Springfield exhibit to showcase Route 66's unique attractions
According to a History Museum on the Square press release, the museum is opening an exhibit called Roadside Gems: Rediscovering Route 66's Cultural Attractions from July 2 to September 14.
This is the fourth installment of the five-part Route 66 exhibit series, which is setting up for the national Centennial Celebration in Springfield in 2026, the release says.
Artists wanted for Route 66 sculpture project
The summer exhibit will include information on where travelers ate, slept and filled up their gas tanks on their drive through the historic highway.
Visitors to the exhibit will learn about the Jewell Theater, the rise of the Ozark Jubilee, the hidden caves, public parks and the early days of the Springfield Cardinals.
'We're thrilled to showcase the cultural heartbeat of Springfield along Route 66,' Sean FitzGibbons, executive director of the History Museum on the Square, said in the release. 'Our previous exhibits explored the essentials of a road trip; places to eat, sleep, and fuel up. But Roadside Gems is about the why. It celebrates the quirky, the majestic and everything in between. These are the stops that turned a road trip into an adventure. When people say the journey is just as important as the destination, these cultural gems are what they mean.'
The Roadside Gems exhibit is included with regular museum admission starting in July. For more information, visit the museum's website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Barstow tourism summit sparks buzz: Is Inland Empire the next big travel destination?
Visitors from across the High Desert and region attended the Inland Empire Tourism: The Regional Summit 2025 at the historic Barstow Harvey House and the newly reopened California Route 66 Mother Road Museum. The event was considered by Discover Inland Empire as the only official annual tourism conference and international marketplace dedicated to San Bernardino County and Riverside County. Over 250 attendees, 30 sponsors and more than 25 speakers attended the May event, which was hosted by Discover Inland Empire. They spotlighted the region's transformation into one of California's most sought-after travel destinations. 'This year's Summit took the form of an energetic 'open house,' uniting elected officials, community leaders, Route 66 champions, travel suppliers, global buyers, and media under one roof,' Discover Inland Empire officials said. President & CEO of Discover Inland Empire Freddy Bi set the tone with the statement, 'Travelers today either go where everyone goes, or where no one has gone before.' Hidden gems and top spots: Best summer camping spots in the California High Desert Bi added that with more than 60 million people and 19 million vehicles passing through Barstow each year, the upcoming U.S Route 66 Centennial in 2026 presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to position the Inland Empire and greater Southern California as a leading travel destination. 'This milestone is also a powerful catalyst to boost tourism, uplift small businesses, and fuel sustainable economic growth across the region,' Bi said. Route 66 or "The Mother Road" was commissioned on November 11, 1926, and stretched nearly 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, historians said. In its heyday, Route 66 was one of the nation's first continuous stretches of paved highway and served as a major path for those who migrated West. Victorville resident Sylvia Romo, the 2025 Classic California Route 66 Queen, who visited the summit said, 'It was inspiring to see old friends, meet new community partners, and kick off the Route 66 Centennial Celebration with such excitement and unity." Old Route 66: Spirit Shop liquor store celebrates Diamond Anniversary Barstow Mayor Tim Silva and San Bernardino County Director of Economic Development Derek Armstrong, welcomed participants to the summit. Visit California's Senior Vice President of Marketing Lynn Carpenter delivered a keynote highlighting statewide tourism trends and the Inland Empire's growing role in California's travel economy. Thanks to a robust collaboration with Visit California, travel spending in San Bernardino and Riverside counties surged to $16.7 billion in 2024, supporting more than 155,900 regional jobs, Discover Inland Empire officials stated. General Manager of Yaamava' Resort and Casino at San Manuel Kenji Hall shared the recent reclamation of the ancestral name, Yuhaaviatam of the San Manuel Nation, along with ongoing investments in innovation, recruitment and talent development. The panel discussion, 'Endless Ways to Experience Route 66 in San Bernardino County' brought together civic leaders from cities and communities spanning Needles to Upland, representing nearly 80% of California's portion of Route 66. The conversation focused on the revitalization of legendary Old Route 66, a movement being spearheaded by Bi as a member of the California Route 66 Task Force. Bi and his team are working to preserve the old highway's historic charm while unlocking its potential as a driver of economic development, cultural tourism and community pride, organizers stated. 'Endless Ways to Play in Riverside County' featured leaders from across the county's five districts, which represented sectors like retail, film, workforce development, regional parks, and economic development. The panel celebrated the power of cross-sector collaboration, showcasing how global travel buyers and media have been successfully drawn to attractions such as The Cheech, Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre, Idyllwild Regional Park, and Desert Hills Premium Outlets through strategic partnerships with Discover Inland Empire. The summit concluded with the panel, 'SoCal Is Who We Are,' featuring leading executives from Discover Los Angeles, Visit Anaheim, Ontario International Airport and San Bernardino International Airport. Panelists championed the power of unified branding to elevate Southern California on the global stage, especially in anticipation of key events and projects like the Route 66 Centennial, OCVIBE, DisneylandForward and the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games held in Los Angeles. Attendees also participated in the International Marketplace, where more than 60 global travel professionals and media outlets connected with local destinations and tourism businesses, laying the groundwork for fresh partnerships, international promotion and long-term growth for the Inland Empire. For more information, visit Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at The Daily Press, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@ Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Inland Empire: How Route 66 is shaping California's top travel hub
