There a few things coming up that should be of interest to Route 66ers: On Friday, Sept. 28, a ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m. to dedicate a historical marker at the site of the former Pig Hip Restaurant Museum in Broadwell, Ill. The Pig Hip was destroyed by fire in March. Longtime Pig … Continue reading Mark your calendars
A hidden gem
On an obscure 1926-38 alignment of Route 66 between Kellyville and Bristow, Okla., sits the remnants of old motor court. It's mentioned in Jim Ross' "Oklahoma Route 66" guidebook, but little else seems to be known about it. It's been closed for many years, but its seems the owner is doing a good enough job … Continue reading A hidden gem
A wet Duarte parade
A certain song once said: Seems it never rains in southern California Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before It never rains in California, but girl, don't they warn ya? It pours, man, it pours That sure seemed to apply at the annual Route 66 Parade in Duarte, Calif., on Saturday.
Nuclear blasts for road construction
At least cooler heads prevailed. In Mark Muckenfuss' column in the Inland Press-Enterprise, he said he was doing some research about old Route 66 in Southern California when he uncovered a 1967 newspaper article by Earl E. Buie about Interstate 40 road-construction plans through the Bristol Mountains. Normally, construction crews would have blasted their way … Continue reading Nuclear blasts for road construction
Route 66 preservation grants announced
On Friday, the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program of the National Park Service announced its cost-share grant awards for 2007. These grants cover 50 percent of the cost of historic properties' preservation efforts or programs about Route 66. John Osterman Gas Station, Peach Springs, Ariz., $28,000 grant. From 1929 until its recent closure, the station … Continue reading Route 66 preservation grants announced
Cyclist takes Route 66 for fallen firemen
I stumbled upon this report from an Albuquerque television station about Laddie Williams of Augusta, Ga., who's cycling east across the U.S.A., including Route 66, to raise money for the families of nine firefighters who died in a blaze in Charleston, S.C., in June. It was the worst loss of life for firefighters since the … Continue reading Cyclist takes Route 66 for fallen firemen
At least they’re not going to the cemetery
Route 66 is hosting a caravan of cars on its way to a show in Elk City, Okla. It's not just any cars. They're funeral hearses. At lot of these car owners showed up Friday in Galena, Kan., according the Joplin (Mo.) Globe. And here's a funny anecdote from the story: Redmond said he has … Continue reading At least they’re not going to the cemetery
Notes from the road
I ran behind on getting caught up with news from the Main Street of America on Thursday. So here's the latest, in small bites: Rod Harsh of Visit66.com was shown by the Carthage (Mo.) Press installing new directional signs to help guide travelers down the Mother Road. Many travelers get lost in that part of … Continue reading Notes from the road
POPS was a’poppin’ in its first month
POPS on Route 66 in Arcadia, Okla., was a big hit business-wise, according to a report in the Daily Oklahoman. Let us count the ways: POPS sold 45,000 specialty soft drinks, plus another 15,000 fountain drinks. That's equivalent to a dozen sold-out NBA games at Ford Center in nearby Oklahoma City. POPS' manager anticipated sales … Continue reading POPS was a’poppin’ in its first month
More scenes from the Route 66 Rendezvous
Quite a few videos have popped up on YouTube from the recently completed Route 66 Rendezvous in San Bernardino. Here is a Best of Show vehicle, which is a semi-truck (!): Here is the Best of Show motorcycle: And here is the winner of the freestyle division in the burnout contest. Watch a Jeep disappear … Continue reading More scenes from the Route 66 Rendezvous