A virtual tour of old Cajon Pass

Backroads West, which recently posted excellent videos about Route 66 from Victorville to Barstow in California, has just posted a new clip about the pre-Route 66 alignment of the Cajon Pass. https://youtu.be/w05830KU78o Much of the road shown in the video dates to 1914 -- more than a decade before U.S. Highway 66 was commissioned.

The Boots Motel now

Here's a recent video about the Boots Motel in Carthage, Mo., after it reopened to overnight travelers following a decade-long hiatus: https://youtu.be/JMRB5gD2IvI Stevo Svoboda has a bunch of other Route 66-related videos at his YouTube channel. On a related note, the Boots Motel has started a fundraising drive to remove its gabled roof and restore … Continue reading The Boots Motel now

An interesting new stop on Route 66

We'd heard about Main St. Grub & Stuff, a new restaurant and bicycle rental place in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., a few weeks ago. Today, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin published an in-depth story about the establishment nestled near the Pacific Electric Trail. "There is so much history connected to Route 66 and we'd like to … Continue reading An interesting new stop on Route 66

Joliet restaurant takes on Route 66 name

The Joliet Restaurant in downtown Joliet, Ill., has renamed itself to the Joliet Route 66 Diner to take advantage of the town's Mother Road heritage, according to The Herald-News in Joliet. The newspaper reported: A few months ago, Tom Mahalik, marketing vice president for the City Center Partnership, came up with an idea to rebrand … Continue reading Joliet restaurant takes on Route 66 name

Pontiac’s museums

This video by WMBD-TV in Peoria, Ill., does a good job packing information about the four museums in Pontiac, Ill., into about 90 seconds. https://youtu.be/NPSITNBYeeA The museums are: Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum & Resource Center Livingston County War Museum International Walldog Mural & Sign Art Museum And the Museum … Continue reading Pontiac’s museums

Will Route 66 Rendezvous leave or stay in downtown San Berdoo?

The annual Route 66 Rendezvous may depart or remain in downtown San Bernardino, Calif., according to somewhat contradictory reports Friday afternoon from two area newspapers. The Press-Enterprise said the classic-car extravaganza may leave downtown because the city, which recently declared bankruptcy, may not have the money to pay for the event's police patrols. A few … Continue reading Will Route 66 Rendezvous leave or stay in downtown San Berdoo?

New cap on Route 66 sodas features Route 66 itself

Route 66 Sodas LLC today announced a new design on the bottle caps of its Route 66 Root Beer and other 12-ounce sodas that are sold in glass bottles. The company, based in the Route 66 town of Lebanon, Mo., decided to actually feature an image of the Mother Road on the cap. A photo of … Continue reading New cap on Route 66 sodas features Route 66 itself

New Rancho freeway signs point to Route 66

Interstate 15 in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., this week received new signs -- in both directions -- that direct motorists to  Foothill Boulevard, aka historic Route 66. According to the Daily Breeze in Torrance, Calif: "It's my intent to again let the people know that this is part of Route 66," said Edward Dietl, vice president of … Continue reading New Rancho freeway signs point to Route 66

New song from The Road Crew

The Road Crew, which has released an entire album of Route 66-related music and has performed at several Mother Road events, has recorded a new tune specially for the upcoming The Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Mo. "The Middle of Everything" was written by singer Don King and band member Joe Loesch: During … Continue reading New song from The Road Crew

Historical truck group taking a caravan down Route 66

Here's something a little unusual. The American Truck Historical Society is organizing its first Historic Highway Convoy, with a trip down Route 66 in September. These are big semi trucks, not pickup trucks, at the event. The society has a photo gallery those antique trucks; a few of them might be seen there. Land Line, a … Continue reading Historical truck group taking a caravan down Route 66