A few days ago, the Los Angeles Times (via AOL) published a lengthy story about how the son of the late Albert Okura, owner of the Route 66 town of Amboy, California, is trying to keep that dream alive. The story by Alex Wigglesworth is worth reading in its entirety. But a few nuggets stand … Continue reading Albert Okura’s son tries to keep his father’s dream alive at Amboy
Three U.S. senators announced last week they proposed legislation to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail, though its prospects for passage in the lame-duck session of Congress are uncertain. U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe and James Lankford of Oklahoma and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, all Republicans, stated in a news release they introduced … Continue reading U.S. senators introduce bill to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail
The restoration of the neon sign for the closed West Winds Motel in Erick, Oklahoma, is among the $6 million in grants recently awarded by the Oklahoma Route 66 Commission. A list of the funds given from the state’s Route 66 Revitalization Grant Program was posted in a document on the commission’s website. Several grant … Continue reading Restoration of West Winds Motel sign in Erick among Oklahoma Route 66 Commission grants
The U.S. Congress is going to try again to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail during the current session. According to a Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership news release, U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) on Monday introduced HR8240 in the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano [D-Calif.] co-sponsored the bill Here’s … Continue reading New Route 66 Historic Trail bill introduced in Congress
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association is prodding a U.S. senator to reintroduce a bill that would designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail. Rhys Martin, president of the association, sent out an email to members this week to contact U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe and urge him to reintroduce a bill similar to Senate Bill … Continue reading Oklahoma Route 66 Association prods senator to reintroduce National Historic Trail bill
In the wake of the ongoing struggle to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail, a newspaper along the historic highway has floated an intriguing idea — make Route 66 a national park instead. The editorial board of the Joplin Globe in Missouri published an editorial with that proposal a few days ago. Below … Continue reading Newspaper editorial floats National Park idea for Route 66
Joplin, Missouri, for years has sought to boost Route 66 tourism to its city. Officials there want more visitors to stay in the city for longer periods, thus generating more tax revenue. However, the Joplin Globe reported a Colorado-based consultant threw cold water on that idea — mainly because the city doesn’t have enough historic … Continue reading Why historic preservation is important to future tourism
This week, a neon sign on Route 66 in Kingman, Arizona, that was taken down during the late 1940s was returned to the Mother Road in the same city where it was erected. Route 66 author Jim Hinckley explained in an email: The sign stood on Chadwick Drive. This road carried National Old Trails Highway … Continue reading Neon sign returns to Kingman’s Route 66 for first time in nearly 70 years
The recent designation of three national monuments in California — including the Mojave Trails National Monument that includes Route 66 — was formally celebrated Thursday by conservationists and the Secretary of the Interior. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell attended the celebration, according to The Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs. The other two monuments are the Sand … Continue reading Formal celebration held for new California monuments
Media reports and news releases from the U.S. government have provided more details about President Barack Obama’s declaration Friday of 1.6 million acres of Southern California desert as the Mojave Trails National Monument. The monument includes 105 miles of Route 66 from Needles to Ludlow, California. The president’s declaration for the Mojave Trails National Monument may be … Continue reading More about the new Mojave Trails National Monument
