The historic Grand Canyon Cafe in downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, reopened this weekend after a lengthy renovation following an ownership change. Here's a post on Instagram on Friday: A post shared by Alissa Marquess (@alissamarquess) on Jun 30, 2017 at 10:54am PDT Alissa Marquess wrote in the photograph: The Wong Family had this restaurant for over … Continue reading Grand Canyon Cafe in Flagstaff reopens
Category: Restaurants
Restoration begins on The Tropics sign
The fabled neon sign for the now-closed The Tropics restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois, this week was moved to a shop for restoration work for the next six months. The Lincoln Courier reported the sign was moved Tuesday to Ace Sign Co. in nearby Springfield, where the company will undergo restoration work on it through late … Continue reading Restoration begins on The Tropics sign
Route 66 has spawned many “new” places
A reader over the weekend asked me what are some of the "new" businesses or attractions on Route 66 in the past 10 years or so. Naturally, this sort of question sent me down a rabbit hole of research for hours. I set the "new" criteria as the post-"Cars" era -- since the 2006 release … Continue reading Route 66 has spawned many “new” places
Two large chrome chickens coming to Route 66 in Edmond
Two 6-foot-tall chrome chickens will be coming soon to a new restaurant along Route 66 in Edmond, Oklahoma. The Edmond Sun newspaper reports the chrome chickens are manufactured from Harley-Davidson motorcycle exhaust pipes and other components by Rustic Steel Creations in Tampa, Florida. Here are a couple of edited photos of one of the chickens, … Continue reading Two large chrome chickens coming to Route 66 in Edmond
The enduring fascination with Oklahoma Joe’s in Albuquerque
One of the most popular comment threads in the nearly 12-year history of Route 66 News is the one about Oklahoma Joe's, a restaurant along Route 66 that also became a tavern popular with University of New Mexico students. It also was known as Okie's or Okie Joe's. At last count, more than 220 comments … Continue reading The enduring fascination with Oklahoma Joe’s in Albuquerque
More 1990s video from Route 66 in a 1959 Cadillac
Anthony Reichardt recently uploaded more videos to YouTube from his travels on Route 66 during the early to mid-1990s in a 1959 Cadillac. At the least, the videos are valuable for historic reasons. Some of the places Reichardt visited have disappeared or changed radically. The first video is a chat with Glaida Funk of Funks … Continue reading More 1990s video from Route 66 in a 1959 Cadillac
Tourists affix dozens of stickers on Gemini Giant of Wilmington
While tourists continue to visit the Gemini Giant in Wilmington, Illinois, despite the closing of the Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant in 2013, one new twist recently emerged -- visitors slapping stickers on the iconic fiberglass figure. According to the Daily Journal, Wilmington Mayor Roy Strong and some residents don't have a problem with tourists affixing … Continue reading Tourists affix dozens of stickers on Gemini Giant of Wilmington
Elbow Inn in Devil’s Elbow partially reopens Friday
The Elbow Inn restaurant and bar in Devil's Elbow, Missouri, will partly reopen Friday for the Memorial Day weekend, less than a month after it was heavily damaged by a record flood from the Big Piney River. A phone call Thursday confirmed the Route 66 landmark will open its outdoor, covered Biergarten at 11 a.m. Friday, … Continue reading Elbow Inn in Devil’s Elbow partially reopens Friday
The Tropics neon sign may return to Lincoln by spring 2018
The historic neon sign for the now-gone The Tropics restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois, may return to a parking lot at a McDonald's along Route 66 by spring 2018. That scenario became more likely after the city approved an easement with Franchise Realty Investment Trust on behalf of the McDonald’s to install the sign at the lot … Continue reading The Tropics neon sign may return to Lincoln by spring 2018
How to help Devil’s Elbow
It seems as if relief efforts have gotten more organized in recent days on how to help the flood-stricken Route 66 village of Devil's Elbow, Missouri. The Elbow Inn restaurant and bar already has a crowdfunding site, but it also provided a list of materials it needs to help rebuild. If you live near the area … Continue reading How to help Devil’s Elbow