To celebrate the centennial of Route 66 in 2026, the very first episode of the year features the life of the Father of Route 66- Cyrus Stevens Avery.

Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno as he talks with Susan Croce Kelly, author of Father of Route 66: Cy Avery.  More than establishing Route 66, Avery was a proponent of the Good Roads Movement and advocated for paved roads at the introduction of the automobile in America.

Highlights from the show include:

• Teaming up with Quinta Scott in 1990 to write Route 66: The Highway and Its People
• Searching for Route 66
• Avery's childhood
• Avery travels west in a covered wagon at age 13
• Awareness of road conditions as a young pioneer
• Populariity of bicycles in establishing paved roads

• Avery pulls America out of the mud
• What did Avery get right?
• Replacing named roads with numbered roads
• Road construction and technology
• Need for proper signage with road travel
• Rapid growth of automobiles with Model T introduction
• Railroad perspective regarding paved roads
• Avery reluctantly accepts the number "66" for his road 
• Secretary of Agriculture in charge of road construction
• What did Route 66 get right that the other highways of the day missed out on?
• US Highway 66 Association established to promote the road 
• Proposing a 3400 mile coast to coast footrace along Route 66
• The Bunion Derby puts Route 66 on the world map
• The Great Depression years
• Running for governor of Oklahoma
• Providing clean drinking water to Tulsa
• Avery's biggest achievement (not Route 66)
• Modernizing the Tulsa airport
• Reflection
  • Importance of trip west for Avery in a covered wagon
  • Replacing Route 66 with the Interstate Highway 
  • 1969 Highway Beautification Act removes local billboards
  • Route 66 as a tourist attraction today

• Centennial Plaza in Tulsa honors Avery
• Newspaper Women of the Ozarks book

At the age of 81 years old, Gene Waylan is operating the lask known Ku Ku Burger from what was one of 200 locations.  How does a Kansas boy pivot from wanting to be a farmer to successfully operating an iconic Route 66 burger joint fo over 50 years?

Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno as he talks wth Gene about his 51 year career of flipping burgers along historic Route 66.  Highlights from the show include:

• Transition from farmboy to flipping burgers
• The Griff Hamburger Years
• The Ku Ku Burger
• The McDonalds competition
• Don't Just Ask for a  Burger, Ask for Waylans
• Settling down in Miami, OK
• Physical expansion in Miami
• Competing with McDonalds
• It's more than just good food...

• Does Gene run the business, or does the business run Gene?
• Final wishes for the Ku Ku Burger
• Promotional keyrings and car shows
• Trademark attire through the years
• A visit from Bob Dylan
• Secret to cooking a good burger
• Next item on the bucket list
• Reason for limited hours and closed seating
• Expected sale of Waylan's Ku Ku Burger?

The Devil's Rope (Barbed Wire) Museum along Route 66 in Mclean, TX, is probably one of the most unusual museums along The Mother Road.

Join host Anthony Arno, as he talks with 90 year old curator Delbert Trew all about his museum and collection of over 800 different types of barbed wire.  Cited as one of the most important inventions during the Industrial Revolution, the museum features anything and everything related to barbed wire, including art, tools, medicines, books, and use during warfare.

There are many interesting museums along Route 66, but perhaps one of the most interesting is the Devil's Rope Museum with its collection of over 800 examples of barbed wire. 

Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Delbert Trew, the 90 year old curator of the Devil's Rope Museum in McLean, TX. Highlights from the show include: 

• Why visit a barbed wire museum? 

• McClean's "other" fame to claim- Alfred Rowe 

• McClean's Mayor Passenger # XXX on the Titanic 

• McLain's once popular Brassiere Factory 

• History of the American cowboy 

• What problem does barbed wire solve? 

• Origin of Devil's Rope name for barbed wire 

• Barbed Wire- Rancher or Farmer's best friend? 

• The most popular wire all visitors must see! 

