Snow cone

Rick Shalander of Whites Creek, Tenn., who's been building his own version of one of the cabins from the Cozy Cone Motel in the movie "Cars," sent me this photo: Incidentally, the title of Shalander's e-mail was "Snow cone." 🙂 It's a nice likeness of a Cozy Cone cabin. Here's another photo for reference:

Fire destroys historic Albuquerque saloon

The Golden West Saloon, which was built on Albuquerque's Central Avenue in 1929, was destroyed by fire Thursday, reports the Albuquerque Journal. The fire also damaged the historic El Rey Theater next door, but the owner is optimistic it will reopen next weekend. The owner made a appeal to the community to revive the saloon, … Continue reading Fire destroys historic Albuquerque saloon

Hot-rod ambassador Boyd Coddington dies

Boyd Coddington, star of the "American Hot Rod" TV show and hot-rod ambassador, died at age 63 on Tuesday morning. The cause of death wasn't disclosed. However, Edmunds.com revealed that Coddington had been hospitalized since January after a fall at his home. Obituaries by the New York Times and Popular Hot Rodding provide a good … Continue reading Hot-rod ambassador Boyd Coddington dies

Another town receiving design help from students

A few days ago, architecture students helped the Route 66 town of Webb City, Mo., with ideas for revitalizing its downtown. Now it looks like University of Oklahoma landscaping architecture students also will provide ideas on March 7 for another Mother Road city, Miami, Okla., reports the Joplin (Mo.) Globe. “They will be looking at … Continue reading Another town receiving design help from students

Route 66 town tries to grant a final wish

Shirley Trueman greeted customers for a decade at the Bagdad Cafe on Route 66 in Newberry Springs, Calif., while her husband Bud was a chef there. The restaurant became internationally famous because of a 1988 German film by the same name. Now, the Desert Dispatch in nearby Barstow is reporting that Trueman is dying of … Continue reading Route 66 town tries to grant a final wish

More publicity for retro motel chain

YourHub.com, a weekly publication for the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain news, has published an article about the fledgling Smalltown America chain in Centennial, Colo., that seeks to restore vintage motels along Route 66. The article rehashes a lot of what was already reported in Route 66 News, but adds a number of photos plus … Continue reading More publicity for retro motel chain

Get out the vote

Rich Henry of Henry's Rabbit Ranch on Route 66 in Staunton, Ill., has entered a photo of him and his favorite pet rabbit, Montana, to the United States Humane Society's Spay Day USA online photo contest. I just voted myself. You go here, and have to click on the voting button twice for a window … Continue reading Get out the vote

Stop dreaming

It's a slow news day, so here's a video from one of Billy Ocean's biggest hits, "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car."

Impatience grows over Eagle Hotel

A recent report in the Joliet Herald News indicates that members of the Wilmington (Ill.) City Council are growing weary about the lack of progress in the rehabilitation of the 171-year-old Eagle Hotel on Route 66 in Wilmington. Owner Bill Scales wants to convert the historic hotel into an upscale restaurant and hotel. He says … Continue reading Impatience grows over Eagle Hotel

‘They’re looking for that Route 66 experience’

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the University of Oklahoma have been scheduling meetings around the state to get public input on how to promote Route 66, which is applying for national recognition as a Scenic Byway. Many of these stories run the usual gamut of opinions. But this story by the Edmond Sun contained … Continue reading ‘They’re looking for that Route 66 experience’