The Illinois Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism recently honored the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau with a Cooperative Partnership award for The Last 100 Miles of Route 66 Postcard Mural Trail. More about the honor from The Alton Telegraph newspaper: Working with 12 different Route 66 communities to create a vivid Route 66 … Continue reading Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau honored for Route 66 mural trail
Category: Art
Memorial dedicated to Joplin tornado victims of 2011
A 17-foot-tall sculpture was dedicated Wednesday to the people who died in the 2011 tornado that ravaged Joplin, Missouri. The Joplin Memorial Run sculpture bears the names of the 161 dead from the EF5 twister. It is located at the Harry M. Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex at Joplin Avenue and Seventh Street (aka Route … Continue reading Memorial dedicated to Joplin tornado victims of 2011
Gearhead Curios in Galena to hold official ribbon-cutting on June 17
Mark your calendars. Gearhead Curios of Galena, Kansas, will hold an official ribbon-cutting at 1 p.m. June 17 to celebrate several years of work on the former Texaco station. "It will have been almost 5 years of renovations; we have been soft open since March of '22 but come June we will be ready ready … Continue reading Gearhead Curios in Galena to hold official ribbon-cutting on June 17
Texas Old Route 66 Association helps replace damaged VW at Bug Ranch
The Texas Old Route 66 Association a few days ago swapped out a damaged Volkwagen at the Bug Ranch art installation in Panhandle, Texas. The association stated in a Facebook post: One of the VWs out at the Bug Ranch had been severely vandalized and pretty much on the ground for the last 2 years.Thanks … Continue reading Texas Old Route 66 Association helps replace damaged VW at Bug Ranch
Frankoma Pottery Company store opens in Glenpool after long hiatus
Frankoma Pottery, a historic company with deep roots along Route 66 in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, held its grand opening Saturday in nearby Glenpool, Oklahoma, after years of uncertainty about whether a brick-and-mortar site for the company ever would be revived. According to the Tulsa World, several longtime Frankoma employees were scheduled to attend the event. The … Continue reading Frankoma Pottery Company store opens in Glenpool after long hiatus
Half-Corvette in Joplin is being temporarily removed for restoration
The half-Corvette at Seventh and Main streets (aka Route 66) in Joplin, Missouri, that's served as a photo op for about a decade is being temporarily removed for a face-lift. KSN-TV reports: It will be removed sometime during the week after Thanksgiving — repaired, repainted, and re-installed by the local business, Mafia Paint Shop. The … Continue reading Half-Corvette in Joplin is being temporarily removed for restoration
The man behind the Big Cross in Groom, Texas
The nearly 200-foot-tall cross that stands between Route 66 and Interstate 40 in Groom, Texas, is the vision of one man. According to a recent article by the Boston Globe, that man is Steve Thomas, who recently retired and sold the oil and gas business he operated for about 35 years. He now spends most … Continue reading The man behind the Big Cross in Groom, Texas
Caretaker creating new additions to Elmer Long’s Bottle Tree Ranch
Not only is someone looking after Elmer Long's Bottle Tree Ranch near Oro Grande, California, but he is adding to it three years after the creator's death. According to ABC10 in Los Angeles, Brian McKinsey now serves as caretaker of the Route 66 landmark. The story contains this encouraging excerpt: McKinsey says it’s not uncommon … Continue reading Caretaker creating new additions to Elmer Long’s Bottle Tree Ranch
15-foot pollinator sculpture debuts along Route 66 in Carlinville
A three-piece, 15-foot-tall pollinator sculpture recently was installed along Route 66 in Carlinville, Illinois. The steel sculpture of flowers and a bee stands at the Carlinville Plaza on the city's north side. Make Carlinville Beautiful coordinated the creation and donation of materials for the project. According to an article in the Alton Telegraph, the sculpture … Continue reading 15-foot pollinator sculpture debuts along Route 66 in Carlinville
Cherokee Nation Welcome Center opens near Vinita
The Cherokee Nation earlier this week opened its Anna Mitchell Cultural & Welcome Center on Route 66 in Vinita, Oklahoma. Mitchell is known as one of the Cherokee Nation's pre-eminent pottery artists. She began her ground-breaking experiments with clay from an area less than a mile from the future home of the welcome center. More … Continue reading Cherokee Nation Welcome Center opens near Vinita