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

We don’t do that

I like practical jokes as much as the next guy. The ones by these folks and anything involving Brad Paisley are pretty funny. But doesn't it seem counterproductive for news outlets to engage in such foolishness, even if it is April Fool's Day? (Yeah, Science magazine, I'm looking at you.) I've invested a lot of … Continue reading We don’t do that

Route 66 among top foreign destinations for British

The Chicago and Illinois Tourist Office reported on a Tweet yesterday that Route 66 was voted by British citizens as "the most iconic road trip in the world." That's not terribly surprising. But a follow-up report this morning shows how powerful Route 66's allure is: According to a recent study by the Chicago and Illinois … Continue reading Route 66 among top foreign destinations for British

French president, first lady want to cruise Route 66

Tucked into a story from Forbes.com about French President first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's visit to America this week is a snippet that caught my eye: The couple went around the room to greet each of their guests and spent about 10 minutes chatting with those in attendance. Bruni-Sarkozy charmed a group of besotted women, telling … Continue reading French president, first lady want to cruise Route 66

“Nothing But the Wheel”

Here's a good highway song by Peter Wolf, formerly the singer for the J. Geils Band. And the backing vocalist is a fellow by the name of Mick Jagger. For the record, Mr. Wolf seems to favor U.S. 41 -- not that it's a bad thing.

FedEx takes electric vehicle down Route 66

FedEx has decided to demonstrate its new all-electric urban delivery van with stops along Route 66 from Monday through April 6. It's part of the "Charge Up Route 66" tour. The tour is planning stops  in St. Louis, Joplin, Oklahoma City, Amarillo and Albuquerque, in addition to the Mother Road's bookend cities of Los Angeles … Continue reading FedEx takes electric vehicle down Route 66

More than 400 race to the Rocker

More than 400 runners participated Saturday in the 4-mile Race to the Rocker that went on Route 66 from Cuba, Mo., to the World's Largest Rocker at the Fanning 66 Outpost and General Store in the tiny hamlet of Fanning, Mo., according to the Cuba Free Press. Proceeds for the second annual event went to … Continue reading More than 400 race to the Rocker

Barbecue restaurant honored by magazine

Missouri Hick Bar-B-Q in Cuba, Mo., was named the best barbecue restaurant in southwest southeast Missouri by Rural Missouri magazine, according to the Viva Cuba blog. From the blog: The restaurant at 913 East Washington, which is also Route 66, offers BBQ, smoked meats, a 5-6 pound loaded baked potato, five homemade BBQ sauces, and … Continue reading Barbecue restaurant honored by magazine