Red Carpet Corridor festival adds second day, Bloomington-Normal to its itinerary

This year's edition of the Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor festival is going to be a two-day affair, with Bloomington-Normal added to its list of towns to visit. The May 6-7 event, which starts in Joliet, lengthens to 100 miles and 14 communities, according to a news release from the Illinois Route 66 Scenic … Continue reading Red Carpet Corridor festival adds second day, Bloomington-Normal to its itinerary

Neon sign just outside Lexington marks its 75th anniversary

Many times, I've driven by the neon "Lexington" sign that stands along Route 66 in Lexington, Illinois, and thought: "I wonder how long that sign has been there?" That question was answered this week during the "How Time Flies" featurette in The Pantagraph in nearby Bloomington: Aug. 31, 1946: Lexington has a new neon sign along … Continue reading Neon sign just outside Lexington marks its 75th anniversary

Filling Station in Lexington to reopen as Kelly’s on 66

The long-closed Filling Station restaurant along Route 66 in Lexington, Illinois, is being renovated and soon will reopen as Kelly's on 66. According to a Facebook post on Bloomington Normal Restaurant Scene, area restaurateur Kelly Tobin planned to begin renovations on the restaurant at 905 1/2 W. Main St. in Lexington and reopen it in … Continue reading Filling Station in Lexington to reopen as Kelly’s on 66

A trip down Memory Lane in a 1950 Hudson

Here's a nearly quarter-century-old video from Dan Uscian cruising Route 66 near Lexington, Ill., in his 1950 Hudson, including a 1926 alignment now called Memory Lane that includes re-creations of vintage billboards. The original stretch of Route 66 in Lexington is open for pedestrians or cycling, but townsfolk reopen it for vehicular traffic on special … Continue reading A trip down Memory Lane in a 1950 Hudson