The abandoned Cucamonga Service Station on Route 66 in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., may be designated by the city as a historic landmark, reports the Contra Costa Times. The Planning Commission made the recommendation, and the City Council must approve the landmark status. Such designation would require the Mission-styled station have an extra layer of approval … Continue reading Rancho Cucamonga station may be designated a landmark
Lunch at Fair Oaks Pharmacy
Pasadena Weekly turned in a review of the historic Fair Oaks Pharmacy in South Pasadena, Calif. If you haven't been there, this excerpt gives you an idea what it's like, and why it's so treasured: The Pharmacy looks so old-fashioned it’s hard to believe it’s real. When I walk in, my thoughts are inevitably drawn … Continue reading Lunch at Fair Oaks Pharmacy
Bill to renew Route 66 program suffers setback
The Omnibus Public Lands Act, which contained a provision to renew the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program for another 10 years, suffered a setback when it fell two votes short of passage in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday. The bill was favored 282-144 in the House, but a procedural tactic by Democrats required … Continue reading Bill to renew Route 66 program suffers setback
It’s maple sirup time
Funks Grove Maple Sirup (yes, the spelling is correct) in the Route 66 hamlet of Funks Grove, Ill., has begun harvesting maple sap from its ancient stand of trees, reports the Kankakee Daily Journal. Late February and early March are the times in which the sap rises in the trees. Production began in 1824 when … Continue reading It’s maple sirup time
Manhattan Transfer goes Mother Roading
I know I've posted videos of the Manhattan Transfer performing Bobby Troup's "Route 66" before. However, this is a performance done from just last year, for the group's "35th Anniversary -- Great American Songbook" DVD. The singing, as usual, is marvelous. And the piano backing is excellent, too.
Mark your calendars
An e-mailed update from the City of Tulsa today says that Claude Neon Federal Signs will begin re-erecting the neon-festooned letters of the historic Meadow Gold sign at 11th Street and Quaker Avenue in Tulsa on April 6. Claude estimates it will take about a week to completely install those letters. So, in about a … Continue reading Mark your calendars
Exploring the Sooner State by Route 66
Brian Passey of the The Spectrum in southern Utah once traveled along Interstates 40 and 44 when he was going through Oklahoma, and he wasn't overly impressed with what he saw on the superslab. The next time he was in the Sooner State, however, he decided to take Route 66 as much as possible. His … Continue reading Exploring the Sooner State by Route 66
Route 66 makes Preservation Oklahoma’s most-endangered list
Preservation Oklahoma this week placed Route 66 resources on its 2009 list of the state's most endangered historic places. The group said: Mom-and-pop motor courts, tourist cabins, restaurants, neon signs , roadbeds and bridges are all part of the Route 66 structures that sprang up in the 1920s. Today, many have gone out of business … Continue reading Route 66 makes Preservation Oklahoma’s most-endangered list
Century-old couple has a Route 66 connection
Tucked into this story from KTUL-TV in Tulsa about Forrest Winston, 101, and his wife Vera Winston, 100, was this little item: If you recognize Winston, you may know him as the one who built the Winston Motor Court on Route 66. Back then, it was the city's first air-conditioned motel. Here's a postcard image … Continue reading Century-old couple has a Route 66 connection
Midwest Living features Route 66
Midwest Living has a five-page feature article in its March/April issue about Route 66 and the Lincoln Highway, according to Illinois historic highways aficionado Lenore Weiss. The article, she says, concentrates on an eastern third of the Mother Road, from Chicago to Oklahoma. You can read part of the article here. But it's probably better … Continue reading Midwest Living features Route 66