Edgewood event takes more of a Route 66 focus

The Mountain View Telegraph reports that the Run, Rally & Rock festival in Edgewood, N.M., is altering its focal point: What used to be the town's Run, Rally and Rock event was recently trademarked by the Edgewood Chamber of Commerce, according to Executive Director Myra Oden. While she has asked the town to contribute advertising … Continue reading Edgewood event takes more of a Route 66 focus

Notes from the road

There seems to be some activity at the long-abandoned old Route 66 town of Spencer, Mo. We heard from Gary Turner up the road at Gay Parita that someone has bought the town's handful of buildings and plans to revive it with a gift shop and maybe other things. When we drove by on Sunday … Continue reading Notes from the road

‘Tucumcari Tonite’ billboards will return

After a short hiatus, the famed "Tucumari Tonite!" billboards that once graced Route 66 will be returning to Interstate 40 and U.S. 54 to publicize that eastern New Mexico town, reports the Quay County Sun. For more than a year, billboards advertising the city have featured a silhouette of cowboys on horseback and the slogan … Continue reading ‘Tucumcari Tonite’ billboards will return

Checking in

This post comes from a clean, comfortable and inexpensive room at the Gardens Motel in Litchfield, Ill. We got into Litchfield not long after the sun began to dip low on the ripened wheat and sprouting horseradish fields. On the way, we found the concretes at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis are as … Continue reading Checking in

A final goodbye

The San Bernardino County Sun today ran a belated obituary for Bessie Burris, 91, who died on May 17. Burris was the wife of Buster Burris, who co-owned Roy's and the Route 66 town of Amboy, Calif., for many years. Juan Pollo restaurant chain owner Albert Okura now owns Amboy and plans to restore it. … Continue reading A final goodbye

Super weird

From today's San Bernardino (Calif.) County Sun: Four Italian men from an international film crew were showered with a superheroic welcome Friday at the San Bernardino headquarters for Juan Pollo Restaurants as they stopped by the corporate offices and museums. Each was dressed as a comic-book hero.Decked in Robin, Captain America, Flash Gordon and Superman … Continue reading Super weird

How to fry an egg on a sidewalk

The little western Arizona town of Oatman is scheduled to hold its annual Sidewalk Egg Fry on July 4. The Mohave Daily News notes that the event is always on July 4, no matter on what day it falls. Fred Eck of the local chamber provided some tips to those who may be competing: “Get … Continue reading How to fry an egg on a sidewalk

TV station touts Joliet’s Route 66 connection

The city of Joliet, Ill.'s fairly recent embrace of Route 66 has paid off again. This time, WLS-TV, the big ABC affiliate in Chicago, has featured it as one of its "one tank trips" for local tourists. Check it out. It's smart marketing. While the price of gas goes higher, Joliet is drawing visitors from … Continue reading TV station touts Joliet’s Route 66 connection

‘Mural City’ adds another decoration to its walls

The Route 66 town of Cuba, Mo., is known as Mural City because of its many murals that pay tribute to the people and events of its past. It's not exactly a mural, but a sculpture at Route 66 and Missouri Highway 19 creates much of the same effect. It's a 15-foot-long, 320-pound sculpture, created … Continue reading ‘Mural City’ adds another decoration to its walls