German trio wants to drive a Wartburg car on Route 66

Three guys from Germany want to drive a vintage Wartburg automobile on Route 66 and other American sites in August and September and raise money for charity. Arnold Schneider, Maximiliano di Paola and Jörg Tissat want to bring the Wartburg 311 camping/station wagon, nicknamed Willy, across the Atlantic Ocean to New York, where they will … Continue reading German trio wants to drive a Wartburg car on Route 66

Route 66 tourist center opens in Edwardsville

A Route 66 information center in Edwardsville, Illinois, has opened in the Afterwords Books store, which was a tourist inn for Route 66 travelers many years ago. The Edwardsville Intelligencer reports the city's Historic Preservation Commission forged a partnership with the bookstore to offer brochures and information about restaurants, museums, hotels, entertainment and other visitor information about Edwardsville. Cindy Reinhardt … Continue reading Route 66 tourist center opens in Edwardsville

Joplin may update its historic preservation plan

A consulting firm is helping the Historic Preservation Commission of Joplin, Missouri, update the city's historic preservation plan, reported the Joplin Globe. Peter Benton and Elizabeth Watson of Pennsylvania-based Heritage Strategies was hired by the commission and provide a draft of the updated plan. The Globe reported: A priority, Benton said, is to create and monitor … Continue reading Joplin may update its historic preservation plan

Graphic novel of “Cars” movie coming this summer

Toronto-based Joe Books will publish a thick, graphic-novel version of the 2006 Disney-Pixar animated movie "Cars" this summer. The Bleeding Cool website got the scoop Thursday. The print version of "Cars" will be 380 pages in softcover ($29.99 list) or hardcover ($49.99 list). A description of the book from the publisher: Hotshot rookie race car Lightning McQueen … Continue reading Graphic novel of “Cars” movie coming this summer

Wex’s long advertisement on Route 66

Brafton Content Marketing recently produced this four-part Web video series for Wex fuel-fleet cards. As you'll see, the series makes stops at several Route 66 landmarks in Illinois, New Mexico, Arizona and California. https://youtu.be/QAL5anTnSyo https://youtu.be/owFgUBVdpBc https://youtu.be/vLEPYS90W2E https://youtu.be/e0sIP0AkPP8

New sculpture being installed next to Tulsa Route 66

A new sculpture is being installed this week next to the Route 66 Gateway at Crystal City Shopping Center in west Tulsa. Artist Eileen Gay of Reno, Nevada, delivered the sculpture, titled "Floating Hanger." The Tulsa World had a description of it: Ten feet in diameter, the sculpture resembles two rotary gears, one larger than … Continue reading New sculpture being installed next to Tulsa Route 66

County seeks grant for Sidewalk Highway

Ottawa County in northeast Oklahoma is seeking more than $450,000 in federal Transportation Alternatives Program money to fix the "Sidewalk Highway" of original Route 66 south of Miami. According to an article in the Miami News-Record: If awarded, the money would be used to repair a one-mile segment in a project that would extend for three years to … Continue reading County seeks grant for Sidewalk Highway

City council approves Albuquerque Rapid Transit 7-2

The Albuquerque City Council voted 7-2 Monday night to approve the mayor's $120 million bus-transit plan that will bring big changes to Central Avenue, aka Route 66. The vote came after a "noisy" four-hour debate, reported the Albuquerque Journal. Supporters of the project were in the minority at city hall. Councilors Dan Lewis and Klarissa Pena … Continue reading City council approves Albuquerque Rapid Transit 7-2

“Route 66” with the Time Jumpers

Here's something special. Ray Benson, frontman for the western-swing outfit Asleep At the Wheel, sings "Route 66" with the Time Jumpers during a recent gig in Nashville. https://youtu.be/Bdm23K7xYls In case you didn't know, the Time Jumpers is a group of Nashville studio musicians who started playing classic country, swing, jazz and pop songs together nearly 20 … Continue reading “Route 66” with the Time Jumpers

Winslow’s tourism season began early with Glenn Frey’s death

Apparently The Eagles' loss was Winslow's gain. When Glenn Frey died in January, it wasn't surprising Winslow, Arizona, and its Standin' on a Corner Park saw a sudden influx of tourists wanting to pay tribute to the founder of the massively popular country-rock band. Standin' on a Corner Park pays tribute to The Eagles' first hit, "Take … Continue reading Winslow’s tourism season began early with Glenn Frey’s death