. It's a great list, with many obscure and quirky attractions. One that made the cut was the mysterious Spook Light, which is a few miles off Route 66 in a … Continue reading Authentic American Spook Light