Along66, June 2022: Get a Sneak Look at the Red Cedar Inn

JUNE 23

The Route 66 Association of Missouri's 2022 Motor Tour will now include an exclusive tour of the Red Cedar Inn in Pacific, Missouri.

The former famous restaurant is being convereted into a visitors center, museum and genealogy site.

The tour will be September 23-25 and will run from St. Louis to Lebanon, Missouri.  Cost is $50 for adults.

The Red Cedar Inn was built in 1932 by the Smith Brothers and closed abruptly in 2005.  It is on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

The city of Pacific purchased it in 2017.  In 2020, the Missouri Association assisted in the restoration of the place's neon sign.

Liz and I had planned to have a bite in the place back when we first "found" Route 66 in 2002, but didn't go to it on a couple occasions, and then it was closed.  I always wanted to go into the building so now's a chance.

--RoadDog

Along66, Nov. 2021: A 66 Parklet in Bloomington and Relighting the Shamrock in Sullivan

NOVEMBER 21

A forthcoming parklet in downtown Bloomington, Illinois, pays tribute to Route 66.  It is scheduled to be finished in early summer 2022.

Exactly what is a parklet?  It is actually just a sidewalk extension and located by the McLean County Museum of History, home of "Cruisin' With Lincoln on 66 visitors center.

For a city that for so long neglected its Route 66 heritage, Bloomington and Normal for that matter, have been catching up big time.  I'm so proud of them.

********************************

NOVEMBER 28

The Shamrock Court in Sullivan, Missouri, relighting is set for March 19 of 2022 and the hotel will likely reopen in 2023.

"Roamin' Rich" Dinkel, President of the Route 66 Association of Missouri, bought it earlier this year and has since then done many improvements to the old motel.  He has big plans for it.  

I had even thought about buying it, but motels are a real lot of work.  Much more than I, at my age, would want to do.

--Old, Real Old RoadDog.

Along66, September 2021: Work To be Done at the Shamrock Court in Sullivan

SEPTEMBER 6 

A Roof rehab Event planned for Shamrock Court in Sullivan, Missouri planned for September 9.

Rich Dinkel, "Roamin' Rich" and president of the Route 66 Association of Missouri has received a $30,000 cost/share grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program tp stabilize the building's subfloors, dormers, roof, gutters, HVAC system and the electric and plumbing systems.

The old motel with its distinctive giraffe stone exterior dates back to the 1940s and was previously owned by the Weiland family for nearly 70 years.

In the late 1970s it was converted into efficiency apartments with living quarters for long-time owners John and Rose Weiland until they died.

(However, this was postponed because a plan of action for the grant was not in place.)

--RoadDog

Along66, July 2021: Gas Station in Commerce for Sale and No Birthplace of 66 Festival for You

JULY 9

Cleanup Day scheduled for July 17 at Allen's Fillin' Station in Commerce, Oklahoma.  The Oklahoma Route 66 Association.  The station at 1019 Main Street and had been used as a small souvenir store and photo op for years.

The cleanup will also include painting.

Owner Bobby Allen announced last summer that the station is for sale because of the death of his wife.

It is not on Route 66,but just off it.  We have not seen it (didn't know about it), but looking at pictures of it, definitely on the radar next time through the area.

I found an article saying the asking price was $30,000, but negotiable.

JULY 12

The Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Missouri, is canceled because of the COVID-19 upsurge.  Each year it draws between 60,000 and 70,000 people over its run.

It was scheduled to be August 13 and 14.

Too bad, but that's the time we live in.

--RoadDog

Along 66, Jan. 2021: Praying Hands and the Safari Motel

I take these from the Route 66 News blog site.  If you are looking for news about what is going on along the Mother Road, this is the site for you. Every day there are entries.  I only pick some of them (the ones I am most interested in) and add some thoughts of my own.

JANUARY 2

The Praying hands monument in Webb City, Missouri, is to undergo extensive renovations.  It is nearly 50 years old now) built in 1973.

The hands stand 32 feet tall and stand on top of a 40-foot hill.

Just one of those things that make driving the old road so interesting.

JANUARY 7

The Motel Safari in Tucumcari is to receive the New Mexico Route 66 Association Heritage Award.

The motel is built in the classic Googie-style and is a New Mexico landmark.  Built in 1959.

Its most recent owner is Larry Smith who bought it in 2017 and has replaced the roof, repainted the exterior and done a host of other improvements.

Chester Dohrer designed and built it.

