Joplin (Mo.) Globe columnist Mike Pound reports that Broadway in Joplin, which is part of an old alignment of Route 66, seems to be undergoing a traffic resurgence. The restaurants along the street are busier, and a promising lunch-only place called the Cobblestone Cafe has opened there. The cafe, which has been open for three … Continue reading A street is hoppin’ in Joplin
Month: September 2006
Grand Canyon Railway sold
The Grand Canyon Railway, which starts in the Route 66 town of Williams, Ariz., and takes tourists to the canyon's South Rim, has been sold to a Colorado firm that runs concessions in the canyon, reports the Phoenix Business Journal. Xanterra Parks and Resorts hopes to formally close the deal by next month. Max and … Continue reading Grand Canyon Railway sold
Scenic Byways grants awarded
The New Mexico Tourism Department has given out $473,000 in grants through the Federal Highway Administration's Scenic Byways program for the fiscal year. Here are the grants that affect Route 66, according to Travel Daily News: Historic Route 66 Bike and Pedestrian Path Construction in Gallup ($50,000): This joint-use path along the Route 66 Scenic … Continue reading Scenic Byways grants awarded
Born on Route 66
Occasionally, I run into someone who says he was "born on Route 66." This isn't meant to be literal; it means the house or hospital where he first breathed life was adjacent to the Mother Road. But now, there's now one child in New Mexico who can truly make that "born on 66" claim. KOB-TV … Continue reading Born on Route 66
Roadside kitsch updates
One of the best (and funniest) Web sites is Roadside America. Inspired and created by the same people who wrote the classic 1992 book of the same name, it's a huge Web site about kitschy roadside attractions and is updated regularly. Roadside America filed recent field reports about two stops on Route 66. One is … Continue reading Roadside kitsch updates
Photo of Route 66 business wins recognition
Two Bureau of Land Management-California employees were honored at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington last week for public land photography, according to the bureau's newsletter. One of them was Steve Razo (left in above photo), whose photo of Roy's in Amboy was one of the recognized images. Razo's photo is of a well-preserved section of … Continue reading Photo of Route 66 business wins recognition
No room at the Wigwam
In Part 2 of Oprah Winfrey's "Oprah & Gayle's Big Adventure," the two had been booked for the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Ariz. Oprah was actually looking forward to having her own suite at the Wigwams. After spending hours in close quarters, Oprah and Gayle needed some time apart. "I want my own teepee," Gayle … Continue reading No room at the Wigwam
Route 66 Magazine’s latest issue
The latest issue of Route 66 Magazine is out, and it contains these articles for your reading pleasure: The cover story is the history of the rise and fall and rise again of Cool Springs Camp, on Oatman Road between Oatman and Kingman. It includes comtemporary and vintage photos, including one in which the camp … Continue reading Route 66 Magazine’s latest issue
Sinclair dinosaur returns to gas station
In 1963, a Sinclair gas station opened on old Route 66 on 200 E. Baltimore in Wilmington, Ill., featuring the brand's green brontosaurus that overlooked the station and highway. Gary Geiss bought the station in 2001 and sought to put a dinosaur back on the building (there's no word on what happened to the old … Continue reading Sinclair dinosaur returns to gas station
Before the Route 66 Rendezvous
Decades before San Bernardino, Calif., started its humongously popular Route 66 Rendezvous, the city had its Covered Wagon Days, reports historian Nicholas R. Cataldo in the San Bernardino County Sun. The festival, which paid tribute to the city's Old West days, started in the 1930s. For four days in November, there was a covered wagon … Continue reading Before the Route 66 Rendezvous