The Alton (Ill.) Telegraph tells the tale of Rich Henry and his Henry's Rabbit Ranch, a favorite attraction for Route 66 travelers in Staunton, Ill., for years. Henry keeps several dozen rabbits on the premises as pets, and also keeps quite a bit of Route 66 memorabilia on display. Here's how the rabbit ranch started: … Continue reading Wich’s wabbits
Bob Waldmire’s last mural
A mural that was designed by recently deceased Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire for a gas station in Topock-Golden Shores, Ariz., was finished a few days ago. The mural of old Route 66 is on a replica 1970s Shell gas station on 12888 Oatman Highway (aka Route 66) owned by Ned Leuchtner, who also owns … Continue reading Bob Waldmire’s last mural
Notes from the road
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association is sponsoring a clean-up day on Saturday, April 17, at the old Ozark Trail section of Route 66 west of Sapulpa. This project is in conjunction with the Great American Cleanup and Keep Oklahoma Beautiful programs. Work will begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m. The association wants … Continue reading Notes from the road
Details released of Route 66 festival
Details of the annual international Route 66 festival near the tri-state area of Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas have been trickling out in recent weeks, and the Joplin Globe published a roundup of the June 17-20 event on Friday. The gist of it is that many of the big events will be hosted at the complex … Continue reading Details released of Route 66 festival
Tower Theater again is aglow
The neon lights of the historic Tower Theater on Route 66 in Oklahoma City burned Friday night for the first time in decades. John Murphey of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program was there, and here are some excerpts of notes from the event: Approximately 200 people gathered in a parking lot across the street … Continue reading Tower Theater again is aglow
Fire threatens Victorville museum
A fire that gutted the historic Halstead Building in downtown Victorville, Calif., threatened the nearby California Route 66 Museum on Friday morning, reported the Daily Press. Scores of firefighters were able to beat back the blaze from damaging the museum. But the Halstead Building was a total loss. The Halstead Building was home to the … Continue reading Fire threatens Victorville museum
Commercial break
Looks like the Kit Kat folks ended up on the Mother Road in Arizona:
“Sweet Hitch-Hiker”
A great highway song from a great American band, Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Museum waits and waits and waits
The Illinois State Police Museum, located on Route 66 on the northeast side of Springfield, Ill., was initially awarded a $100,000 state grant in 2002 for expansion. Eight years and three governors (of two political parties) later, the museum is still waiting for that grant, according to the State Journal-Register. And while the $100,000 grant … Continue reading Museum waits and waits and waits
Computer pioneer dies
Ed Roberts, a pioneer in the personal computer industry, died today at age 68 after a bout with pneumonia. According to an obituary on TechFlash, Roberts created the early MITS Altair 8800 computer, which inspired Paul Allen and Bill Gates to launch an early version of BASIC and thus giving birth to Microsoft. What does … Continue reading Computer pioneer dies