Route 66 Theater may be haunted

If we are to believe a paranormal team sent to investigate, the historic Route 66 Movie Theater in downtown Webb City, Missouri, is haunted by a spirit named Zach. Here's the story posted on KOAM-TV: KOAM TV 7 The team that did the investigation was Four States Paranormal, which does work in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma … Continue reading Route 66 Theater may be haunted

Gardenway Motel closes

The historic Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge, Missouri, abruptly closed Monday for as-yet-undetermined reasons, reported Jim Thole with the Route 66 Association of Missouri. Thole tried to contact the Eckelkamp family, which has owned the motel for nearly 70 years, to find out why, to no avail. A phone call to the motel Thursday went … Continue reading Gardenway Motel closes

Woman documenting every building on Albuquerque’s Route 66

An Italian woman who is a graduate student at the University of New Mexico is photographically documenting every building and landmark on Route 66 in Albuquerque, according to a story on the university's news service. Donatella Davanzo, a University of New Mexico graduate student, walks along some part of Route 66 in Albuquerque almost every … Continue reading Woman documenting every building on Albuquerque’s Route 66

West gateway in Tulsa going up

Yesterday, I received this photo from "Route 66: The Mother Road" author and Route 66 Alliance co-founder Michael Wallis. Apparently the Route 66 gateway on Southwest Boulevard (aka Route 66) on the west side of Tulsa, near Crystal City Shopping Center, was being built. The east Route 66 gateway on 11th Street just east of … Continue reading West gateway in Tulsa going up

We’re back

Route 66 News suffered about a nine-hour outage because of problems with its host, HostGator. We get hosting services from longtime roadie Guy Randall, who is a reseller for HostGator. He did nothing wrong, but apparently something went awry during the wee hours Wednesday, according to HostGator: At this time the issues have been identified … Continue reading We’re back

Book review: “Father of Route 66: The Story of Cy Avery”

Some may assume Cyrus Avery became known as "The Father of Route 66" simply because he was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time when the highway became designated and federally certified in 1926. But as Susan Croce Kelly's well-researched new biography shows, Avery's involvement in Route 66's birth and … Continue reading Book review: “Father of Route 66: The Story of Cy Avery”

Group seeks to restore old schoolhouse in Phelps

A nonprofit group is raising money to shore up and restore a long-abandoned, century-old Phelps School in the tiny Route 66 hamlet of Phelps, Missouri, reported the Joplin Globe. According to the article, Phelps School was finished in 1889 until it and other one-room schools in the region were consolidated into the Miller School District … Continue reading Group seeks to restore old schoolhouse in Phelps

Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket wins state tourism award

The historic Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket restaurant in Willowbrook, Illinois, received a Delicious Destination honor from Illinois Tourism, according to a news release. The Illinois Office of Tourism and DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau reported that Dell Rhea’s is among a small group of Illinois establishments to receive this designation from the state tourism bureau. … Continue reading Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket wins state tourism award

A visit to Amarillo’s Sixth Street District

This video produced by TourTexas.com features Tucker Yeldell -- described as "a lost prospector, reluctant farmer and early Texas Panhandle settler" -- touring some of his favorite spots on Route 66 in Amarillo. https://youtu.be/gs9L25EsvFA Most of the tour is devoted to the city's historic Sixth Street District, which is a terrific menagerie of antique shops, … Continue reading A visit to Amarillo’s Sixth Street District

Former owner of Club Cafe dies

Ron Chavez, 78, a former owner of the long-closed Club Cafe in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, who later became noted as a writer and poet, died Oct. 15 in Albuquerque, reported the Taos News. His daughter, Sonia Valdez, told the newspaper he died of complications from diabetes and a stroke. The family declined to give … Continue reading Former owner of Club Cafe dies