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Yahoo
Route 66 historians examine the Mother Road as it approaches 100 years
Jun. 22—Buckle up as Jim Ross and Shellee Graham take readers for a ride down "The Main Street of America" in "Route 66: The First 100 Years." In 2026, the Mother Road will be celebrating its centennial birthday. In preparation for the big occasion, Ross and Graham's new book features a mixture of photographs, postcards and text that will bring people back to the days of the Model-Ts, sock hops and vibrant neon signs. The book, which came out in May, encourages travelers to blast Bobby Troup's "Route 66" on their iPhones and Androids as they drive by the majestic red sandstone cliffs on New Mexico 118 (old 66) in McKinley County, or lower their windows and listen to the buzzing sounds of neon in Tucumcari on a warm summer evening. Ross and Graham have published other books on the Mother Road, but Ross said "Route 66: The Next 100 Years" was written in a way "to make it interesting and appealing to those who don't know anything (about the road) without boring people who know something or a lot." "People often say, 'What is the big deal about Route 66? What makes it special? What (puts it) on the same level as our national parks and other American icons?' " Ross said. "I think it's the legend. The legend hearkens back to when the route got its number and became a kind of an outcast in the sense it had '66,' which deviated from the agreed upon grid of east and west or north and south highways ending in 0 or 1." In the 1920s, Chicago to Los Angeles highway advocates like Tulsa, Oklahoma, businessman Cyrus Avery requested that the route to be designated as U.S. 60, but Kentucky Gov. William Fields wanted that numbered highway to run through his state. To alleviate the tension, a list of numbers not yet used by the new system was sent to Avery who was intrigued with 66. From that point on, "... that misfit, rebel road forever branded with a pair of rhythmic sixes" would become part of the American landscape, Ross said. In the Land of Enchantment, the Double Six runs from Glenrio to the Arizona line, parts of which follow historic routes like El Camino Real Royal de Tierra Adentro and National Old Trails Road, an early 20th century auto trail. From 1926-1937, part of U.S. 66 went from Romeroville to Los Lunas via Santa Fe. Part of that alignment went through La Bajada, a harrowing experience for many on their way to Albuquerque and beyond. "It was a treacherous descent, even after improvements, and was so daunting that the pathway down was moved to the other side of the plateau in 1924, just prior to the advent of 66," Ross said. "During 1932 paving projects, it was moved again, this time 2 miles south to the pathway now used by (Interstate) 25." A 1962 La Bajada postcard published in the book reads: "Dear Mother: This is a picture of the new highway down this hill. You and Letha will probably remember the 23 hairpin turns of 1926. The old Hudson just barely made them." By the late 1930s, U.S. 66 officially no longer ran through La Bajada as the Santa Fe Loop was replaced by the Santa Rosa Cutoff and Laguna Cutoff, which created a direct east to west route between Santa Rosa and Laguna. Along with a history of the road, "Route 66: The First 100 Years" looks at businesses, like the Santo Domingo Indian Trading Post, and people from the road such as Chief Joe Deerfoot who operated a trading post in Gallup. "We tried to bring to the surface some personalities and things that haven't been exposed before to the Route 66 community," Ross said. The book also delves into the rise of 66, especially during the post-World War II boom as travelers hit the road in droves, staying at places like the De Anza Motor Lodge in Albuquerque. Paradoxically, the road's popularity led to the creation of the interstate system and its demise. The increased traffic created an enormous demand for repairs and upgrades that couldn't be kept up, he said. Over the next couple of decades, 66 was "sliced, diced, realigned and otherwise mistreated in a slow, methodical dismemberment," Ross said. Route 66 was officially decommissioned by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in 1985. But there were people like Angel Delgadillo, of Seligman, Arizona, whose passion to preserve the road in their communities resurrected it from the asphalt ashes. That passion would spread across all eight states on the route. The Mother Road's renaissance continued to grow through the release of works by historians Michael Wallis and Jim Hinckley, the Pixar film "Cars," which introduced younger generations to the Mother Road, and the efforts of various state and international 66 associations and advocacy groups, Ross said. "Route 66 in its afterlife is very much a coin with two sides," he said. "One side reveals that as a national landmark and nostalgic playground, the road's future and popularity are assured. The flip side represents the keepers of the highways, those who live and work along its reaches and serve as hosts, helpers, advisors and guides to all who encounter them."
