After the Eagle Hotel's owner failed to show up, the Wilmington (Ill.) City Council unanimously voted to reject an 18-month extension that he requested for the historic property off Route 66, reports the Joliet Herald News. Eagle Hotel owner Bill Scales had been working to restore the property for seven years and had requested another … Continue reading Extension denied for Eagle Hotel
Month: March 2008
Unleash the money
Last August, the state of Illinois allotted $1 million to help Livingston County, Ill., to restore the old Illinois State Police Headquarters on old Route 66 in Pontiac. However, there's been a snag, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph. State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, said the governor’s office has yet to provide Livingston County with either the … Continue reading Unleash the money
Three states may join forces on Route 66 tourism
Southwest Missouri, Kansas and far northeastern Oklahoma may collaborate on boosting Route 66 tourism in their respective areas with a 48-page brochure, reports the Joplin Globe. The city of Miami, Okla., is applying for a $50,000 grant from the National Scenic Byways Program to finance the brochure that would tout the Mother Road from Carthage, … Continue reading Three states may join forces on Route 66 tourism
The no-name brand behind POPS burgers
The Daily Oklahoman has a fascinating article about NoName Ranch in Wynnewood, Okla., which supplies beef to a number of Oklahoma City-area restaurants, including POPS on Route 66 in Arcadia. Bruce and June Buechner own NoName Ranch (yes, that's its name). They raise Pinzgauer cattle from Austria, and they raise them organically. That means no … Continue reading The no-name brand behind POPS burgers
Flying fingers
This performance by Hironobu Naganuma of Bobby Troup's "Route 66" is extraordinary. It's technically difficult, but it seems like he's having fun. Also, it grooves like mad.
Historic Tulsa hardware store will close
It's been rumored for weeks, and it appears the Tulsa World has confirmed it -- that Swinney's Hardware in Tulsa, which has been operating since 1934, is set to close Aug. 1. Swinney's has a long association with historic Route 66. Swinney's originally opened as a furniture store near Lewis Avenue and Admiral Place, the … Continue reading Historic Tulsa hardware store will close
New windows for The Mill
The Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County announced this week it had secured a grant to install new windows at The Mill, a historic restaurant on Route 66 in Lincoln, Ill., that will be converted into a tourism center. New windows doesn't sound like much. But there are 40 of them in The Mill … Continue reading New windows for The Mill
Flooding closes part of Route 66 in Missouri
Route 66 enthusiast and radio announcer Joe Sonderman in St. Louis reports that parts of Route 66 through central Missouri are closed because of flooding after torrential rains, and waters aren't going to recede for at least another day or so. It seems the best resource to check on current conditions is this interactive map … Continue reading Flooding closes part of Route 66 in Missouri
Keep harping
Here's a folk-blues-country version of Bobby Troup's "Route 66," with some good harmonica playing. The singer flubbed some lyrics, but that's OK.
Triumph T-shirts have a Route 66 flavor
Triumph motorcycles is set to release its summer T-shirts next month, and one of them is going to have a definite Mother Road flavor. A British twist has been placed on an American dream by Triumph with the Route 66 t-shirt design, which features the legendary Route 66 signpost graphic flanked by both American and … Continue reading Triumph T-shirts have a Route 66 flavor