Mitchell Caverns, a Route 66 attraction in California's Mojave Desert until state budget cuts forced its closing six years ago, is slated to reopen in May or June. A spokesman for the California parks system told The Press-Enterprise it doesn't have a firm date for reopening because "we still have some work to do" in … Continue reading Mitchell Caverns will reopen later this year
New fundraiser launched for The Mill in Lincoln
The Mill restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois, will reopen as a local museum April 29, but organizers for the Route 66 landmark seek to raise money for final restoration expenses before the big event. This week, a Crowdrise fundraiser was launched by the Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County. Here's what it says: The Mill … Continue reading New fundraiser launched for The Mill in Lincoln
66 Drive-In in Carthage changes owners
The 66 Drive-In theater in Carthage, Missouri, is changing owners for the first time in about 30 years. Fortunately, the new proprietors are familiar with how the place is run. The Carthage Press reports the the longtime owners of the Route 66 landmark, Mark and Dixie Goodman, have sold it to former local sheriff's deputy … Continue reading 66 Drive-In in Carthage changes owners
Oatman Road near Topock to be closed four days for bridge work
Oatman Road near Topock, Arizona, will be closed for four days starting today while an innovative new bridge is built over a flood-prone wash. The Arizona Department of Transportation and Mohave County are constructing a prefabricated bridge over Sacramento Wash on Oatman Road (aka Route 66) one mile north of Interstate 40, according to a … Continue reading Oatman Road near Topock to be closed four days for bridge work
Warmer weather decreases sap harvest at Funks Grove Maple Sirup
An unseasonably warm winter decreased the annual sap harvest by a third at Funks Grove Maple Sirup near Shirley, Illinois. The co-operator of the fabled Route 66 business also said climate change may mean a permanent change in when maple sap is harvested at the nearly 200-year-old farm. I recently saw a report a warmer-than-usual winter led … Continue reading Warmer weather decreases sap harvest at Funks Grove Maple Sirup
Radiator Springs cast will make an appearance in “Cars 3”
Disney-Pixar this week confirmed what long had been rumored -- the original "Cars" cast from the fictional Route 66 town of Radiator Springs will make an appearance in the upcoming "Cars 3" film this summer. "Cars 3" is introducing a bunch of new characters who are trying to get Lightning McQueen back on the racetrack … Continue reading Radiator Springs cast will make an appearance in “Cars 3”
Woman stole $313,000 in Petrified Forest National Park entrance fees
A former worker at the Petrified Forest National Park in eastern Arizona was sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to pay back the $313,000 in entrance fees she stole. Sharon Baldwin, 47, of Sanders, Arizona, also must undergo three years of supervised release, according to a report in the Arizona Republic. She had … Continue reading Woman stole $313,000 in Petrified Forest National Park entrance fees
Son of tony restaurant owner charged in shooting at Eat-Rite Diner
The son of one of the most acclaimed restaurants in St. Louis -- even the country -- was charged with shooting a man during a dispute in the parking lot of one of the city's most blue-collar restaurants, the Eat-Rite Diner. James Bommarito, 51, is accused of shooting and lightly wounding Anthony Bertoglio, 30, in the … Continue reading Son of tony restaurant owner charged in shooting at Eat-Rite Diner
Exporting the buzz of Route 66 to England
The Outside Collective, a London-based creative and illustration agency, last year helped create a huge Route 66 mural featuring several Illinois landmarks. I just now found out about it. The mural was at on the side of The Hat & Feathers pub on the corner of Clerkenwell and Goswell roads in London (map here). It was 52 … Continue reading Exporting the buzz of Route 66 to England
Smashing Pumpkins frontman takes Route 66 again
Billy Corgan, best-known as the singer and songwriter for the 1990s band Smashing Pumpkins, recently meandered across America, including parts of Route 66 in Arizona and California. There's no real point to the video, except Corgan does like the old Mother Road. https://youtu.be/bkfBFh4Uu_s Corgan also traveled Route 66 about a year ago from Missouri to at … Continue reading Smashing Pumpkins frontman takes Route 66 again