The Walldogs, a group of more than 150 mural painters, is going to paint murals on 17 buildings in Pontiac, Ill., as part of Murals on Main Street and the city's Heritage Days on June 25-28, reports the Pontiac Daily Leader. Seventeen locations for murals have been identified by the planning group, and 17 themes … Continue reading Paint the town red — and other colors
Category: Towns
A memorable spot
The Route 66 town of Gardner, Ill., dedicated its new memory gazebo in its downtown business district on Saturday, reports the Joliet Herald News. Part of the structure contained paving bricks engraved with the names of people that residents new -- some living and some dead. As the program got underway, master of ceremonies Don … Continue reading A memorable spot
A scene from Route 66
Downtown area of Quapaw, Okla., at 10:40 a.m. Monday, Nov. 24, 2008.
Historical icon returning to Miami
There was a time that an Ozark Trail obelisk once graced the Route 66 town of Miami, Okla. It's been gone for many years. But, according to the Miami News-Record, it will return: On Monday, councilmembers accepted the recommendation that a 21-foot obelisk be placed on the corner of Central Avenue and Main Street - … Continue reading Historical icon returning to Miami
That’s a big tree
The town of Williams, Ariz., now has a 48-foot-tall Christmas tree that will sit at the intersection of Route 66 and Second Street, according to KNXV-TV in Phoenix. The tree was harvested from the nearby forest. There will be a lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. Nov. 28 to kick off the holiday season. The Arizona … Continue reading That’s a big tree
Mojave back country
Here's a slide show someone posted of the old mining communities, small towns and ghost towns between Barstow, Calif., and Laughlin, Nev. Many of these towns shriveled up when Interstate 40 bypassed Route 66. Kudos to the Western score, although I can't place which movie it's from.
Drive, don’t fly
A travel Web site, AboutAnywhere.com, is urging travelers to drive instead of fly during the upcoming holiday season because gas prices have dropped enough in recent weeks to make it economical again. It also cites Amarillo and its share of Route 66 as a holiday destination. From its news release: ... [M]ention holiday travels and … Continue reading Drive, don’t fly
A Route 66 tribute to St. Louis
St. Louis roadie Joe Sonderman has put together this video tribute to the Mother Road in the Gateway City. A lot of the images come from his postcard collection and the archives of the Missouri Department of Transportation. Most of these photos also can be found in his book, "Route 66 in St. Louis."
A look at the Illinois Route 66 master plan
Yesterday, the Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project released a proposed Interpretive Master Plan executive summary, which seeks to "enhance and to promote economic opportunities" to communities on historic Route 66 in Illinois. The plan was written by the University of Wisconsin's Schmeeckle Reserve Interpreters of Stevens Point. The entire 32-page document can be viewed here, … Continue reading A look at the Illinois Route 66 master plan
Kudos to Edmond
The Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond has been criticized fairly regularly here for embracing its Route 66 heritage far too late, after nearly all of its historic treasures are gone. However, give Edmond credit where credit's due. According to the Daily Oklahoman, the Route 66 Classics in the Park Car Show and Craft Fair this … Continue reading Kudos to Edmond