The Tulsa Route 66 Commission recently boosted the money available for its neon-sign grant program by 60 percent. According to Tulsa Public Radio, the commission's revised budget is allocating $40,000 for the program, instead of the $25,000 originally proposed. The commission will award matching grants up to $10,000 for new signs or repairs to existing … Continue reading Tulsa commission bolsters Route 66 neon sign funding
Sirloin Stockade in Rolla reopens nine months after fire
The Sirloin Stockade restaurant in Rolla, Missouri, recently reopened after a fire severely damaged it in February. Fire officials described the restaurant along Route 66 on the city's west side as a total loss after the blaze. As KY3 television in Springfield, Missouri, reported, the small regional restaurant chain decided to use the opportunity to … Continue reading Sirloin Stockade in Rolla reopens nine months after fire
Route 66 Road Ahead launches YouTube channel
The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership recently launched its own YouTube channel and uploaded its first on-the-road video filmed by three young guys in an eight-week campaign that seeks to attract younger generations to the historic highway. Here's the first video from the trio in Illinois, uploaded today: https://youtu.be/mJrOWGMre0Y According to a news release from … Continue reading Route 66 Road Ahead launches YouTube channel
Bill Geist 1991 segment on Route 66 finally goes online
Back in 1991, about the time the renaissance of Route 66 was starting, "CBS Sunday Morning" correspondent Bill Geist traveled a section of the Mother Road from Albuquerque westward for a nine-minute segment on the weekly program. Those nine minutes had never made it online -- until now. The occasion was prompted by Geist's retirement … Continue reading Bill Geist 1991 segment on Route 66 finally goes online
Axing of bus deal brings another delay to Albuquerque Rapid Transit
Albuquerque's mayor announced this week he is yanking 15 BYD electric buses off the street and will replace them with 10 nonelectric buses, bringing another delay to the troubled Albuquerque Rapid Transit project. Mayor Tim Keller recently grounded the buses after city inspectors found myriad problems with the vehicles. The Albuquerque Journal listed the problems … Continue reading Axing of bus deal brings another delay to Albuquerque Rapid Transit
Sod Poodles chosen as name of Amarillo baseball team
The new Amarillo minor-league baseball team, an AA affiliate of the San Diego Padres, announced Tuesday afternoon the name of its club will be the Sod Poodles. Sod Poodles is another name for prairie dogs, an animal native to the Texas Plains. The team also will be called the Soddies, for short. Other finalists for … Continue reading Sod Poodles chosen as name of Amarillo baseball team
Book review: “66 on 66: A Photographer’s Journey”
Terrence Moore has documented Route 66 with his camera for more than 40 years, giving him a lot a props simply because you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who's done it that long. The huge majority of photographers became drawn to the Mother Road after it was decertified during the 1980s, not before. But … Continue reading Book review: “66 on 66: A Photographer’s Journey”
Painted Desert Trading Post gets a more level look
Take a look at this days-old photograph of the front of the remnants of the Painted Desert Trading Post in eastern Arizona. Notice anything different? If you're not seeing it, here's a photograph from a few months before: Those straighter lines you now see along the roof line are not an illusion. Volunteers with the … Continue reading Painted Desert Trading Post gets a more level look
Rockin’ Route 66 festival in Tucumcari will have key differences from predecessor
Some details about the Rockin' Route 66 festival in Tucumcari, New Mexico, on June 27-30 were released last week, revealing a few key differences from the festival's predecessor, Rockabilly on the Route. -- First, Rockin' Route 66 will not feature just rockabilly music, as its forerunner did. According to an email from Brian Whitcomb, president … Continue reading Rockin’ Route 66 festival in Tucumcari will have key differences from predecessor
Albuquerque repeals anti-cruising ordinance
The Albuquerque city council this week unanimously repealed a 2005 cruising ordinance, allowing Route 66 enthusiasts to take a slow journey down Central Avenue in their classic cars without flouting the law. The move was expected. The city council a year ago formed a task force to revisit the issue. According to the Albuquerque Journal, … Continue reading Albuquerque repeals anti-cruising ordinance