• Barbed Wire: Tools, Medicine, Books, Art, Poetry, Wartime 

• Barbed Wire in song

• Modern versions of Barbed Wire 

• Delbert's initial interest in Barbed Wire 

• Books published by Delbert on Ranching, Barbed Wire, and other interests  

• Devil's Rope Museum featuring Route 66 memorabilia 

• Visiting Devil's Rope Museum 

• Other Route 66 attractions in McLean, TX 

The Route 66 Podcast pays a special tribute to Ramona Lehman, who passed away on August 2, 2023, at the age of 85 years old.

This episode was originally released in 2021 as Ramona celebrated her 50th year operating the Munger Moss Motel. 

Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Ramona about

• How does an Iowa farm girl wind up on Route 66?
• Honeymooning along Route 66
• Early history of The Munger Moss Motel
• Origin of the Munger Moss Name
• Remembering her late husband, Bob Lehman
• Helping businesses along Route 66 get established
• The early days when Ramona arrived at The Munger Moss
• Discovering garages that were once part of the motel
• Ramona's room recommendation at The Munger Moss
• Long term residents at The Munger Moss
• The Munger Moss: To sell or not to sell?
• Will the children carry on the Munger Moss tradition?
• The world famous Munger Moss Neon sign
• Celebrating 50 years at The Munger Moss
• Most memorable guests to walk through the door
• Meeting the original owner many years later – Emmitt Moss
• Maintaining the Munger Moss sign
• Constant flow of picture takers along Route 66
• Most popular Munger Moss items for sale in the lobby
• Bob Lehman's prized toy collection
• The biggest challenge in 50 years at The Munger Moss
• The very first in-ground pool in Lebanon, Missouri arrives at The Munger Moss
• Ramona's last vacation
• Preserving Route 66 for future generations
• Is Ramona as famous locally as she is with Route 66 travelers?
• Ramona's Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren visiting at The Munger Moss
• Sales pitch for The Munger Moss 2021
• Next item on Ramona's Bucket list
• A Ramona Lehman Revelation: Where hasn't she been along Route 66?  (The answer WILL surprise you!)
• Long Live Route 66

The Rancho Cucamonga Service Station in California opened for business in 1915, eleven years before the birth of Route 66.  The station itself was established prior to the westward migration of travelers and automobiles, but did play an important role in supporting the citrus growers in the region with much needed fuel to support heaters throughout the orchids.

Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno, as he talks with Anthony Gonzales, President of the Inland Empire California (IECA) and how the local community worked together to restore the only period service station along Route 66 in California.

Highlights from. the show include:

• Origin of Rancho Cucamonga name

• Early history of Service Station before Route 66 and automobiles

• Architect John Klusman and other popular buildings in the area

• Building design

• The popularity of Ridgefield Oil Company to later become part of ARCO

• Origin of Ridgefield sign atop of service station

• From peak years to eventual demise

• How a billboard company (Lamar Advertising) agrees to support a Route 66 interest with just one condition

• IECA established to preserve the station

• How Anthony Gonzales became interested

• Unexpected surprises upon turning the key to an abandoned gas station

• Service station artifacts and future plans

• Impressive awards as a result of the restoration progress

• Annual Car Show

• Other area attractions along Route 66

Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno as he talks with Sam Murray, the person behind Gilligan's Route 66 Tours.  Gilligan's specializes in providing international tourists a first-class 23 day experience along Route 66, including driving in convertible Ford Mustang's and stays at some of the most iconic Route 66 motels.

Features include Sam Murray talking about

• Growing up in New Zealand and his earliest road trips
• First trip to the US as a youngster
• Buying an RV and touring Route 66
• Origin of Gilligan name for tour company
• Life as a MX Rally Racer
• Gilligan's Route 66 Tours Overview
• Logistics of a typical tour

The Joliet Prison, in Joliet IL, is one of the oldest prisons in the United States that housed both criminals and enemies from the Civil War.  Popularized by the popular movie, The Blues Brothers, the Joliet Prison permanently closed in 2002 and began drawing national attention about the possibility of being operated as a tourist destination along Route 66.

Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno as he talks with Greg Peerbolte, Chief Executive Officer of the Old Joliet Prison Historic Site.  Together, they talk about the entire 144 year operational history of the prison, including the on the following topics:

• Early history and construction during the Civil War
• William Boyington - noted Chicago architect
• Daily life at Joliet Prison
• Special holidays at Joliet Prison
• Joliet Prison as a manufacturing center 
• Popular wardens at Joliet Prison
• Did Chicken Joe Campbell really murder the warden's wife?
• Ida B. Wells, Civil Rights advocate and founder of the NAACP,  visits Joliet in support for Campbell's fair trial
• Notorious inmates at Joliet through the years
• 1 year sentence at Joliet for stealing the body of President Lincoln
• Prison tourism
• Attempted escapes at Joliet
• The most unusual inmate who tried to break into Joliet
• Turning the ruins of Joliet into art
• The Blues Brothers at Joliet
• Female inmates

The latest episode features the release of the book, ABC, What Do You See?  Rolling Along Route 66 with author Annette Murray and illustrator Joyce Cole.  

Don't mistake this book as a simple picture book for pre-schoolers!  ABC, What Do You See?  Rolling Along Route 66 is full of whimsical illustrations and lyrical language, having true appeal for both young and old fans of Route 66.  The book is educational, introducing readers to geography, art, architecture, weather, wildlife and many other wonders waiting to be discovered on the 2,448-mile highway.

Highlights include:

• Earliest memory of Route 66
• Joyce's role with the Route 66 Passport
• Annette's teaching career and early love of reading
• Origin of ABC, What Do You See? Rolling Along Route 66 and how the author and illustrator met
• Annette reads from her favorite page
• Joyce shares her favorite illustrations
• The planning phase during a worldwide pandemic
• Writing a Children's book versus and Adult book
• Writing Challenges in relating Route 66 in ABC order instead of traveling from Chicago to Santa Monica
• The challenging letters along Route 66: Q, X, and Z
• Are there any stops in the book that would be new for the typical Route 66 fan?
• Settling on a cover image for ABC Book
• Sequence of book drafts before being finalized for printing
• The book publishing process
• When Annette and Joyce met for the very first time
• Promotional game plan for ABC Book
• Book publishing challenges and rewards
• Annette's family connection to Tulsa Mayor
• Visiting Route 66 Visitors Museum & Gift Shop in Pontiac
•  

Website: authorannettemurray.com

A 3-part interview, featuring the popular U-Drop Inn (Conoco Tower Station), a 1936 service station and café constructed in 1936 with a very unique art deco style for the Texas panhandle region. The architectural style of the U-Drop Inn would later serve as an inspiration for Romone's automotive body and paint shop in the animated Cars movie.

Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno as he speaks with Crystal Hermesmeyer (Shamrock EDC Director), 87 year old Hazel Jannsen (U-Drop Inn ambassador), and Baldo de Leon (U-Drop Inn café entrepreneur). 

Featured highlights:

Crystal Hermesmeyer (Shamrock EDC Director)

• Early history of Shamrock, TX
• Local attractions: Blarney Stone, Water Tower, US Hwy 83
• U-Drop Inn name origin
  • Newspaper Account: Name selected for Highway Cafe
• Architectural style of U-Drop Inn
  • Newspaper Account: Much Praise to Shamrock Architect   
• Pixar visits U-drop Inn and inspires Cars movie
• Local appreciation of the U-Drop Inn
• Chamber Office resources for Route 66 traveler

Hazel Jannsen (U-Drop Inn Ambassador)

• What has made Hazel so popular with Route 66 travelers?
• Earliest memory of Route 66
• Origin of Huggin' Hazel nickname
• Professional career – reflecting back
• U-Drop Inn hires Hazel as an ambassador
• What is so special about U-Drop Inn?
• Shamrock Information Center at the U-Drop Inn
• A typical day at the U-Drop Inn for Hazel
• What's next on Hazel's bucket list?

