High winds knock off part of Rialto Theatre sign

Nasty wind gusts Sunday afternoon knocked off part of the decorative scrollwork of the main sign of the Rialto Square Theatre, located on Route 66 in Joliet, Ill., reported the Herald-News. Fortunately, no one was hurt when the sign chunk came crashing down, although an adjacent street was closed. Workers were already busy repairing the … Continue reading High winds knock off part of Rialto Theatre sign

Tractor tippin’ or Combine Ranch?

It appears to be a mix of both, actually. Richard Etchells recently posted these photos on the Route 66 yahoogroup of what appear to be harvesters planted into the ground at an angle. This is a few miles south of Route 66 near Amarillo, Texas. It appears to be a homage to the "tractor tippin'" … Continue reading Tractor tippin’ or Combine Ranch?

More money for The Mick

A recent banquet in Commerce, Okla., to raise money for a statue and other attractions paying tribute to native son and Baseball Hall-of-Famer Mickey Mantle cleared about $12,000 in profit, reported the Miami (Okla.) News-Record. More than 350 people attended the event. I'm certain the appearance of Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins drew a … Continue reading More money for The Mick

Bobby Troup sings “Route 66”

I've posted a few dozen versions of "Route 66" on this Web site. But this is the first I've posted by the composer of "Route 66" himself, Bobby Troup. Here he is in 1964, showing his jazz chops on piano during a segment of "The Julie London Show."

Historic Dwight service station is restored

The Ambler's Texaco Station in the Route 66 town of Dwight, Ill., has been restored to its 1940s appearance, reports the Morris (Ill.) Daily Herald. Part of the restoration was covered by a cost-share grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. A plaque from the National Park Service commemorating the restoration will be dedicated … Continue reading Historic Dwight service station is restored

Uranium Cafe closes

The Uranium Cafe, a Route 66 landmark in Grants, N.M., with a classic neon sign, closed about a month ago, according to a Grants/Cibola County Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman. The latest incarnation of the restaurant lasted about a year. It called itself Five Brothers Uranium Cafe. The previous owner for a number of years sold … Continue reading Uranium Cafe closes

Kingman makes top 100 cities list for first time

The Route 66 town of Kingman, Ariz., made the final cut in Relocate America's Top 100 Places to Live in 2007. Here's the criteria: Throughout the calendar year, we accept nominations for cities & towns throughout the country to be considered as a "great place to live". The nominating parties must include their own reasons … Continue reading Kingman makes top 100 cities list for first time

Driving Route 66 in a lawn mower

Matt Land, national sales manager of the Magic Circle Corp. lawn mower manufacturer in Coatesville, Ind., is going to travel 2,000 miles from Indiana to Sacramento, Calif., in one of the company's Dixie Choppers, according to the Indianapolis Star. He'll travel mostly on Route 66. Where interstate travel is unavoidable, he'll put the lawn mower … Continue reading Driving Route 66 in a lawn mower

Four-alarm fire closes Missouri Route 66

A four-alarm mulch fire at Route 66 Landscape Supply Center in Pacific, Mo., closed down the Mother Road part of Sunday afternoon, reports KSDK-TV in St. Louis. More than 100 firefighters from 12 departments battled the blaze, which was difficult to extinguish. Smoke could be seenn from more than 10 miles away. Firefighters expect to … Continue reading Four-alarm fire closes Missouri Route 66

Longtime roadie Skip Curtis dies

C.H. "Skip" Curtis, a longtime historian and booster of Route 66 in Missouri, died Saturday night at his home in Springfield, Mo., reports Tommy Pike, president of the Route 66 Association of Missouri. I don't have any funeral arrangements yet. I'll pass them along and other details as I get them. Curtis was a contributing … Continue reading Longtime roadie Skip Curtis dies