A fire closed Ted Drewes Frozen Custard at its Chippewa Street site (aka Route 66) in St. Louis today. However, it seems the blaze was minor, and the stand likely will reopen by early evening. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the fire started in the attic about noon today, and firefighters put it out quickly. … Continue reading Ted Drewes Frozen Custard temporarily closes after fire
Dinosaur moves to Grand Canyon Caverns
A 40-foot-long dinosaur statue evicted from a Southern California neighborhood because of zoning issues has landed in its new home at Grand Canyon Caverns near Peach Springs, Ariz. Longtime roadie Jim Conkle sent me these photos of the life-size apatosaurus that Grand Canyon Caverns recently installed on its grounds. A formal ceremony to dedicate the dinosaur will … Continue reading Dinosaur moves to Grand Canyon Caverns
Palms Grill Cafe lands interim managers
The historic Palms Grill Cafe along Route 66 in Atlanta, Ill., has reopened under an interim manager until a new, permanent manager for the restaurant is found. Peggy Payne (of Peggy's Place in nearby Lincoln, Ill.) and her husband Tom (known for his Fat Boys BBQ in Lincoln) to act as interim managers of the Grill … Continue reading Palms Grill Cafe lands interim managers
Owners of Highlander Motel commit suicide
The co-owners of the historic Highlander Motel on Route 66 in Williams, Ariz., committed suicide within days of each other last month, according to media reports in Europe. The husband-and-wife team of Alan Aernoudt and Sandra Driesse of Belgium bought the motel in March 2011. Once they moved there months later, they quickly went to work renovating … Continue reading Owners of Highlander Motel commit suicide
Walldog Museum offering customized holiday cards
The International Walldog Mural & Sign Art Museum in Pontiac, Ill., is offering customized holiday greeting cards of the town's famous Route 66 mural at a discounted price during the month of November, according to a news release from Pontiac Tourism. According to the news release: The picture can include you and your family in front … Continue reading Walldog Museum offering customized holiday cards
Programming note
If you have noticed Route 66 News acting strangely in the past few days, it's probably because our host is doing long-term maintenance work on its servers. Such work under the hood is necessary, but it occasionally causes odd behavior on the website. In one instance, a longtime contributor's comment inexplicably wound up in the … Continue reading Programming note
Work day set for Nov. 16 at Henry’s Rabbit Ranch
Volunteers have scheduled a short work day on Nov. 16, to spruce up the area around the Stanley Cour-Tel signs at Henry's Rabbit Ranch on old Route 66 in Staunton, Ill. The Stanley Cour-Tel neon signs were salvaged from a Route 66 motel in west St. Louis. The signs were moved before the motel was razed … Continue reading Work day set for Nov. 16 at Henry’s Rabbit Ranch
“Albuquerque”
Stumbled onto this song by Sananda Maitreya and his band, The Nudge Nudge, about a certain New Mexico city. https://youtu.be/f1Cgyfu-Uwo You probably know Maitreya better as Terence Trent D'Arby, who had this monster hit in the late 1980s. https://youtu.be/ynIHsHYaig0 He's no longer on the charts and legally changed his name more than a decade ago. … Continue reading “Albuquerque”
Sky View Drive-In hosting a half-marathon race
The historic Sky View Drive-In theater on old Route 66 in Litchfield, Ill., is hosting an inaugural half-marathon, called "Race Down Memory Lane," and other activities organized around the event the weekend of Nov. 9, reported The Journal-News. The 13.1-mile race begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday from the drive-in, with a 5-kilometer race starting there … Continue reading Sky View Drive-In hosting a half-marathon race
A visit to Red River Steakhouse
KC Keefer Photography continues its "Genuine Route 66 Life" video series with a visit to the Red River Steakhouse in McLean, Texas. In the clip is an interview with proprietor Will Frost, who may be younger than you'd expect. https://youtu.be/wLmyqFuLWvU We've found the Red River Steakhouse to be an ideal stopping place if our schedule … Continue reading A visit to Red River Steakhouse