Heritage Corridor Destinations recently unveiled its 2026 Route 66 Travel Guide at City Square in downtown Joliet, Illinois. The 2026 guide provides travelers with a new resource for exploring the first 100 miles of Route 66 as the iconic highway celebrates its historic centennial anniversary. The announcement took place during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for City Square, Joliet's new … Continue reading Heritage Corridor Destinations releases 2026 Route 66 Travel Guide
Category: Road trips
Jersey girls traveling Route 66 in a souped-up ambulance to help spur blood donations
Longtime friends and Jersey girls Lori Talbot and Marie Forrestal are driving a retired, souped-up ambulance named Rosie the Rescuer more than 2,500 miles along Route 66 for the documentary "Miles of Kindness." They wish to ignite a movement to end the blood shortage in America. Their mission: inspire 2,500 blood donations (one for every mile traveled) and raise awareness … Continue reading Jersey girls traveling Route 66 in a souped-up ambulance to help spur blood donations
Ultrarunner to retrace much of the Bunion Derby from Chicago to Santa Monica
Ultrarunner Zach Fiske will undertake a big task next month -- completing the 2,400-mile Route 66 Centennial Bunion Derby Commemorative Run that begins in Chicago. The event has been designated an Official Route 66 Centennial Project as honoring the history, culture and enduring legacy of the “Main Street of America” during the 100th anniversary of Route … Continue reading Ultrarunner to retrace much of the Bunion Derby from Chicago to Santa Monica
Cruise Route 66 from El Reno to Tulsa during the mid-1960s
Bruce Clark recently posted this six-minute home video (with no sound) from the mid-1960s of a Route 66 trip from El Reno, Oklahoma, to Tulsa. In it, you'll see a lot of cool neon signs and plenty of Space Age architecture. Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, in the comment thread, narrowed … Continue reading Cruise Route 66 from El Reno to Tulsa during the mid-1960s
CBS Sunday Morning produces a short feature on Route 66
On Sunday, the "CBS Sunday Morning" program produced a 6 1/2-minute feature about Route 66 during its centennial year. The segment includes archived footage from CBS, including Charles Kuralt at Cadillac Ranch during the 1970s, Blue Swallow Motel owner Lillian Redman in 1993 and Angel Delgadillo in 1989. It has new footage, too, of "Route … Continue reading CBS Sunday Morning produces a short feature on Route 66
Asleep At the Wheel announces Route 66 Centennial Tour
The iconic western swing band Asleep At the Wheel this week announced a Route 66 Centennial Tour in August and September, where it will perform at selected Route 66 cities. "Come Get Your Kicks on Route 66!" the band stated on its Facebook page. Here is the list of dates, cities and venues: Aug. 20: … Continue reading Asleep At the Wheel announces Route 66 Centennial Tour
Gearhead Curios owner participating in Proud to be IN America Ride
Aaron Perry, owner of Gearhead Curios in Galena, Kansas, is participating in the Proud to be IN America Ride from June 28 through July 12 along Route 66. Perry, an Army veteran, wrote in an email: I want to invite you to join us for a ride to honor Veterans past, present and future, not … Continue reading Gearhead Curios owner participating in Proud to be IN America Ride
Kickstarter campaign launched for “Neon Notes: Postmarked from the Road” project
Colorado-based artist and writer Colby Helzer has launched a Kickstarter campaign for her "Neon Notes: Postmarked from the Road," a Route 66 Centennial Certified Project. The campaign aims to raise $15,000 for the project. Here's what Helzer wrote about it: Neon Notes: Postmarked from the Road is an independent Route 66 archival storytelling project created … Continue reading Kickstarter campaign launched for “Neon Notes: Postmarked from the Road” project
66-year-old cyclist pedals length of Route 66 in a record-breaking 10 1/2 days
Ultracyclist Joe Barr, 66, of Northern Ireland, traveled all 2,448 miles of Route 66 from Santa Monica to Chicago in slightly over 10 1/2 days, which is a provisional record. According to Cycling Weekly, Barr finished the trek last Friday in 10 days, 12 hours, 3 minutes, which included 21,000 meters of climbing. My calculations … Continue reading 66-year-old cyclist pedals length of Route 66 in a record-breaking 10 1/2 days
Route 66 author T. Lindsay Baker dies in accident during Route 66 Centennial Caravan
T. Lindsay Baker, a historian and author of two Route 66-themed books, died Thursday morning in an accident on Interstate 40 near Flagstaff, Arizona, while participating in the Route 66 Centennial Caravan as a Texas representative. He was 79. The Texas Old Route 66 Association stated in a Facebook post that Baker had been driving … Continue reading Route 66 author T. Lindsay Baker dies in accident during Route 66 Centennial Caravan