The oft-overlooked but historically rich town of Brooklyn, Illinois, recently was added to Landmarks Illinois' annual Most Endangered Places list. For the uninitiated, Brooklyn (aka Lovejoy) sits on Illinois Highway 3 between East St. Louis and Madison in the metro-east area of St. Louis. Illinois 3 was an alignment of Route 66 from 1929 to … Continue reading Route 66 town of Brooklyn, Illinois, added to Landmarks Illinois’ Most Endangered Places list
Category: Towns
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
Video explains how part of Newberry Springs became buried under sand dunes
The Sidetrack Adventures channel on YouTube explored the Route 66 town of Newberry Springs, California, and why a good portion of it became buried under the sands of the Mojave Desert. The main reason was a neighborhood was inexplicably built on the dry riverbed of the Mojave River. What can go wrong? https://youtu.be/Ve2S2QgRPgQ Newberry Springs … Continue reading Video explains how part of Newberry Springs became buried under sand dunes
Woman raising funds to build welcome arches on both sides of Seligman
A woman is leading a fundraising effort to build welcome arches on the east and west sides of Seligman, Arizona, on Route 66. Nancy Echeverria has raised about $23,000 so far for the project. She anticipates the arches will cost a total of $150,000. Her fundraisers have received the endorsement of the Seligman Chamber of … Continue reading Woman raising funds to build welcome arches on both sides of Seligman
Red Carpet Corridor festival adds second day, Bloomington-Normal to its itinerary
This year's edition of the Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor festival is going to be a two-day affair, with Bloomington-Normal added to its list of towns to visit. The May 6-7 event, which starts in Joliet, lengthens to 100 miles and 14 communities, according to a news release from the Illinois Route 66 Scenic … Continue reading Red Carpet Corridor festival adds second day, Bloomington-Normal to its itinerary
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
Edmond in talks to take over ownership of Route 66 in the city
The city of Edmond, Oklahoma, has begun preliminary talks with the state Department of Transportation to take over Route 66 and U.S. 77 in town. The Oklahoma-based NonDoc journalism site had the story: “The discussion we have with ODOT is, ‘is there a future where they do a full reconstruct of (Route) 77 and 66 … Continue reading Edmond in talks to take over ownership of Route 66 in the city
Springfield, Missouri, poised to break record for hotel stays in 2022
The city of Springfield, Missouri, is on track to break its record of hotel stays in 2022 -- a mark set a year ago. The Springfield News-Leader reported the numbers via Tracy Kimberlin, leader of the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau: In 2021, Springfield set a record with 1,439,619 occupied hotel rooms. And the city … Continue reading Springfield, Missouri, poised to break record for hotel stays in 2022
Frank and Lynne Kocevar’s 2022 video Christmas card
In what has become a tradition on Route 66 News, we are posting the annual video Christmas card that Frank and Lynne Kocevar shot in Arizona. The Kocevars once owned the Historic Seligman Sundries in Seligman. The latest contains footage from the recent Christmas tree lighting ceremony in downtown Williams, right along the Route 66 … Continue reading Frank and Lynne Kocevar’s 2022 video Christmas card
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