Lincoln Motel sign gets face-lift next weekend

Volunteers with the Oklahoma Route 66 Association will put a new coat of paint on the historic Lincoln Motel's neon sign in Chandler, Okla., on Sept. 11-12, and you're invited to join the effort. Repainting will begin from about 8 a.m. and end at dark each day, weather permitting, at the motel at 740 E. … Continue reading Lincoln Motel sign gets face-lift next weekend

A cell built for two

Mark and Sarah Owens of TravelShorts.com recently took a three-week trip on Route 66. Here's a clip of an odd but fascinating attraction that gets frequently overlooked -- the two-cell jailhouse that was built more than a century ago in Gardner, Ill.

Bicycle trail hits a roadblock

John Fritsche, a cycling enthusiast who's been leading an effort to establish a 17-mile bicycle trail on an abandoned section of Route 66 between Staunton and Litchfield, Ill., said in a letter to the editor in The Journal-News in nearby Hillsboro that the project has run into a snag. The roadway is under the jurisdiction of … Continue reading Bicycle trail hits a roadblock

66 Bowl auction delayed

The auction of the contents for the 66 Bowl in Oklahoma City scheduled for Tuesday has been delayed to Oct. 1, reported the Daily Oklahoman. Auctioneer Louis Dakil said people can go the bowling alley at 10 a.m. Tuesday as planned and register and place advance bids. But because the closing of the bowling alley … Continue reading 66 Bowl auction delayed

And they call the thing rodeo

Though I've lived in Oklahoma more than six years, for the first time I attended the annual Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo in Vinita. Will Rogers, who grew up near Vinita and attended college there, promised townsfolk in 1934 he would return to Vinita if they put together a rodeo. Just weeks before the rodeo would … Continue reading And they call the thing rodeo

San Bernardino soon will open a Route 66 museum

A Route 66 museum soon will open in San Bernardino, Calif., with a sneak preview during the Route 66 Rendezvous classic-car festival next month, according to the San Bernardino County Sun. The museum, at Fifth Street near Mount Vernon Avenue (map here), will open at 10 a.m. Sept. 17 during the Rendezvous. The museum will … Continue reading San Bernardino soon will open a Route 66 museum

It’s tree-mendous

Durelle Pritchard of Pontiac, Ill., owned a nuisance pine tree in his yard. Instead of simply cutting it all down, he had part of it carved into what looks like a gas-station pump as a memorial to Route 66 in town. You can see it here at the Pontiac Daily Leader. According to online directories, … Continue reading It’s tree-mendous

Route 66 cost-share grants announced

The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program on Friday announced in its quarterly newsletter its annual cost-share grants for historic Route 66 businesses and landmarks. Most of the information comes from the newsletter or news release, except where I added links and other information. The recipients are: Historic Seligman Sundries, Seligman, Ariz. -- With its distinct false front, … Continue reading Route 66 cost-share grants announced

66 years of marriage, on Route 66

The Kingman (Ariz.) Daily Miner tells of the story of Kenneth and Kathleen Kelley, who are celebrating their 66th wedding anniversary and live on Route 66 in Kingman. They marked the date by being photographed in front of 1966 cars (with the help of the Route 66 Cruisers club) in front of the Powerhouse Visitors … Continue reading 66 years of marriage, on Route 66

Blue Swallow Motel put up for sale

Bill Kinder, co-owner and operator of the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., for the past four years, has decided to place the historic Route 66 landmark for sale because of a recurrence of cancer. Kinder and his wife Terri purchased the Blue Swallow in 2006. He was diagnosed with cancer shortly after, about the same time … Continue reading Blue Swallow Motel put up for sale