Aldermen for the City of Eureka, Mo., passed a resolution on Tuesday urging the repair or replacement of the Meramec River Route 66 Bridge at Route 66 State Park, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Missouri Department of Transportation closed the historic but deteriorating bridge in late 2009 because of safety concerns. Park visitors … Continue reading Aldermen urge saving or replacement of bridge
Former owner of Catoosa restaurant dies
Carol Ham, the former co-owner of the Lil' Abner's Dairyette drive-in restaurant on Route 66 in Catoosa, Okla., died last week at age 66, reported the Tulsa World. Ham and her mother, Bea Yocham Smith, ran the restaurant from 1959 until health issues forced her to sell it. The restaurant finally closed in 2003, but the … Continue reading Former owner of Catoosa restaurant dies
Meet some of the riders on the H.O.G. cruise
A film crew caught up with a few of the participants in Tulsa in the Harley Owners Group's recent cruise of Route 66, including "Route 66: The Mother Road" author Michael Wallis. By the way, I think Wallis was kidding when he said he was the "new father" of Route 66. Or else he was … Continue reading Meet some of the riders on the H.O.G. cruise
Petroglyphs vandalized near Williams
Forest rangers are looking for someone who spray-painted several ancient petroglyphs east of Route 66 near Williams, Ariz., reported the Prescott Daily Courier. A hiker discovered Aug. 26 that vandals had defaced one of the detailed rock art panels at Keyhole Sink off Route 66 east of Williams. This is a popular archaeological site accessible … Continue reading Petroglyphs vandalized near Williams
Pay a visit to Waldmire’s VW
If you miss seeing the late Bob Waldmire's Volkswagen minibus, you'll have a chance to pay it a visit this weekend at the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Ill. According to the Springfield State Journal-Register: The 1972 Volkswagen bus has been through three engines, approximately 300,000 miles and one unique owner. The … Continue reading Pay a visit to Waldmire’s VW
Missouri’s Mother Road
An intern for Joplin Metro Magazine, noting how a recent issue sports a Route 66 theme, decided to take a Route 66 trip of his own across the Show-Me State.
Webb City readies new tourism center
The new Route 66 Center in downtown Webb City, Mo., isn't set to open until Oct. 1, but it's already received visitors, reported the Joplin Globe. It even had its first official visitors this week — tourists from London who were traveling the famous highway from Los Angeles to Chicago, said Chuck Surface, director of … Continue reading Webb City readies new tourism center
A chat with Rich Henry
A couple of very young journalists talk to Rich Henry of Henry's Rabbit Ranch in Staunton, Ill. Big Red is the name of the new pet rabbit that greets tourists in Rich's office.
The little-known tragedy of the Blue Hole
The Sept. 16 print issue of the Guadalupe County Communicator newspaper, based in Santa Rosa, N.M., published a long but gripping story about the town's Blue Hole. The Blue Hole is a spring-fed sinkhole about 80 feet deep, with a water temperature in the 60s year-round. For decades, it's been a popular draw for scuba … Continue reading The little-known tragedy of the Blue Hole
‘Everything I imagined and more’
Earlier this spring, it was reported that English rugby star and World Cup winner Steve Thompson was going to embark on a motorcycle ride on all of Route 66. A sports reporter from The Independent of London caught up with Thompson, 32, and asked him how it went. Thompson replied: "[...]It was a dream trip, … Continue reading ‘Everything I imagined and more’