Entrepreneur and Route 66 booster Mary Beth Babcock is planning a fourth, 20-foot-tall Muffler Man giant named Cowboy Bob at one of her businesses in Tulsa. The Tulsa World had the details: The newest giant, Cowboy Bob, will be the mascot for Buck’s Vintage on 66 that is moving into the 66 Collective with other … Continue reading Entrepreneuer Mary Beth Babcock planning another 20-foot-tall Cowboy Bob in Tulsa
Category: People
Longtime owner of Westside Lilo’s Cafe in Seligman dies
Lilo Russell, a German native who owned the landmark Westside Lilo's Cafe along Route 66 in Seligman, Arizona, for decades, has died. She was 83. Russell's death was announced on Monday on several Route 66 groups on social media, including the restaurant itself: Here's a video made by a traveler a few years ago who … Continue reading Longtime owner of Westside Lilo’s Cafe in Seligman dies
Longtime TV travel host Samantha Brown will feature western Route 66 in future episodes
Longtime television travel host Samantha Brown revealed in a recent interview that she will feature Route 66 from Albuquerque to Santa Monica in future episodes of her PBS show. Brown, who is marking 25 years on television, sat for an interview with USA Today before the season premiere of "Samantha Brown's Places to Love." It … Continue reading Longtime TV travel host Samantha Brown will feature western Route 66 in future episodes
Elmer Long’s son says he’ll “continue legacy” of Bottle Tree Ranch
Ellsworth Hayes, son of deceased Bottle Tree Ranch founder Elmer Long, a few days ago popped in at the Historic Route 66 group on Facebook to announce he would "continue his legacy" as the Route 66 landmark approaches its 25th anniversary. Hayes wrote: After he passed away from lung cancer In 2019, I basically went … Continue reading Elmer Long’s son says he’ll “continue legacy” of Bottle Tree Ranch
Jimmy Carter visited Elk City twice
Jimmy Carter twice visited the Route 66 town of Elk City, Oklahoma, during the 1970s, including once when he was U.S. president. Carter, who served one term as U.S. commander-in-chief before embarking on an impactful and dignified post-presidential career, died on Dec. 29 at age 100. News9 in Oklahoma City recently published a story about … Continue reading Jimmy Carter visited Elk City twice
Someone steals vintage police car owned by late Amboy owner Albert Okura
A 1955 Dodge Coronet police car owned by deceased Route 66 legend Albert Okura was stolen on Christmas Day from the headquarters of the family's Juan Pollo restaurant chain in San Bernardino, California. Okura's son Kyle told the San Bernardino County Sun his father acquired the car many years ago. The vehicle purportedly was used … Continue reading Someone steals vintage police car owned by late Amboy owner Albert Okura
Frank and Lynne’s video Christmas card for 2024
In what's become a tradition at Route 66 News, here is the annual video Christmas card from Frank and Lynne Kocevar, the former owners of the Historic Seligman Sundries in Seligman, Arizona. This is the 15th annual card they've done. Scenes come from Safford, Arizona; Granbury, Texas; Mineral Wells, Texas; Payson, Arizona; Fountain Hills, Arizona; … Continue reading Frank and Lynne’s video Christmas card for 2024
Teen driver charged after 6 pedestrians hurt at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis
Police charged a 19-year-old driver after he was accused of hitting six pedestrians with his vehicle in the parking lot of Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis. Rasool Al Janabi faces five counts of leaving the scene of an accident with physical injury, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It wasn't clear whether he was … Continue reading Teen driver charged after 6 pedestrians hurt at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis
Roy’s in Amboy hopes to have cafe, cottage open by 2026
The owners of Roy's Motel & Cafe in Amboy, California, hope to have the restaurant and it six small cottages reopened by Route 66's centennial in 2026. That factoid was part of a feature in The Guardian newspaper in London about Roy's and the Okura family, who own the complex and the town. Albert Okura, … Continue reading Roy’s in Amboy hopes to have cafe, cottage open by 2026
Route 66 advocate Mary Beth Babcock named Tulsan of the Year
Entrepreneur Mary Beth Babcock was named one of the Tulsa World's Tulsans of the Year for her advocacy of local tourism, especially along Route 66. Babcock opened the Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios on 66 in a former gas station in 2018, then added a specially commissioned, 21-foot-tall fiberglass giant named Buck Atom at the store … Continue reading Route 66 advocate Mary Beth Babcock named Tulsan of the Year