Route 66 Malt Shop loses its lease

The Route 66 Malt Shop restaurant, in the Nob Hill area of Albuquerque, lost its lease on the property it is situated, and its future appears uncertain. According to Albuquerque Business First, the lease ends July 31: Sperry Van Ness/Walt Arnold Commercial Brokerage adviser and retail specialist Glenn Wright is now marketing the 1,920-square-foot space for … Continue reading Route 66 Malt Shop loses its lease

Man restoring old gas station in Foyil

A resident of Foyil, Oklahoma, is restoring a late 1920s filling station along an original alignment of Route 66 through the town. Nathan Williams informed me his brother-in-law, Kean Isaacs, aims to restore the station to "its original condition or as close as possible." According to an email: He hopes to turn it into an information … Continue reading Man restoring old gas station in Foyil

Japanese man plans to retrace Andy Payne’s Bunion Derby trek

A Japanese ultramarathon runner later this month plans to retrace Andy Payne's steps during the 1928 International Transcontinental Foot Race, better known as the Bunion Derby. Atsuyuki Katsuyama, a native of Japan who lives in Thailand, will begin the 3,400-mile trek from Los Angeles to New York City on April 25 and hopes to finish it in … Continue reading Japanese man plans to retrace Andy Payne’s Bunion Derby trek

Haunted House restaurant soon will be auctioned

The Haunted House restaurant, which has sat off the 1950s-1980s alignment of Route 66 in Oklahoma City for more than 50 years, soon will be auctioned because of declining health of its nearly 90-year-old owner, reported The Oklahoman newspaper. The steakhouse will be auctioned by Dakil Auctioneers on April 16. The eatery sits on a … Continue reading Haunted House restaurant soon will be auctioned

Route 66 advocate named to Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame

Sally Bourne Ferrell of Chandler, Oklahoma, an early leader in the creation of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and one of the champions in restoring a historic armory that became the Route 66 Interpretive Center, was announced as an inductee to the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame, according to a report in The Oklahoman newspaper. The induction … Continue reading Route 66 advocate named to Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame

Two people found slain in Bristow motel

A man and a woman were found dead Sunday at the Carolyn Inn motel on Route 66 in Bristow, Oklahoma, according to several media outlets in the area, including KWTV. The Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation is treating the scene as a homicide. Dead were Jake Allen Wright, 19, and Ruth Ann Rex, 31, The state Medical Examiner’s … Continue reading Two people found slain in Bristow motel

Romeoville art fair will include Bob Waldmire tribute

The inaugural Route 66 Kiwanis Art Fair in Romeoville, Illinois, on Aug. 22 will include a tribute to late Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire. The fair will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Edward Hospital Athletic and Event Center at 55 Phelps Ave. in Romeoville (map here), less than a … Continue reading Romeoville art fair will include Bob Waldmire tribute

Albuquerque’s Aztec Motel sign taken down

The sign for the Aztec Motel, the only remainder of the historic Route 66 motel in Albuquerque that was torn down in 2011, was taken down Friday, according to several sources that included one eyewitness. The fate of the sign remains uncertain, although the city's Route 66 Action Plan mentions including it as part of a pocket … Continue reading Albuquerque’s Aztec Motel sign taken down

Route 66 festival planned in Europe in 2016

Route 66 aficionados across the pond in the past week have organized a European Route 66 Festival in 2016 that already includes firm dates, activities and the logo you see above. Longtime Route 66 enthusiast Dries Bessels of the Netherlands created the European Route66 Festival page on Facebook -- which is a closed group, but … Continue reading Route 66 festival planned in Europe in 2016

Grant sought for new roof on Navajo County Historic Courthouse

Navajo County will submit a cost-share grant application to help pay for new roof on its historic courthouse in Holbrook, Arizona, according to the The Tribune-News. The application for $30,000 is through the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. If awarded, Navajo County likely will have to share the cost of the roof 50/50 or supply … Continue reading Grant sought for new roof on Navajo County Historic Courthouse