RSU Public TV, based at Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma, recently completed this 25-minute profile in its "Perspective" series about author, actor and speaker Michael Wallis. Wallis remains best-known for two things -- writing the best-selling "Route 66: The Mother Road" that sparked the renaissance of the historic highway and providing the voice of … Continue reading Public TV station profiles writer Michael Wallis
Tag: St. Louis
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard starts 90th year
Here's a nice sign of spring -- Ted Drewes Frozen Custard at its Route 66 location in southwest St. Louis opened for the season Tuesday, and it happens to be its 90th year. Here's a lucky television reporter who received the first frozen custard of the season: The other Ted Drewes site on South Grand … Continue reading Ted Drewes Frozen Custard starts 90th year
A look back at the Round Barn, Ted Drewes and Dixie Truckers Home
Anthony Reichardt recently uploaded several more videos from his Route 66 trips during the 1990s in a 1959 Cadillac. Reichardt's videos often hold historical value, as many are more than a quarter-century old. It's interesting to see how the Mother Road has changed. His YouTube channel of 60 videos is here. The first video compiles five … Continue reading A look back at the Round Barn, Ted Drewes and Dixie Truckers Home
Renovated Gateway Arch museum in St. Louis reopens to public
The Gateway Arch Museum and Visitor Center in St. Louis reopened to the public Tuesday after a $380 million renovation of the grounds using public and private funding. The 630-foot-tall, stainless steel monument, completed in 1965, remains essentially unchanged. But the grounds surrounding it underwent a makeover in a four-year period -- namely to make the … Continue reading Renovated Gateway Arch museum in St. Louis reopens to public
Coffee shop in St. Louis uses 70-year-old auto-repair shop
Blueprint Coffee this month is opening a second St. Louis site in a 1940s-era auto-repair shop not far from the Route 66 landmarks Ted Drewes Frozen Custard and Donut Drive-In. Blueprint Coffee opened in 2013 in the Delmar Loop area of west St. Louis. The second place, opening in June, sits at 4206 Watson Road … Continue reading Coffee shop in St. Louis uses 70-year-old auto-repair shop
Eat-Rite Diner in St. Louis reopens Thursday
The Eat-Rite Diner near downtown St. Louis will reopen Thursday morning during the Cardinals baseball team's home opener, as hoped by the Route 66 restaurant's new owners several months ago. KMOX radio in St. Louis talked Monday to new owners Joel and Shawna Holtman: "Our counter top is in, we've got everything done, we've got … Continue reading Eat-Rite Diner in St. Louis reopens Thursday
Eat-Rite Diner gets new owners, may reopen in April
The Eat-Rite Diner near downtown St. Louis recently gained new owners who plan to renovate the interior but keep its historic elements. KMOX radio in St. Louis reported Joel and Shawna Holtman are busy trying to get the restaurant open by April 5, which is the home opener for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team … Continue reading Eat-Rite Diner gets new owners, may reopen in April
A look at shooting locations for “National Lampoon’s Vacation”
This new 34-minute video by Adam the Woo, whose road-trip videos have been featured on this website before, exhaustively chronicles all the shooting sites for the 1983 hit comedy movie "National Lampoon's Vacation." Adam wrote in the video description: I set out on an adventure to document every location from the 1983 comedy classic National … Continue reading A look at shooting locations for “National Lampoon’s Vacation”
Warehouse fire destroys inventory by several Route 66 authors
Fire destroyed a St. Louis warehouse used by Reedy Press, along with all the stored books by several Route 66 authors, according to several media reports. Smoke from the five-alarm fire that began Wednesday morning was seen for miles, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. At one point, part of the building collapsed onto a firetruck, and … Continue reading Warehouse fire destroys inventory by several Route 66 authors
UPDATED: Eat-Rite Diner closes; it may open
The historic Eat-Rite Diner in St. Louis closed Tuesday for at least two weeks because of mechanical issues, and its aging owner said the shutdown may be even longer than that. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which landed the scoop, talked to the restaurant's owner, L.B. Powers, who said the shutdown is because of an exhaust-fan … Continue reading UPDATED: Eat-Rite Diner closes; it may open