Newspaper Account: U-Drop Inn to Offer Public Finest in Foods and 24 hour Service

Baldo de Leon (U-Drop Inn café entrepreneur)

• Moving to Shamrock as a child and parents opening a local restaurant
• Full circle moment: Parents passed on U-Drop Inn Café opportunity 25 years earlier
• Early history of Café and Elvis association
  • Newspaper Account: That's an Awful lot of Coffee, Mr. Nunn
• Café Inventory upon arrival
• First walk through behind the counter and kitchen area
• Updating the café menu
• The infamous Elvis Booth and San Dollar Motel on '66
• Earliest conversations about revitalizing the café and ideas
• Opening Day memories
• Most popular item on the menu
• You don't know what you don't know in operation the café
• Understanding the Route 66 community

• MidPoint Cafe, Adrian, TX – Featuring both their Ugly Crust Pie and one of the most popular photo ops along Route 66, located exactly halfway between Chicago and Santa Monica in Adrian, Texas.
• Gilligan's Route 66 Tours featuring tours of Route 66 in Ford Mustang convertibles, stays at historic Route 66 motels, and daily breakfast.
• Jack Rabbit Trading Post, Joseph City, AZ – Probably one of the most iconic curio shops along Route 66, the famous Here It Is billboard and fiberglass jackrabbit in front of the store is reason enough to stop…. and say hello to Cindy and Antonio.

• Jeff Buschell, Illinois
• Reed Coles – Nebraska
• Jim Crabtree – California
• Route 66 author and photographer – Shellee Graham and also my guest on   Episode # 10 where she talks about her book, Tales from the Coral Court Motel.
• Kristin Haakenson – Washington  
• Rich Havlik – Minnesota
• Mary Nicholson – Pennsylvania
• Brian Sawyer – Indiana
• Evan Stern – New York

United Kingdom

• Charli Beeton

The Netherlands

• Jim Rensen

Please consider supporting both The Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Program through Patreon.  

• MidPoint Cafe Adrian, TX – Featuring both their Ugly Crust Pie and one of the most popular photo ops along Route 66, located exactly halfway between Chicago and Santa Monica in Adrian, Texas.
• Gilligan's Route 66 Tours featuring tours of Route 66 in Ford Mustang convertibles, stays at historic Route 66 motels, and daily breakfast.
• Jack Rabbit Trading Post Joseph City, AZ – Probably one of the most iconic curio shops along Route 66, the famous Here It Is billboard and fiberglass jackrabbit in front of the store is reason enough to stop…. and say hello to Cindy and Antonio.

• Jeff Buechel - Illinois 
• Reed Cole - Nebraska 
• Jim Crabtree – California 
• Route 66 author and photographer – Shellee Graham and also my guest on Episode # 10 where she talks about her book, Tales from the Coral Court Motel. 
• Kristin Haakenson – Washington 
• Rich Havlik – Minnesota 
• Maureen Holt - Arizona
• Mary Nicholson – Pennsylvania 
• Evan Stern - New York 

United Kingdom

• Charli Beeton 

The Netherlands

• Jim Rensen 

Please consider supporting both The Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Program through Patreon.  Patreon members at the Will Rogers level received a 2022 Route 66 wall calendar.  

There are a few documentaries featuring Route 66, and two of the most popular ones were produced by Katrina Parks.  Parks produced The Harvey Girls: Opportunity Bound in 2014 and her latest release features Route 66: The Untold Story of Women on The Mother Road.

Join Anthony Arno as he talks with Parks about her career as a documentary filmmaker, from her first project as a college student to her upcoming projects.

• Developing an interest in storytelling

• How a college assignment led Katrina into filming her first documentary, Wrappings

• Wrappings wins an award through the United Nations

• Documentary vs. typical Hollywood movies

• Early work with History Channel

• A Summer in Vietnam

• Importance of Research

• Use of actors in documentaries

• Past and Future Podcasting Projects

• Route 66 Documentaries: Fred Harvey & Women of The Mother Road

• Behind the scenes in preparing a documentary

• The "Katrina Parks" rule in producing documentaries

• Recollecting Katrina's first exposure to Route 66

• What comes first: Website or Documentary?

