Alexander Basek of the New York Post went to the Route 66 town of Miami, Okla., where he checked out the Route 66 Vintage Iron Motorcycle Museum, ate at Waylan's Ku-Ku restaurant, and learned how to pronounce the town's name (hint: it doesn't sounds like the big city in southern Florida). The whole thing is … Continue reading It’s My-am-uh
Notes from the Route 66 Summit
As I've reported, I'm unable to attend the Route 66 Festival in Flagstaff, Ariz., because of time constraints. However, Swa Frantzen of the seminal Historic66.com site was taking notes at the Route 66 Summit on Thursday and e-mailed them, some of which I'll pass along here: --- Renee Charles, one of the four women of … Continue reading Notes from the Route 66 Summit
More plot details on “Cars 2”
During an interview in London, Disney-Pixar animation chief John Lasseter revealed a few more plot details about "Cars 2," the sequel to the original "Cars" movie that took place on Route 66, to Empire Online. The story sees Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), his pit team and new pit boss Mater head around the world for the Race … Continue reading More plot details on “Cars 2”
Strafford festival preview
The Strafford Route 66 Days festival in Strafford, Mo., begins tomorrow. The Marshfield Mail in nearby Marshfield, Mo., has a nice preview, including a schedule of events. The festival also will host one of the stops of the annual motor tour of the Route 66 Association of Missouri.
Happy 100th, Santa Monica Pier
There was a big blowout Wednesday to celebrate the centennial of the Santa Monica Pier, the symbolic end of Route 66. That included one heck of a fireworks show: Santa Monica Close-up has a slew of photos from yesterday's festivities. The Desert Sun of Palm Springs, Calif., has a nice overview of the pier. The … Continue reading Happy 100th, Santa Monica Pier
Emory Duick update
The El Reno (Okla.) Tribune caught up with him a few days ago. The 71-year-old man who's trying to jog the length of Route 66 in 13- and 14-mile chunks had to slow his pace to six to seven miles a day because of a nerve injury in his leg. His daughter Lauren had taken … Continue reading Emory Duick update
Celebrity sightings at the Summit
The Summit Inn, a restaurant at the top of Cajon Pass in Southern California, has been a popular place to eat for decades because of the atmosphere and the food. However, this story by the Hesperia Star is most interesting because of who has eaten at the Route 66 diner: Elvis Presley once ate in … Continue reading Celebrity sightings at the Summit
Lou Mitchell’s restaurant will franchise
Lou Mitchell's Restaurant, a Route 66 icon near the eastern terminus of the Mother Road in Chicago, is set to begin selling franchises for the first time, reports NBC Channel 5 in Chicago. I'm not sure this can be pulled off easily. The interesting thing is that Lou Mitchell's president feels the same way. "We've … Continue reading Lou Mitchell’s restaurant will franchise
Roiled Riviera
The good news is that the Riviera Roadhouse, a seminal Route 66 business in Gardner, Ill., reopened about 10 days ago after longtime owners Bob and Peggy Kraft retired earlier this year, with the new owner using the Riviera's old recipes. The bad news is that the Riviera received a "shut-down letter" from the City … Continue reading Roiled Riviera
Debate in the desert
USA Today has an interesting article about a simmering controversy over a proposed solar-power plant in the Mojave Desert near the Route 66 hamlet of Amboy, Calif. I would recommend reading it all, but wanted to call attention to an excerpt: PG&E project manager Alice Harron says she is "comfortable" with the solar power plant … Continue reading Debate in the desert