A bunch of Illinois Route 66 volunteers recently gathered at John and Lenore Weiss' house in Wilmington to construct new windmill blades for The Mill, a landmark in Lincoln since 1929. It wasn't long ago that the shuttered Route 66 restaurant appeared to have a date with the wrecking ball. Now it's being renovated for … Continue reading The Mill soon will regain its blades
Category: Restaurants
Olde Keg retools in an effort to survive
The Olde Keg in Joliet, Ill., has been a fixture on old Route 66 even before the highway existed -- since 1897, in fact. So it alarmed longtime customers when a "closed" sign appeared on the restaurant/bar on Tuesday. But it's just temporary, reports the Joliet Herald-News. On Tuesday, the Keg temporarily closed for dinner … Continue reading Olde Keg retools in an effort to survive
POPS — one year later
One year ago today, POPS on Route 66 in Arcadia, Okla., opened its doors for the first time. The convenience store/restaurant was the brainchild of Cheseapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon and architect Rand Elliott, complete with a 66-foot-tall soda bottle festooned with multicolored LED lights and hundreds of brands of cold soda on sale. POPS … Continue reading POPS — one year later
Rod’s Grill continues to take a stand
The Arcadia (Calif.) Weekly has a follow-up story about the saga between Rod's Grill, a longtime Route 66 restaurant in Arcadia, and a nearby Mercedes-Benz dealership that wants the property for an expansion. Rusnak Mercedes-Benz wanted the city to seize Rod's Grill. The owner of the restaurant has refused to negotiate with the city "on … Continue reading Rod’s Grill continues to take a stand
Obama stops at Route 66 restaurant
Two weeks ago, it was Republican presidential candidate John McCain stopping at a Route 66 icon, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis. Today, it was Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama stopping at a historic Route 66 restaurant in Lebanon, Mo., according to KY3-TV in Springfield. On his way to Rolla, Obama’s campaign bus took … Continue reading Obama stops at Route 66 restaurant
Mural erected at Pig-Hip site
A new mural depicting the Pig-Hip restaurant and museum, which burned down last year, was erected at the site in Broadwell, Ill. According to the Lincoln (Ill.) Courier: The painting, by Arlene Waldmire of Rochester, shows both the restaurant and the nearby motel that sat on Route 66 at Broadwell during the heyday of the … Continue reading Mural erected at Pig-Hip site
Monkey wrench for Red Cedar Inn deal?
A bunch of people are on board for moving the Meramec Valley Historical Museum into the shuttered Red Cedar Inn in Pacific, Mo., and using the old museum property for a Catholic school. Route 66ers, the mayor of Pacific, the Red Cedar's owner and a slew of state and federal officials are all in favor … Continue reading Monkey wrench for Red Cedar Inn deal?
Plaques stolen by scrap-metal thieves
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune in Southern California reports that thefts of scrap metal have become so widespread that thieves are even stealing historic-marker plaques. The Trails Restaurant Plaque sat only feet from Huntington Drive in Duarte, in front of the homes built on the acreage where this once celebrated Route 66 icon stood for … Continue reading Plaques stolen by scrap-metal thieves
McCain stops by Route 66 landmark
Yes, it's an election year. The Washington Post reported that one of the campaign stops Tuesday for Republican presidential nominee John McCain in St. Louis was at a Route 66 institution -- Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. Dozens of custard buyers were milling about when McCain’s entourage -- several SUVs escorted by St. Louis county police … Continue reading McCain stops by Route 66 landmark
Book review: “Story of the Free 72-oz. Steak”
The first thing you notice is the cover. Beneath huge, Old West letters is a painting of a 1960s Chevrolet Impala pointed into a red-and-orange sunset, pulling into the parking lot of a restaurant with a neon sign featuring a giant cowboy and a fiberglass steer on the roof. Below that is a photo of … Continue reading Book review: “Story of the Free 72-oz. Steak”