The specially commissioned, nearly 20-foot-tall "Big A the Texaco Giant" will be installed at Gearhead Curios in Galena, Kansas, at 1 p.m. on Sept. 8. ReGiant, specializing in working on Muffler Men, will install the former Texaco station at 520 S. Main St. (Route 66). Enchanted Castle Studios made the figure itself. It has fabricated … Continue reading Big A the Texaco Giant to be installed at Gearhead Curios in Galena on Sept. 8
Sun ‘n Sand Restaurant in Santa Rosa closes
The Sun 'n Sand Restaurant, which operated in the shadow of the distinctive neon sign for the long-closed motel by the same name in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, closed last Saturday. The restaurant at 2050 Historic Route 66, which had erratic hours in recent years, announced the closure on Facebook. Reached by Facebook Messenger, a … Continue reading Sun ‘n Sand Restaurant in Santa Rosa closes
20-foot-tall Meadow Gold Mack statue installed at namesake store in Tulsa
A 20-foot-tall Muffler Man named Meadow Gold Mack was installed Wednesday at the Meadow Gold Mack's Route 66 Outpost in Tulsa. It is the third such Muffler Man to be installed in a short stretch of Route 66 in Tulsa. Two are at the nearby Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios on Route 66. All are the … Continue reading 20-foot-tall Meadow Gold Mack statue installed at namesake store in Tulsa
Blue Hole in Santa Rosa to reopen on Aug. 30 for scuba and free diving
The landmark Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, will reopen on Aug. 30 for scuba diving and free diving after an underwater wall collapse prompted its closing for weeks. The City of Santa Rosa on Monday announced on Facebook the forthcoming reopening of diving at the site. The Blue Hole reopened to swimmers on … Continue reading Blue Hole in Santa Rosa to reopen on Aug. 30 for scuba and free diving
Fundraiser launched for needed repairs for historic Hooker church, school building
An online fundraiser recently was launched to repair the roof on the 120-year-old Hooker Church and school next to Hooker Cemetery in Hooker, Missouri. The cemetery and church building, aka The Little White Church, are next to Route 66. Rick Wieners, whose grandfather and father are buried in the cemetery, launched the campaign on GoFundMe.com … Continue reading Fundraiser launched for needed repairs for historic Hooker church, school building
Hydro wins $496,000 state grant to build Welcome to Hydro Route 66 Experience
The Hydro Chamber of Commerce of Hydro, Oklahoma, announced the village had received a $496,000 grant from the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission to build a "Welcome to Hydro Route 66 Experience." It will be built at the four-way stop at Route 66 and Highway 58, the north-south road leading into Hydro, and yards off … Continue reading Hydro wins $496,000 state grant to build Welcome to Hydro Route 66 Experience
Rich Henry, longtime owner of Henry’s Rabbit Ranch in Staunton, dies
Rich Henry, owner of the landmark Henry's Rabbit Ranch in Staunton, Illinois, died suddenly Friday, according to locals and Route 66 enthusiasts who knew him well. An exact age for Henry wasn't available, though he listed on his Facebook page he graduated from high school in 1965. That would put his age in his mid-70s. … Continue reading Rich Henry, longtime owner of Henry’s Rabbit Ranch in Staunton, dies
Train added to Red Oak II complex near Carthage
Fulfilling the dreams of its late founder, a small train recently was added near the replica railroad depot at the famed Red Oak II complex near Carthage, Missouri. According to the Joplin Globe, Larry Sernyk, who owns several buildings in Red Oak II and also lives there, worked with a crew to install the train … Continue reading Train added to Red Oak II complex near Carthage
Lumi giant added at Country Aire Restaurant at Atlanta
Call the small town of Atlanta, Illinois, the Land of the Giants. Lumi, a nearly 20-foot-tall female fiberglass giant holding a pie, was added Friday at the Country Aire Restaurant in Atlanta. That includes the Bunyan giant installed in 2003 along the original Route 66 in downtown Atlanta, plus the American Giants Museum that opened … Continue reading Lumi giant added at Country Aire Restaurant at Atlanta
Spencer’s Grill in Kirkwood lands new owners, likely will reopen on Nov. 1
Two local restaurateurs and a local investor have acquired the historic Spencer's Grill in Kirkwood, Missouri, and they plan to reopen the Route 66 restaurant on Nov. 1. According to St. Louis Magazine, Michael and Meredith Shadwick, the owners of Kirkwood-based Honey Bee’s Biscuits + Good Eats and Tropical Moose Shaved Ice, along with Kirkwood resident Michael Kleckner, … Continue reading Spencer’s Grill in Kirkwood lands new owners, likely will reopen on Nov. 1