A company operating just off Route 66 in the Mojave Desert wants to extract and sell groundwater at or near public lands to cities in Southern California, reported the Los Angeles Times. https://youtu.be/IeBmDBTAFnU Cadiz Inc., which got its name from a small town near Route 66, initially drilled water wells to irrigate grapevines and citrus … Continue reading Company wants to sell water from Mojave Desert public lands
County seeks grant for Route 66 Bike Trail extension
McLean County, Ill., will apply for a grant that will extend the Historic Route 66 Bike Trail about 2 1/2 miles north from Towanda, reported the Bloomington Pantagraph. The extension would begin at County Highway 29 north of Towanda and connects an old alignment of Route 66. The state of Illinois would cover 80 percent … Continue reading County seeks grant for Route 66 Bike Trail extension
Bridge work will affect Route 66 travel near Gray Summit this summer
Work that started tonight on a bridge over Interstate 44 near Gray Summit, Mo., will affect Route 66 travel in that area through August, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. MoDOT is replacing the Highway 100 bridge that goes over Interstate 44 between Gray Summit and the west edge of Villa Ridge. A Google … Continue reading Bridge work will affect Route 66 travel near Gray Summit this summer
Founder of Mazzio’s pizza chain dies
Ken Selby, who started what turned into the Mazzio's pizza chain in 1961 on Route 66 in Tulsa, died of lung cancer Saturday at age 73, according to several Tulsa media sources, including the Tulsa World. Selby opened his first pizza restaurant at 11th Street (aka Route 66) near Harvard Avenue in Tulsa. It soon … Continue reading Founder of Mazzio’s pizza chain dies
Historic Route 66 church being moved to winery
The bad news is preservationists' efforts to keep a historic stone church in the Rock Hill, Mo., area were stymied. The good news is that the church will be reassembled at winery in Warren County, Mo. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, preservationists wanted to move the 1845 Rock Hill Presbyterian Church and adjacent Fairfax … Continue reading Historic Route 66 church being moved to winery
The finished 3-D sidewalk mural in Pontiac
During the Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival in Pontiac, airbrush artist Tang Dongbai spent the weekend painting a three-dimensional sidewalk mural downtown. Here's the finished product: He finished the mural last Monday, but the artwork was barricaded for two more days until the paint cured. I believe one of the fish in the painting … Continue reading The finished 3-D sidewalk mural in Pontiac
Hello from Dallas
Here's a nifty arrangement of Nelson Riddle's "Route 66" by Reverend Organdrum, a three-piece band in Dallas. Riddle initially composed this for the "Route 66" television program. https://youtu.be/GtXWn3JoMcI Try not to be too distracted by the video's pinup models.
Monroe’s Diner reopens as a Cajun restaurant
The old Monroe's Diner building, a landmark on Route 66 in Pacific, Mo., that was shuttered for years, recently reopened as the Down South Cafe. Monroe's is known for its stone facade, attached to a Quonset hut structure (photo here). It was built in the 1940s, and closed a few years ago. Its location is … Continue reading Monroe’s Diner reopens as a Cajun restaurant
Sapulpa drive-in theater may reopen by summer
A Florida-based company is set to reopen the long-closed Tee Pee Drive-In theater along the Ozark Trail alignment of Route 66 in Sapulpa, Okla., reported the Sapulpa Daily Herald. The newspaper said: “I hope the town embraces it,” said Russell Glenn of Stars, LLC, the Florida company that restores historic American theaters. “It’s a good thing … Continue reading Sapulpa drive-in theater may reopen by summer
Hagerty Insurance’s journey on Route 66
Hagerty, an insurer of classic cars, recently completed a 2,100-mile journey on Route 66 from Arizona in a couple of rickety rides. Here's the company's slide show and commentary about the journey: https://youtu.be/k3sT_wrZm9s Despite many breakdowns, it seems the Hagerty folks had a good time. An index of Hagerty's reports from the Mother Road can … Continue reading Hagerty Insurance’s journey on Route 66