Always great to have an old motel "rescued" from oblivion.  Now, we have two choices of whereb to stay in Tucumcari, this or, of course, the Blue Swallow.

--RoadDog

Along 66, Dec. 2020: Vanity Plates in Missouri? Good Bye Route 66 Yahoo! E-Mail Group

DECEMBER 15

The Missouri Route 66 Association may offer special vanity license plates in 2021.  They will be personalized and sell of them will help raise money for Route 66 preservation projects.

Arizona started one for Route 66 and made $230,100.

In order for this to take place, at least 200 Missouri residents would have to show interest.  In Arizona, every $25 plate sold gives the association there $17.  Arizona also required $32 per plate (above and beyond the cost of a regular plate) initially.

DECEMBER 18

Yahoo! has deleted its Route 66 e-mail group.

Most of its members are now on the Me We platform

This took place not only for the Route 66 group, but all groups

--RoadDog

Along 66, November 2020: Cleanup Work at the Shamrock Court in Sullivan

NOVEMBER 9  

Volunteer crew does repairs, cleaning on Shamrock Court in Sullivan, Missouri.  The Route 66 Association of Missouri spent a weekend working at the long-closed old motel on the west end of Sullivan.  Most of the work was done on the subflooring in the old office.

The motel is made of that wonderful giraffe stone so identified with the Ozarks and was owned by the Weiland family for over 60 years., since 1953.  They bought it from Freeman Dodds.  It was built in 1948 and consists of ten units.

If you want to buy a real piece of Route 66 Americana, the asking price is $125,000.

Buy It.  --RoadSham

Along 66, October, 2020: Shamrock Court Cleanup Planned

OCTOBER 8

Cleanup day scheduled for next month at Shamrock Court Motel in Sullivan, Missouri.  The good folks at the Missouri Route 66 Association are planning it for the weekend of Nov. 7-8.

The long-closed motel is listed for $125,000, but the price is negotiable.  It was built 1947-1948 and owned by the family of John and Rose Weiland since 1953.

In the late 1970s, it was converted into efficiency apartments and living quarters for the owners.

What I like the best about it is that the outside is covered with that really distinctive giraffe stonework so common in the Ozarks.  When I first saw it was for sale and at that price, I must admit I was more than a bit interested in it.  But, I am retired and ownership of that would entail a whole lot of work.

I would envision it used for small businesses, offices and maybe  several motel rooms for folks wanting a real Route 66 motel experience.  Maybe even a small craft beer place.  Part of it could be a visitors center as well.

And, importantly, Sullivan is the last place heading west on Route 66 in Missouri where you can stop at a Jack in the Box (well, I see at their site that there is now one in Cuba).  I love those Jumbo Jacks and especially their tacos.)

A while back, when I saw that the Blue Swallow in Tucumcari was for sale for $170,000, I also thought about that one.  But again, way too much work for a retired person.

The Shamrock Court looks a lot like the famous Sunset Motel in Villa Ridge, Missouri which was built in 1945.

--RoadJack

The Birthplace of Route 66 Park in Springfield, Mo.-- Part 2: It was a Woodruff-Avery Thing

The park celebrates the iconic Route 66, which was born just a few blocks away at the Colonial Hotel in Springfield, Missouri, when local businessman John T. Woodruff along with Cyurus Avery of Tulsa, Oklahoma proposed in 1926 the idea of a highway connecting Chicago and Los Angeles.

They had hoped for the name to be U.S. 60 (the major east-west U.S. highways were numbered with most important ones ending with a 0).  But, when they couldn't get it, settled on 66 as even having a better ring to it.  (Good choice.)

At a 1927 meeting in Tulsa, Woodruff was elected  the first president of the Route 66 Association.

And, the rest, as they say, was history.

That's How We Got Good Ol' Route 66.  --Road66

Along 66, 2020: More "V" Cancellations, Illinois

The Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor from Joliet to Towanda has been cancelled but will be back next year on may 1, 2021.

The Edwardsville Route 66 Festival in Illinois has been cancelled.

The Illinois Route 66 Association's annual Motor Tour set for June has been cancelled.

--RoadDog

Along 66, March 2020: "V" Closures on 66

MARCH 20:

**  The Arizona Historic Route 66 Association canceled the annual Fun Run May 1-3

**  La Pasada Hotel in Winsolw, Az. is closed

**  Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari is closed

**  Ted Drewes in St. Louis, Mo. is closed

**  The Grand Canyon is closed.

--RoadDog

Along 66, Feb. 2020: Cuba and the Gasconade Bridge

FEBRUARY 21--  Cuba, Missouri, launches a new tourism app.  Reckon they have something about the Wagon Wheel Motel and murals.  Of course, I can't get any of those apps on my flip phone.