Chicago Tribune
19-06-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Route 66: Illinois ties to the devil's rope, an infamous gap and a Texas-sized challenge in the Panhandle
AMARILLO, Texas — Two other men had come before him that Thursday night in June. Both failed. But 37-year-old Clint Gee of Lawton, Oklahoma, was confident heading into The Big Texan Steak Ranch's 72-ounce steak challenge. Contestants in this six-decade-long culinary quest are seated at a rectangular table on a stage in front of the restaurant's open kitchen, with its grill covered in sizzling meat. Above them, a digital clock is set to 60 minutes, the deadline for consuming a 72-ounce (4.5 pounds) steak and shrimp cocktail and a baked potato and a salad and a roll. Victory means a free meal and their names enshrined in the restaurant's hall of fame. Defeat costs $72 and comes with a T-shirt consolation prize and a to-go box for leftovers. Gee, a sales rep at a lumber company, had a plan. He would start with the side dishes before attacking the steak. 'My wife and I love watching those food challenges on TV,' he said as he prepared to take his seat. 'This is a bucket-list item.' Route 66 extends nearly 180 miles across the Texas Panhandle, starting in the ghost town of Glenrio, which straddles the border between Texas and New Mexico. About 20 miles east, the town of Adrian advertises itself as the route's midpoint, equidistant to Chicago and Los Angeles. The road passes vast farm fields, undulating grasslands dotted with towering wind turbines and sprawling cattle ranches before entering Amarillo, the Panhandle's largest city. At its western edge sits one of Route 66's most photographed attractions: Cadillac Ranch. Ten Cadillacs, buried nose-deep, rise at an angle from a patch of dirt and gravel surrounded by knee-high grasses near Interstate 40 and twin billboards for an Indian restaurant and an adult novelty store. Visitors to this 51-year-old art installation are encouraged to spray paint the cars — a nearby stand sells souvenirs and spray paint, though people can bring their own or share with others. The fumes waft into the parking lot, as does the sound of cans rattling. 'This is to me what Route 66 is all about: All the strange things in life,' said Australian Dennis Mitchell, 79, who stopped at the ranch with an international tour group. ' A little over 50 miles east of Amarillo sits the ghost town of Jericho. In its first 10 years of existence, Route 66 ran, unpaved, through town. Rain turned the dirt road into a mire that trapped vehicles, earning that stretch the nickname 'Jericho Gap.' It's said that the money locals made from pulling stranded cars out of the mud was enough to inspire some to water the gap in hopes of additional revenue. Today, the dirt road still turns to mud when it rains — tire tracks were still visible on a Friday in June, days after a storm. Follow our road trip: Route 66, 'The Main Street of America,' turns 100 Blair and Blanca Schaffer purchased 80 acres of the town in 2020. They have a small farm on part of the land, growing summer vegetables and flowers to sell to shareholders of their community supported agriculture. The couple recently launched a foundation to help them preserve the town's few remaining structures, an old motor court and a farmhouse. 'I didn't know this was gonna be my calling,' said Blanca Schaffer, 53. 'I really didn't. And I feel like it's a calling. We're here. It's just a love and passion for the history of Route 66.' Continuing east of Jericho, the Route 66 town of McLean boasts a museum, opened in 1991 in a former brassiere factory, dedicated to barbed wire — the devil's rope, as it's often called. There are apparently more than 5,000 varieties of barbed wire. Each is differentiated by the way and direction the wire is twisted and the type of barb used, said curator Leigh Anne Isbell. Joseph Glidden, a New Hampshire native who later moved to DeKalb and donated the land on which Northern Illinois University sits, is credited with being the 'grandfather of barbed wire.' His 1874 barbed wire patent sparked a legal battle with other barbed wire patent holders (including another DeKalb man, Jacob Haish) that eventually landed with the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in Glidden's favor. Back at The Big Texan, Gee's attempt to conquer the 72-ounce steak quickly fizzled. Perhaps dazed by the enormity of the challenge, he abandoned his plan to tackle the side dishes first and, instead, seemed to settle into a leisurely $72 dinner with leftovers and a T-shirt.
