Sapulpa sees strong business growth after the inaugural Route 66 Christmas Chute

A news release suggests strong business growth seen in recent months in downtown Sapulpa, Oklahoma, might be tied to the enormous publicity and foot traffic from the inaugural Route 66 Christmas Chute during the holiday season. In case you missed it, the Route 66 Christmas Chute in downtown consisted of 35,000 feet of lights, 1,100 … Continue reading Sapulpa sees strong business growth after the inaugural Route 66 Christmas Chute

The fourth edition of the Mother Road Route 66 Passport now is available

Touch Media, the folks behind the Route 66 Navigation app, announced this week the release of the fourth edition of its popular Mother Road Route 66 Passport. This year's edition contains 44 stops along Route 66 where travelers can have their passports stamped. More from the company's news release: The passport, now 82 pages, was … Continue reading The fourth edition of the Mother Road Route 66 Passport now is available

Developer withdraws plans for Route 66 mixed-use project in Tulsa, citing construction costs

A developer that sought to build an ambitious Route 66-themed mixed-use project in Tulsa told the city this week it has withdrawn the proposal, citing a rise in construction costs that made it unfeasible. Sharp Development of Tulsa pulled out of the project this week after the city selected it from four proposals a year … Continue reading Developer withdraws plans for Route 66 mixed-use project in Tulsa, citing construction costs

Buck’s Cosmic Crash Pad in Tulsa will be converted to Buck’s Vintage Shop next month

Buck’s Cosmic Crash Pad, an Airbnb site for three years in Tulsa directly behind Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios on 66, will be converted to Buck’s Vintage Shop in June. Buck's owner Mary Beth Babcock made the announcement in a social media post on Tuesday: In a discussion thread, Babcock said the new venture would offer … Continue reading Buck’s Cosmic Crash Pad in Tulsa will be converted to Buck’s Vintage Shop next month

Campground planned for closed Minnetonka Trading Post site near Winslow

A campground is planned for the site of the long-closed Minnetonka Trading Post along Route 66 east of Winslow, Arizona. Blue Miller, known for her well-researched Never Quite Lost historical blog, passed along the good news about the site on the Historic Route 66 page on Facebook. She wrote: I am pleased to bring you … Continue reading Campground planned for closed Minnetonka Trading Post site near Winslow

Removal of newer facade reveals original front of Pearl Brothers Hardware building in Joplin

In recent weeks, contractors for the new owner of Pearl Bros. Hardware building in downtown Joplin, Missouri, removed the green metal facade that had covered the original front of the building for about 60 years. A reporter for KOAM-TV showed before-and-after images of the work being done by Neal Group Construction: https://youtu.be/WcXfSKLMq68 The story also … Continue reading Removal of newer facade reveals original front of Pearl Brothers Hardware building in Joplin

Forthcoming brewery in Amarillo wants to take advantage of Route 66 tourism

The Old Tascosa Brewing Company wants to open a tap room by mid-April along the historic Sixth Street District in Amarillo, Texas, and capitalize on Route 66 tourism, especially with centennial celebrations leading up to the highway's big year in 2026. Channel 7 in Amarillo published a story about the brewery and the Route 66 … Continue reading Forthcoming brewery in Amarillo wants to take advantage of Route 66 tourism

New Mexico Route 66 Association’s motor tour goes on hiatus this year due to Tucumcari project

The New Mexico Route 66 Association last week announced it would pause its annual motor tour this year because of the complexities of moving its office to Tucumcari. Sue Montgomery, vice president and membership officer with the association, stated in an email: So good news is that the NM Rt 66 Association in conjunction with … Continue reading New Mexico Route 66 Association’s motor tour goes on hiatus this year due to Tucumcari project

Sugar Grove Nature Center in Funks Grove imposes sudden layoffs

The Sugar Grove Nature Center in Funks Grove, Illinois, imposed sudden layoffs and shut down its visitors center last week, shocking volunteers and former staff members. Sugar Grove Nature Center consists of over 1,000 acres of preserved forest, the nature center just off Route 66. It regularly hosted field trips and programs about Illinois history … Continue reading Sugar Grove Nature Center in Funks Grove imposes sudden layoffs

New Route 66 emblem emerges on Amarillo water tower

A long-planned Amarillo Route 66 emblem recently emerged on one of the city's large water towers located just off the Mother Road. Dora Meroney of Texas Ivy Antiques has posted a number of photos of the emblem on the tower, which is undergoing repainting: The Amarillo Route 66 water tower even has its own Facebook … Continue reading New Route 66 emblem emerges on Amarillo water tower