Racino hearing preview

The Route 66 town of Tucumcari, N.M., is preparing for the public hearing Thursday on whether the state should award it a horse track/casino license. The Clovis News Journal lays out what's at stake. The Quay County Sun is reporting on how the town is decking itself out for the event. Here's a startling excerpt: … Continue reading Racino hearing preview

Attendance at Fire and Ice Rally holds steady

Attendance at the Fire and Ice Route 66 Bike Rally in Grants, N.M., last weekend was an estimated 15,000, reported the Cibola County Beacon. Last year's flood had no effect on the attendance for this year’s Eighth Annual Fire and Ice Route 66 Bike Rally which saw a slight increase from last year, he said. … Continue reading Attendance at Fire and Ice Rally holds steady

New mural at Tucumcari motel

Richard Talley, owner of the Motel Safari on Route 66 in Tucumcari, N.M., sent along these photos of a new mural that's been painted on the motel's drive-up canopy. It was painted by local artist Doug Quarles, and it depicts a young Elvis Presley in a 1959 Cadillac, stopping for the night at the motel. … Continue reading New mural at Tucumcari motel

Cat is out of the bag

Residents of the Route 66 town of Galena, Kan., can rest easier. The animal seen on a surveillance video a few days ago was a common house cat, not a cougar or mountain lion, reported the Joplin (Mo.) Globe. The city's police department eliminated the possibility of a big cat with help from the state's … Continue reading Cat is out of the bag

Monkey wrench for Red Cedar Inn deal?

A bunch of people are on board for moving the Meramec Valley Historical Museum into the shuttered Red Cedar Inn in Pacific, Mo., and using the old museum property for a Catholic school. Route 66ers, the mayor of Pacific, the Red Cedar's owner and a slew of state and federal officials are all in favor … Continue reading Monkey wrench for Red Cedar Inn deal?

Plaques stolen by scrap-metal thieves

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune in Southern California reports that thefts of scrap metal have become so widespread that thieves are even stealing historic-marker plaques. The Trails Restaurant Plaque sat only feet from Huntington Drive in Duarte, in front of the homes built on the acreage where this once celebrated Route 66 icon stood for … Continue reading Plaques stolen by scrap-metal thieves

On the road with Brad Paisley

This is a segment from The Learning Channel's "Route 66: Main Street America," from 2000. In it, you see a young country star Brad Paisley performing Bobby Troup's "Route 66" on the Rainbow Bridge near Baxter Springs, Kan., and kicking Dean Walker's feet backwards at Eisler Bros. Store in Riverton, Kan.

Better than a lava lamp

The folks at POPS in Arcadia, Okla., apparently have added quite a few colorful tricks to its 66-foot-tall pop bottle. The effect is, well, psychedelic.

Taking care of the sign problem

In a few towns along Route 66, it's tough for novices to navigate the Main Street of America because the directional road signs are missing or stolen. Miami, Okla., took the initiative to solve that problem, reports the Daily Oklahoman. The town has painted the Oklahoma Route 66 logo right on the road surface. Amanda … Continue reading Taking care of the sign problem