FEBRUARY 22--  The Gasconade Bridge Guardians have won a lawsuit against the Workin' Bridges group.  They were fined $1,000 plus court costs.

FEBRUARY 24-- The Route 66 Association of  Missouri has begun talks to take over the Gasconade Bridge.

If someone doesn't take it over and do something with it, it will be gone.

--RoadDog

Along 66, Jan. 2020: Meeting About the Future of the Gasconade River Bridge in Missouri

JANUARY 10--  Gasconade River Bridge Guardians meet with Missouri's lieutenant governor, Mike Kehoe.

The President of the Route 66 Association of Missouri (and also a Gasconade River Bridge Guardian), Roamin' Rich Dinkela, met with the lieutenant governor, but no definitive answer was determined.  But, Roamin' Rich did say he was not told no as to its future.

The MoDOT has a "Drop Dead Date" for the bridge set at April 20.  This means that if no owner is found with a plausible plan for the future of the bridge, it will be torn down.

The bridge is nearly 90 years old and was closed to traffic in December 2014 because of massive deterioration.  There is now a new bridge several yards away from the original that just opened last year.

I am hoping the old bridge will be allowed to remain in place, but carry no traffic.  Let it be turned into a picnic area or something along those lines.

--RoadDog

Along 66. Feb. 2019: Another Bicyclist Killed

FEBRUARY 22--  Another bicyclist is killed on Route 66 west of Galena, less than two years after two German cyclists were killed.

The Kansas Historical Route 66 Association has placed a Ghost Bicycle near the spot, painted white.

If motorcycling Route 66 is fun, bicycling it must be even better, but there is, unfortunately, not a lot of it, other than in Illinois, that has been turned into a bicycle trail.  I fully support making large stretched of the abandoned 66 into bike trails.

--RoadDog

Along 66, January 2019: "Roamin' Rich" and How To Avoid Crime on 66

JANUARY 27--  "Roamin' Rich" Dinkela, becomes Missouri Route 66 Association's new president, replacing long-time President Tommy Pike.   Many thanks to Mr. Pike for the job he did.

"Roamin' Rich" as he calls himself is a social-media Route 66 activist who is very involved with the whole road, especially, of course, the Missouri stretch.

He is quite the get-up-and-go sort of guy.

JANUARY 29--  How to avoid crime on Route 66.  Along with the great fun you'll have cruising the Mother Road, there is also, unfortunately, the possibility of bad things happening to travelers.

Ron Warnick, whose Route 66 News these items are taken from, acknowledges this and prepared a list of helpful suggestions to keep your trip "fun."

**  Keep everything locked up as much as possible.

**  Stay aware of your surroundings.

**  Don't engage in risky behavior.

**  Nighttime is not the right time.  Be extra careful.

**  Smaller towns are better as far as safety, but still beware.

**  Carry non-lethal defensive weapons.

Thanks Ron.  More details at his site for this date.

Timely Information.  --RoadDog

66 News, June 2017: Europe and Wrink's

JUNE 28--  The Belgium Route 66 Association launches website and Facebook pages.  It has a short history of the road and is written in English.  As I have said in the past, I think foreigners, particularly Europeans have a better appreciation of our road than many Americans.

JUNE  29--  More is written about the reopening of Wrink's Market in Lebanon, Missouri.  And featuring those famous fresh-made sandwiches.  Looking forward to visiting here soon.  I sure missed it the last couple times through Lebanon.

--RoadDog

Vandalia's Grand Levee

Illinois is fortunate to have some of the biggest names in historical roads, including Route 66, the Lincoln Highway, and the National Road. All have excellent signage, so you don't even really need a map to drive them.

This weekend, the former state capital in Vandalia will be hosting its 39th annual Grand Levee (so-named after the parties and festvities which were held back in the 1830s when dignitaries visited).

This year's will also be in conjuction with the Illinois National Road Festival, in which many of the towns along the Illinois stretch will be hosting activities. We went to this festival a few years ago after the Route 66 Association of Illinois' Motor Tour, and had a good time at several of the towns. Old Abe was walking the grounds of the state capitol in Vandalia. You can also see one of the famous Madonna of the Trails.

Vandalia was the seat on Illinois government from 1836-1838 until Abraham Lincoln and others had it moved to Springfield.

Good Times in an Old Town. --RoadDog