Ida Red General Store in Tulsa is selling a Route 66 snow globe

Ida Red General Store, specializing in Oklahoma-made gifts, is selling a handpainted, Route 66-themed snow globe featuring several Route 66 landmarks in the Sooner State. Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association who helped get clearances for the creation, showed the snow globe in a video: The landmarks I spotted in the snow … Continue reading Ida Red General Store in Tulsa is selling a Route 66 snow globe

Gemini Giant returns to Wilmington with a big welcome-home bash

The Gemini Giant fiberglass statue, which once stood at the closed Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant, returned to Wilmington, Illinois, when it was dedicated Saturday at its new location at South Island Park. The event featured live music, a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, a mobile diner and commemorative memorabilia. The 28-foot-tall Gemini Giant returned to Wilmington with a … Continue reading Gemini Giant returns to Wilmington with a big welcome-home bash

Grant helps give a retro-styled sign for Old Tascosa Brewing Co. in Amarillo

Thanks to a Business Improvement Grant, or BIG, from the City of Amarillo, Texas, the Old Tascosa Brewing Co. recently installed a retro-styled sign in front of its brewery. The sign doesn't have neon, but the chasing lights and big arrow hearken to another era. The Old Tascosa Brewing Co. sits in the middle of … Continue reading Grant helps give a retro-styled sign for Old Tascosa Brewing Co. in Amarillo

New historical marker recognizes El Reno’s fried onion burger heritage

A new “Hungry for History” historic marker recently was planted in El Reno, Oklahoma, that recognizes the city's heritage as the birthplace of the fried onion burger. The marker, facilitated by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, was placed at the northeast corner of Wade Street and Choctaw Avenue, which also is Route 66, in El … Continue reading New historical marker recognizes El Reno’s fried onion burger heritage

Ground broken for The Table restaurant at long-closed flour mill in Springfield

Two sisters recently held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a restaurant that will be built at a century-old flour mill in Springfield, Missouri, that's been closed for more than 50 years. Sheri Perkins and Renee Textor moved shovels of dirt to begin construction for The Table at 610 N. Prospect Ave., near the intersection of Chestnut … Continue reading Ground broken for The Table restaurant at long-closed flour mill in Springfield

Clifton’s Republic in downtown Los Angeles reopens after year-long closure

Clifton's Republic, formerly the long-running Clifton's Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles, recently reopened after it was closed for renovations for about a year. Time Out magazine recently went to the venue and filed a report: Once you enter off Broadway, you’ll find yourself in the split-level Brookdale Dining Hall. (The classic cafeteria, much to the … Continue reading Clifton’s Republic in downtown Los Angeles reopens after year-long closure

Ariston Cafe in Litchfield wins state Centennial Award

The Ariston Cafe along Route 66 in Litchfield, Illinois, recently received the Centennial Award from the Illinois State Historical Society. This honor celebrates the restaurant's century-long commitment to serving the community and preserving a unique piece of Illinois heritage, according to The Journal-News. Jeff Dunn of the Illinois State Historical Society presented the award. The … Continue reading Ariston Cafe in Litchfield wins state Centennial Award

Pizza Shack in Arcadia launching a Storytelling Series

The Pizza Shack in Arcadia, Oklahoma, will host its inaugural Storytelling Series: Session One from 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 10 at the restaurant's stage at 210 E. Highway 66. The restaurant is part of the former Hillbillee's complex that once operated there. According to the Oklahoma Route 66 Association: This first session will feature … Continue reading Pizza Shack in Arcadia launching a Storytelling Series

Floodwaters inundate Route 66 village of Devils Elbow

Floodwaters have inundated the old Route 66 village of Devils Elbow, Missouri, for a second time this decade. Jax Welborn, a Route 66 advocate who lives nearby, posted these shocking photos of floodwaters from the swollen Big Piney River soaking numerous structures there, including the closed Elbow Inn and the historic bridge. The flooding has … Continue reading Floodwaters inundate Route 66 village of Devils Elbow

“BLVD” Cafe sign moved from closed Barstow museum to Duarte Historical Museum

The "BLVD" Cafe sign is back in the town where it once stood. The sign was on loan from the Duarte Historical Society in Duarte, California, to the Route 66 Mother Road Museum in Barstow, California, for about 30 years. But after the museum closed earlier this year, Duarte historian Alan Heller recalled the sign was … Continue reading “BLVD” Cafe sign moved from closed Barstow museum to Duarte Historical Museum