A portion of the National Trails Highway (aka Route 66) from Essex, California, to just east of Amboy, California, may remain closed until 2016 because flash flooding in September 2014 damaged the roadway and bridges there, according to a San Bernardino County official. The flooding washed away about 50 bridges from Essex to Ludlow, California. … Continue reading Part of Route 66 in Mojave Desert may remain closed until 2016
Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center opens
The Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center, a prominent new part of the McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington, Illinois, opened to more than 300 guests in just three hours during its debut Saturday, according to the Bloomington Pantagraph. Spurred by the success of Pontiac, Illinois, playing up Route 66 tourism, Bloomington embarked on a major renovation … Continue reading Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center opens
The top 10 restaurants of Route 66 are …
You can call it a landslide. The people have spoken, and the No. 1 restaurant on Route 66 won by nearly a 2-to-1 margin over the runner-up. More than two weeks ago, we launched an online poll via PollDaddy.com to find out from readers what they considered to be Route 66’s top 10 restaurants. More … Continue reading The top 10 restaurants of Route 66 are …
Section of old Route 66 in Kansas added to National Register
A 2-mile section of old Route 66 north of Baxter Springs, Kansas, was added to the National Register of Historic Places effective April 14, according to an email this week from the National Park Service. The National Register designation was expected after the Kansas Historical Society nominated it in February. The section of roadway also … Continue reading Section of old Route 66 in Kansas added to National Register
Carthage restaurant sues Springfield eatery for trademark violation
The owner of Whisler's Drive Up restaurant in Carthage, Missouri, filed a trademark-infringement lawsuit against the owner of a Whisler's restaurant in Springfield, Missouri, according to the Springfield News-Leader. Whisler's Drive Up has been operating at 300 N. Garrison Ave., in Carthage since 1953 on an alignment that was marked Route 66 from the 1930s … Continue reading Carthage restaurant sues Springfield eatery for trademark violation
Short film coming about Will Rogers, Route 66
In recent days, a film crew has been working with "Route 66: The Mother Road" author Michael Wallis and Jennifer Rogers-Etcheverry, great-granddaughter of Oklahoma humorist Will Rogers, at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, and other locations for a project. Russ Kirkpatrick of Kirkpatrick & Kinslow Productions in nearby Tulsa told me in an email what … Continue reading Short film coming about Will Rogers, Route 66
A closer look at Oatman
A Northern Arizona University student, Margo McClellan, produced an audio documentary about the Route 66 town of Oatman, Arizona. McClellan told the Mojave Daily News she came to the town because of its famous burros, but also became fascinated by its residents. The documentary is below, with photos to accompany the audio: Oatman AZ - … Continue reading A closer look at Oatman
What I did on my vacation
The answer is: not much. It is supposed to be R&R time, after all. However, my ever-creative companion Emily (aka Redforkhippie) was busy at the historic Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, painting images of extinct neon signs that once graced Route 66 in Tucumcari, plus one in nearby San Jon, in one of … Continue reading What I did on my vacation
What’s left of the Club Cafe
The teardown of the long-closed Club Cafe in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, began a few weeks ago. Acting on a tip, we found this striking scene on what was the interior of the restaurant, its roof removed and open to the sky and weather: Here's a brief video of what we found: https://youtu.be/gp1zlqVZ5h0 Via 66Postcards.com, … Continue reading What’s left of the Club Cafe
Woman eats three 72-ounce steak dinners in 20 minutes
Molly Schuyler, the 120-pound Nebraska woman who ate two 72-ounce steak dinners in one 15-minute sitting at Amarillo's Big Texan Steak Ranch a year ago, devoured three 72-ounce steak dinners in a mere 20 minutes Sunday afternoon and broke a record, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. The crowd cheered as Schuyler, a Nebraska native who … Continue reading Woman eats three 72-ounce steak dinners in 20 minutes