An uncredited travel writer for the Chicago Sun-Times tries to follow the mantra of Slow Travel and take a trip on Route 66 from the Windy City to Springfield, Ill. The writer found rewards in particular at the Ambler-Becker Texaco Station in Dwight, which now is a visitors center, and the Cozy Dog Drive-In in … Continue reading Slow travel
Category: Road trips
Critters may get a shock trying to cross the Mother Road
The state of New Mexico has installed electric fencing and a sort of cattle guard in the Tijeras Canyon area east of Albuquerque to prevent wild animals from crossing in front of motorists traveling on Interstate 40 and nearby old Route 66, reports the Santa Fe New Mexican. The 7-foot-high fence will deliver a mild … Continue reading Critters may get a shock trying to cross the Mother Road
Railsplitter Festival adds a Route 66 event
The 37th annual Abraham Lincoln National Railsplitting and Crafts Festival in Lincoln, Ill., this weekend focuses on ol' Honest Abe, but there is something also for Route 66ers, according to the Lincoln Courier: The Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County will hold a "drive along" tour of Route 66 attractions in Logan County both … Continue reading Railsplitter Festival adds a Route 66 event
Man drives 1935 Ford on Mother Road
The Quad City Times in northwest Illinois has the story about Paul O'Brien, who drove a 1935 Ford Tudor from Seal Beach, Calif., to his home area of Grand Mound, Iowa -- much of his trek on Route 66. It took him eight days to complete the trip. The Ford was prone to overheat, and … Continue reading Man drives 1935 Ford on Mother Road
Book review: “Traveling the Historic Three”
Here's something for roadies: A guidebook for traveling not one, not two, but three historic highways, all in a compact loop. Illinois Route 66 preservationists John and Lenore Weiss recently published the "Traveling the Historic Three" (self-published, 74 pages, $9.95), which is a guidebook to Route 66, the Lincoln Highway and the Dixie Highway in … Continue reading Book review: “Traveling the Historic Three”
Notes from the road
Road correspondent Mark Potter reports that the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., has been returned to its original 1939 color scheme of blue. For many years, the motel was mostly of a coral color. Folks in Springfield, Mo., who are fighting the proposed relocation of Missouri 266, aka Route 66, in their town have … Continue reading Notes from the road
Another fundraiser on the road
Three men in their 60s from Pennsylvania are traveling Route 66 westward to San Bernardino, Calif., as a fundraiser for KidsVoice, an advocacy program for neglected or abused kids in Allegheny County, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The three have a plastic dinosaur mascot called Carnie that's tagging along for the ride. They take pictures of … Continue reading Another fundraiser on the road
“On the Road” again
On the 50th anniversary of the publication of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road," longtime roadie Dave Hoekstra of the Chicago Sun-Times takes a look at "On the Road: The Original Scroll," which contains the original text Kerouac typed during a caffeine-fueled marathon session. The never-before-published scroll anchors the second half of the book in one … Continue reading “On the Road” again
Return to the road
Last year, cancer survivor Rodger Fox of Jacksonville, Ill., and a small group of other motorcycle riders drove all of Route 66 for the Ride for the Relay cancer-research fundraiser. Fox had so much fun, he's doing it again. This year's 12-day Ride for the Relay, which will generate money for the Tri-County Relay for … Continue reading Return to the road
In the Land of Lincoln
A freelance writer for the Waterloo Record in Canada recently drove Route 66 in Illinois and filed this report. It contains a few minor errors, but overall it's a nice mix of Mother Road history and what the road is like now.