A few days ago, I received an e-mail from Corkey Mayberry of Park Hills, Mo., asking me to solve a mystery. In September 1955, he and his wife were on a Route 66 trip. The couple stopped to have their picture taken at a sizable stone monument in Texola, Okla., marking the spot of the … Continue reading What happened to the Texola monument?
Take the byway that’s the best
Here's a nicely compact video about the Route 66 National Scenic Byway in New Mexico:
For sale, piece by piece
This video clip from the 2006 documentary "Route 66 by Bicycle: Pedaling the Mother Road" tells about a fascinating section of abandoned Route 66 near Arcadia, Okla., that's been put up for sale -- in 1-foot sections for $66 apiece. Better yet, the cyclists actually got to travel down the old road a bit. The … Continue reading For sale, piece by piece
Victorville museum volunteer marks milestone
The California Route 66 Museum in Victorville in a few months will mark its 15th anniversary, and longtime museum volunteer and officer Charlotte “Chick” Kirk recently celebrated her 80th birthday, reported the Victorville Daily Press. The story behind Kirk's involvement in the museum: The museum opened on Nov. 11, 1995. On that very day, Kirk … Continue reading Victorville museum volunteer marks milestone
New plant sign touts Webb City’s Route 66 heritage
Cardinal Scale Manufacturing Co. in Webb City, Mo., is marking its 60th anniversary and just opened a new building in town, according to the Joplin Globe. That's certainly noteworthy, but the real point of interest for Route 66 enthusiasts lurks in the plans for the land near the Cardinal Scale plant: Mayor John Biggs said … Continue reading New plant sign touts Webb City’s Route 66 heritage
Call of the whacky
This YouTube poster called "pappymeme," aka Mondo Man, checked out a few Route 66 sights in Arizona and California and let loose his trademark Tarzan yell. There's more where this came from at his YouTube account, but I like these best, especially the bemused look from Bottletree Ranch owner Elmer Long. Maybe it's because Elmer … Continue reading Call of the whacky
Follow her east
Claudia Heller, who's written a bunch of recent articles about Route 66 in California for the Pasadena Star-News, tucked into a report about Route 66 enthusiast Kim Anderson that she's about to write a series about the Mother Road during a trip from Needles, Calif., to Chicago. Considering Heller's well-researched previous stories, I'm looking forward … Continue reading Follow her east
“Route 66 Yellow Pages” off to a good start
When I first heard last summer about a Kansas firm wanting to publish a 300-page, advertising-supported Route 66 guidebook in early 2010, I was skeptical. Such a publication would be a huge undertaking. Trying to collect advertising from businesses along a 2,400-mile stretch of old highway would be like herding cats. And the ambitions were … Continue reading “Route 66 Yellow Pages” off to a good start
Neon Chicago
Time Out Chicago has produced a list of the 24 best neon signs in Chicagoland, and one Route 66 restaurant made the list. Even better, the article includes 44 photos of noteworthy neon signs in the Windy City. The Mother Road business that made the list was Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket in Willowbrook: The Chicken … Continue reading Neon Chicago
Watching the bridge
KOTV in Tulsa posted an interesting story about the so-called Twin Bridges on Route 66 near Catoosa, Okla., and how the Route 66 community worldwide is watching closely to what happens to one of the dilapidated spans. But first, there is a glaring error in the story. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation wants to replace … Continue reading Watching the bridge