Virtual cruising

I'm not sure who's doing this, but it's pretty cool. Someone has mounted a dashboard video camera and cruised Route 66 from its eastern starting point in Chicago. Some stoplight stops are edited, but it's mostly real-time footage of driving west on the Mother Road. It's darned near like being there. Both videos are about … Continue reading Virtual cruising

Route 66 Radio Show’s webcast time changed

Bob Moore, editor of Route 66 Magazine and emcee of the Route 66 Radio Show at KTOX in Needles, Calif., says that the Internet broadcast of the show has changed from Saturday morning to 8 p.m. EDT Friday on Bounce Radio.

Hillbilly sign returns at Mule Trading Post

The Mule Trading Post near Rolla, Mo., blessed by energetic new owners, tracked down an old hillbilly sign that once graced the Hillbilly Store and brought it back from the dead, reports the Rolla Daily News. The hillbilly sign now stands in front of a new tobacco barn they opened Memorial Day weekend, just next … Continue reading Hillbilly sign returns at Mule Trading Post

Joliet to celebrate Route 66 heritage

The city of Joliet, Ill., is holding a big bash downtown Saturday to celebrate its connection to the Mother Road, according to the Joliet Herald-News. It's an all-day block party with a classic car show, a sock hop, an ice cream parlor and outdoor showings of "Cars," a movie based on people and places along … Continue reading Joliet to celebrate Route 66 heritage

Animal sanctuary opens Thursday near Kingman

The Keepers of the Wild, once located near Hoover Dam, moved to 175 acres about 25 miles northeast of Kingman, Ariz., just off Route 66 and will open to the public on Thursday, reports the Mohave Daily News. The sanctuary is for exotic animals that were neglected or abused. The park contains more than 150 … Continue reading Animal sanctuary opens Thursday near Kingman

Route 66 Blowout preview

The Sapulpa (Okla.) Daily Herald has a preview of this coming weekend's Route 66 Blowout. Among the new events with the myriad activities is a salsa-tasting contest and a sock hop dance.

A photo journey down Route 66

This is a compilation of images from Tokyo photographer Hiroshi Hanamura.

The good ol’ days weren’t always good

People who know of my fascination with Route 66 occasionally ask me whether I would have preferred to live in an era when the Mother Road was more vibrant, where I could see long-gone motels and businesses open and prospering again. I admit that if a time machine were available, I would visit the 1950s … Continue reading The good ol’ days weren’t always good

A Memorial Day tribute

We thought we’d pay homage on Memorial Day to soldiers from Route 66 towns who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. I first started this tribute on Veterans Day 2006. Since then, about another 30 soldiers have been added. Route 66 is often described as the “world’s longest small town.” So when one of its … Continue reading A Memorial Day tribute

Memories of 66 — past and present

Max Nichols, a history columnist for the Daily Oklahoman, tells about the past and present attractions of Route 66 in Oklahoma before the National Route 66 Festival in Clinton in June.