More than a year ago, Albert Okura, owner of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain in Southern California, purchased the entire Route 66 town of Amboy, Calif. He was hoping to restore the cafe, gas station and perhaps the motel to some semblance of its former self. The Ontario (Calif.) Daily Bulletin has an update today … Continue reading So what’s going on with Amboy?
Category: Towns
Newberry Springs becomes a speculators’ market
The small Mojave Desert town of Newberry Springs, Calif., which is on Route 66, has suddenly become a hot spot for real-estate speculators, reports Mike Anton of the Los Angeles Times. Last year, $15.6 million in real estate sold in the ZIP Code encompassing much of Newberry Springs, nearly seven times [my emphasis] the amount … Continue reading Newberry Springs becomes a speculators’ market
Taking the scenic route
After fits and starts too complicated to recount here, the quest to make Route 66 in Oklahoma a scenic byway is starting to get some traction. (Disclosure: I was involved to a small degree in this effort via the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, but we finally got someone in the state who will do this … Continue reading Taking the scenic route
Mount Olive and Mother Jones
The Associated Content site has listed a "history detour" about Mount Olive, Ill., and its most famous resident, union activist Mother Jones. She is buried just off old Route 66 in the Union Miners Cemetery, and a monument also was erected there in her honor. The article also mentions the restored Soulsby Station on 66.
Preview of Route 66 Days
The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader has a preview story and pretty much all the details about the Route 66 Days festival this coming Saturday in Strafford.
Fire destroys Oatman home
Ordinarily, a home fire without injuries is nothing I would get too concerned about on Route 66 News. But this home fire was on the main drag of the isolated Route 66 desert town of Oatman, Ariz. Fires are a huge concern in Oatman because the businesses are packed together, and firefighting help is about … Continue reading Fire destroys Oatman home
What’s right — and wrong — with Edwardsville
Here's an article from the Alton (Ill.) Telegraph about nearby Edwardsville being named host of the national Route 66 Festival in 2008, which has already been reported here and several other newspapers. Here's the quote from the story that bugged me, however: "It’s going to put us on the map," said Carol Foreman, director of … Continue reading What’s right — and wrong — with Edwardsville
Old-fashioned soda fountain opens in Lincoln, Ill.
O'Donohue's Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain opened Thursday at 111-113 N. Kickapoo St. in downtown Lincoln, Ill., reports the Lincoln Courier. It sounds like the proprietors went all-out in creating a distinctive look: The soda fountain is along one silvery, glistening side of the business's two-part soda bar, the other, a repository for gallons of hard-serve, premium … Continue reading Old-fashioned soda fountain opens in Lincoln, Ill.
Meet me in St. Louis
Most roadies already know of the allures of St. Louis, but this article by the Calgary Sun serves as a good reminder -- many of the city's attractions are free, the excellent dining is less expensive than many other major U.S. cities, and the unique frozen treat that is Ted Drewes Frozen Custard on Route … Continue reading Meet me in St. Louis
A cool place that few know is there
Livejournal is sort of like MySpace: There are lots of people and lots of traffic, but you have to sift through bushels and bushels of chaff to find a few nuggets of wheat. I found a tasty morsel today in shadowplay2's impressions of Route 66 in Illinois. He stopped at the Ariston Cafe in Litchfield … Continue reading A cool place that few know is there