Latest cost-share grants announced from Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program

The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program announced six grants this year totaling about $165,000 to varying historic preservation, research, oral history, interpretative and educational projects. I noticed the grant awards this year were capped at $30,000. Still, 30 grand is 30 grand. Here are the grant awards: Round Barn siding repair in Arcadia, OklahomaApplicant: Arcadia Historical … Continue reading Latest cost-share grants announced from Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program

Owner of Roy’s Motel and Cafe plans to reopen cabins and cafe sometime next year

Tucked into a long feature about Roy's Motel and Cafe in Amboy, California, was this newsworthy nugget: The owner plans to reopen the cabins and cafe to overnight travelers sometime in 2024. SF Gate published a feature about the Route 66 landmark and owner Kyle Okura, who has taken over its operations after his father … Continue reading Owner of Roy’s Motel and Cafe plans to reopen cabins and cafe sometime next year

Proposed rule may ban rock-hunting in Mojave Trails National Monument

Rock collecting in the Mojave Trails National Monument that includes Route 66 in southern California may become banned under a proposed rule by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The Los Angeles Times reports the BLM is nearing completion of a management plan that could declare rock collecting a form of mining. If that happens, … Continue reading Proposed rule may ban rock-hunting in Mojave Trails National Monument

How the U.S. government almost used nukes to build a new Route 66 in the Mojave Desert

The Sidetrack Adventures channel -- which has produced a lot of good content to interest Route 66 buffs -- recently created a new video that explains how the U.S. government considered the use of nuclear bombs to build a new alignment of Route 66 through California's Mojave Desert. Yes, this proposal sounds stupefyingly dumb even … Continue reading How the U.S. government almost used nukes to build a new Route 66 in the Mojave Desert

Supermodel Cindy Crawford stars in a photo shoot at Roy’s in Amboy

The Roy's Motel and Cafe complex in Amboy, California, has seen a lot of fashion photo shoots over the decades. But last week saw a particularly notable one by Cindy Crawford, one of the most popular supermodels in history. According to SI Lifestyle and other media outlets, the 57-year-old Crawford was participating in a project … Continue reading Supermodel Cindy Crawford stars in a photo shoot at Roy’s in Amboy

Albert Okura, a restaurateur who owned the town of Amboy, dies

Albert Okura, longtime owner and founder of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain who purchased the Route 66 town of Amboy, California, in 2005, died last week. Okura also owned the first original McDonald's -- also a popular Route 66 stop in San Bernardino, California. He purchased that location in 1998, stocked it with McDonald's memorabilia … Continue reading Albert Okura, a restaurateur who owned the town of Amboy, dies

Old Route 66 now is open between Barstow and Ludlow

A section of old Route 66 between Barstow, California, and Amboy, California, that was closed for several years due to bridge washouts is open again. The Facebook accounts of the California Historic Route 66 Association and Roy's Motel & Cafe this week both reported the road being reopened by San Bernardino County, which holds jurisdiction. … Continue reading Old Route 66 now is open between Barstow and Ludlow

Bridge failure closes Route 66 indefinitely from Ludlow to Amboy

More bridges on Route 66 apparently have failed in recent days east of Ludlow, California, closing the historic highway to the hamlet of Amboy, California. That's on top of the closed portion of Route 66 from Essex, California, to Amboy. That leaves no direct Route 66 access to Amboy the east and west of the … Continue reading Bridge failure closes Route 66 indefinitely from Ludlow to Amboy

Roy’s of Amboy makes an appearance in new Nissan commercial

If you've watched any NCAA basketball tournament games on television in recent days, you might have spotted the Route 66 landmark Roy's gas station, cafe and motel in Amboy, California, in a Nissan ad. The Roy's footage, which features the Nissan Z sports car, begins about the 15-second mark; https://youtu.be/yR6mx_VkXEk I went back more than … Continue reading Roy’s of Amboy makes an appearance in new Nissan commercial

California nearly used atomic bombs to help bypass Route 66 in California

California highway planners seriously considered the use of nearly two dozen atomic bombs to level a mountain range so a new alignment of Interstate 40 could be built through the Mojave Desert and thus bypass Route 66. Newsmen and other observers watch a cloud of dust emerge in the distance several seconds after an underground … Continue reading California nearly used atomic bombs to help bypass Route 66 in California