Oklahoma County and several residents of a stretch of original Route 66 on Monday installed a sign that commemorated a brief stop by a former Beatle, Paul McCartney, there in 2008. Shellee Graham, who lives on that segment of historic road with Route 66 historian Jim Ross, was there to help document the installation with … Continue reading New sign marks Paul McCartney’s brief stop on Route 66 in Oklahoma
“Two for the Road” episode on PBS-TV features the Texas Panhandle
A PBS-TV show titled "Two for the Road" recently aired a special episode that features the Texas Panhandle, of which a prominent portion includes Route 66 country. The show generously showcases the Route 66 towns of Shamrock, McLean, Groom, Amarillo, Vega, Adrian and Glenrio, along with Palo Duro Canyon, a popular side trip south of … Continue reading “Two for the Road” episode on PBS-TV features the Texas Panhandle
New Mexico adds new COVID-19 restrictions for two weeks starting Monday
The state of New Mexico will add new restrictions effective Monday because of soaring coronavirus cases there, and more states are likely to join it as the virus reaches a dangerous stage in the growth of infections and overwhelmed hospitals. Four other states on Friday also added COVID-19 restrictions. USA Today, which published a handy … Continue reading New Mexico adds new COVID-19 restrictions for two weeks starting Monday
Cycle 66 tour and festival in Edmond announced for November 2021
The inaugural Cycle 66, a first-of-its-kind urban and rural bicycling tour and festival along historic Route 66, is set for November 2021, with diverse cycling routes showcasing the Mother Road via starting and finishing lines in vibrant downtown Edmond, Oklahoma. The Nov. 7, 2021, tour and festival is a charitable event that seeks to raise … Continue reading Cycle 66 tour and festival in Edmond announced for November 2021
Pulaski County offers playful but serious COVID-19 cautions in a new tourism video
The Pulaski County Tourism Bureau in central Missouri wants people to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously but still wants them to travel Route 66 and to other destinations. With those things in mind, the bureau released a #DoTheFive video that briefly details five things that can be done to slow the spread of the virus, … Continue reading Pulaski County offers playful but serious COVID-19 cautions in a new tourism video
Long-closed gas station in Miami to be converted into Route 66-themed restaurant
A long-vacant gas station at a prominent corner of Miami, Oklahoma, will be converted into a Route 66-themed bistro, tea house and ice cream shop. The Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma recently purchased the former Texaco station that dates to the 1920s, reported the Miami News-Record. The property sits at South Main Street and Steve Owens … Continue reading Long-closed gas station in Miami to be converted into Route 66-themed restaurant
Illinois Scenic Byway unveils revamped website, mobile app, membership program
The Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway on Tuesday -- the 94th anniversary of Route 66 -- announcing several changes it hopes will benefit travelers and boost provide tourism and economic development benefits to attractions and communities along Illinois' portion of Route 66. The new look of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway website The byway's … Continue reading Illinois Scenic Byway unveils revamped website, mobile app, membership program
Barb Adkins, manager of Route 66 Visitors Center in Bloomington, dies at 61
Barb Adkins, a former deputy city manager and civil rights crusader who managed the Cruisin' with Lincoln on 66 visitors center in downtown Bloomington, Illinois, after her retirement, died Saturday. She was 61. Adkins was there when the visitors center opened in 2015 and had 300 visitors in its first three hours: "We're very pleased," … Continue reading Barb Adkins, manager of Route 66 Visitors Center in Bloomington, dies at 61
Time-lapse video shows Adams Street Bridge being dismantled over Kennedy Expressway in Chicago
Chicagoland Route 66 expert David Clark sent me this fascinating time-lapse video of workers demolishing the Adams Street Bridge over the Kennedy Expressway, bit by bit, to make way for the Jane Byrne Interchange. https://youtu.be/K_JajKITzOQ The entire demolition operation was completed in less than a month. The video makes it appear traffic was going under … Continue reading Time-lapse video shows Adams Street Bridge being dismantled over Kennedy Expressway in Chicago
Restoration completed on Red Cedar Inn’s neon sign near Pacific, Missouri
The Route 66 Association of Missouri's restoration of the neon sign at the closed Red Cedar Inn restaurant in Pacific, Missouri, culminated with a ceremonial relighting Sunday night at the site. Below is a video from the event. Ginger Gallagher, who once ran the property, throws the switch shortly after the 9-minute mark: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1063540707428029 The … Continue reading Restoration completed on Red Cedar Inn’s neon sign near Pacific, Missouri