• Women of The Mother Road themes:

1. Archeology & Anthropology

2. Boosters & Travelers

3. Creatives

4. Entrepreneurs

5. Family & Business

6. Politicians

7. Waitresses & School Teachers

8. Wartime

Website: Route 66 Women

Website: Route 66 Women Facebook Page

Thank you to Route 66 Podcast & Scholarship supporters!

• MidPoint Cafe, Adrian, TX - Featuring both their Ugly Crust Pie and one of the most popular photo ops along Route 66, located exactly halfway between Chicago and Santa Monica in Adrian, Texas.
• Gilligan's Route 66 Tours featuring tours of Route 66 in Ford Mustang convertibles, stays at historic Route 66 motels, and daily breakfast.
• Jack Rabbit Trading Post, Joseph City, AZ - Probably one of the most iconic curio shops along Route 66, the famous Here It Is billboard and fiberglass jackrabbit in front of the store is reason enough to stop.... and say hello to Cindy and Antonio.

• Jeff Buschell, Illinois
• Jim Crabtree - California
• Route 66 author and photographer - Shellee Graham and also my guest on   Episode # 10 where she talks about her book, Tales from the Coral Court Motel.
• Kristin Haakenson - Washington  
• Rich Havlik - Minnesota
• Mary Nicholson - Pennsylvania
• Brian Sawyer - Indiana
• Evan Stern - New York

United Kingdom

• Charli Beeton

The Netherlands

• Jim Rensen

Please consider supporting both The Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Program through Patreon.  

In 1967 American entrepreneur and land developer Robert McCulloch proposed purchasing the 136 year old London Bridge on the River Thames from the city of London as a publicity stunt.  His goal was to attract potential land buyers to this remote region that today has a population of 50,000 residents and a wide range of recreational water activities.  Many people thought McCulloch was a bit of an oddball to spend almost $10 million to purchase and reconstruct the historical bridge10,000 miles away from its original construction site, but his hunch paid off.   The London Bridge is the second largest tourist attraction in Arizona, after the Grand Canyon, and not too far from Route 66.

Robert McCulloch 

The episode features a talk with both McCulloch's grandson and a leading Lake Havasu tour guide, providing insight into the wisdom of McCulloch who earned an Engineering degree from Princeton University and was a millionaire by the age of 30. While the Lake Havasu London Bridge stood over the River Thames for 130 years, earlier versions of the bridge date back to Roman times and one iteration housed several hundred residents and featured a display of beheaded criminals to at the tollgates. 

Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno, as he talks with probably two of the most popular authors of Route 66:  Jim Ross and Shellee Graham.  Together, Ross and Graham have written over ten different books featuring The Mother Road.  Their latest book, Route 66:The first 100 Years, covers the complete history of the road- before, during, and after the popularity of America's Main Street.

Highlights from the show include:

• How did two Route 66 advocates ever meet and eventually become a married couple?
• Earliest memories of Route 66
• Living in one of the most remarkable homes on Route 66
• What makes, Route 66 The first 100 Years,  different from every other Route 66 book?
• Publishing a Route 66 book with complete artistic control
• What came first: The words or pictures?
• Sifting through hundreds of vintage Route 66 images to include in the book
• The Legend of Route 66 
• Route 66 Native American influence 
• Trading Post or Tourist Trap?

• Two Guns 
• The story of The Apache Death Cave 
• Route 66 Renaissance 
• Painted Desert Trading Post
• Naysayers of Route 66
• Route 66 Fact or Fiction?
• Route 66 Crossings (Route 66 bridges)
• Deep Tracks Project (Mapping hundreds of Route 66 alignments)
• Traits of a Route 66 traveler

Website: Jim Ross

Website: Shellee Graham

Ramona Lehman is just as iconic as The Munger Moss Motel and recently celebrated 50 years as the owner and operator of this Missouri Route 66 must see stop along The Mother Road.

Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Ramona about

• How does an Iowa farm girl wind up on Route 66?
• Honeymooning along Route 66
• Early history of The Munger Moss Motel
• Origin of the Munger Moss Name
• Remembering her late husband, Bob Lehman
• Helping businesses along Route 66 get established
• The early days when Ramona arrived at The Munger Moss
• Discovering garages that were once part of the motel
• Ramona's room recommendation at The Munger Moss
• Long term residents at The Munger Moss
• The Munger Moss: To sell or not to sell?
• Will the children carry on the Munger Moss tradition?
• The world famous Munger Moss Neon sign
• Celebrating 50 years at The Munger Moss
• Most memorable guests to walk through the door
• Meeting the original owner many years later – Emmitt Moss
• Maintaining the Munger Moss sign
• Constant flow of picture takers along Route 66
• Most popular Munger Moss items for sale in the lobby
• Bob Lehman's prized toy collection
• The biggest challenge in 50 years at The Munger Moss
• The very first in-ground pool in Lebanon, Missouri arrives at The Munger Moss
• Ramona's last vacation
• Preserving Route 66 for future generations
• Is Ramona as famous locally as she is with Route 66 travelers?
• Ramona's Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren visiting at The Munger Moss
• Sales pitch for The Munger Moss 2021
• Next item on Ramona's Bucket list
• A Ramona Lehman Revelation: Where hasn't she been along Route 66?  (The answer WILL surprise you!)
• Long Live Route 66

LINKS

Article: Ramona celebrates 50 years on Route 66 (2021)

Article: Bob and Ramona celebrate 45 years on Route 66  (2016)

Website: Munger Moss Motel

Facebook Page: Munger Moss Motel

Video: Munger Moss featured on KYW News (2019)

• MidPoint Cafe, Adrian, TX – Featuring both their Ugly Crust Pie and one of the most popular photo ops along Route 66, located exactly halfway between Chicago and Santa Monica in Adrian, Texas.
• Gilligan's Route 66 Tours featuring tours of Route 66 in Ford Mustang convertibles, stays at historic Route 66 motels, and daily breakfast.
• Jack Rabbit Trading Post, Joseph City, AZ – Probably one of the most iconic curio shops along Route 66, the famous Here It Is billboard and fiberglass jackrabbit in front of the store is reason enough to stop…. and say hello to Cindy and Antonio.

• Jon B – Rhode Island
• Mary Beth Busutil – Florida
• Jim Crabtree – California
• Mike Fort 
• Route 66 author and photographer – Shellee Graham and also my guest on   Episode # 10 where she talks about her book, Tales from the Coral Court Motel.
• Kristin Haakenson – Washington  
• Rich Havlik – Minnesota
• Mary Nicholson – Pennsylvania
• Wendy Raschke – Texas
• Brian Sawyer – Indiana
• Evan Stern – New York

United Kingdom

• Charli Beeton

The Netherlands

• Jim Rensen

Please consider supporting both The Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Program through Patreon.   Patreon members receive access to an additional 10 minutes of this episode, featuring the following content:

• Long term residents and restrictions staying at The Munger Moss
• Joining the Rotary Club and Ramona's lucky streak
• Ramona takes up cactus growing
• Has the average guest heard of The Munger Moss?
• Norwegian Route 66 Members must travel the route in person to join their Association

During the early days of WWII, the Route 66 community of Miami welcomed over 2000 British Cadets as part of a training program to prepare pilots for combat over their homeland of England.  

While most of these young cadets returned home to intense fighting and a country already ravaged by war, there were a few that never made it back home to their native soil. They were tragically killed while training in the states and have been forever laid to rest along Route 66 in the community of Miami, Oklahoma.  

Laying these young men to rest on foreign soil attracted the attention of a local, Francis Mae Hill, who would over the next 40 years provide both flowers and prayers for these young men.  Mrs. Hill knew the family members would not be able to visit their loved ones, so she voluntarily tended to their graves and promised family members back home that they would not be forgotten.  She often considered the young men her boys, and her last wish was to be buried alongside her boys.  King George VI would later award Mrs. Hill The King's Award for Service.

Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Nancy Bro, office manager at the GAR Cemetery in Miami, OK, about the life of these cadets and other notables buried in Miami.  Highlights of the conversation include:

SHOW NOTES

• Origin and network of GAR Cemeteries
• Cemetery Tourism as an upcoming industry
• The US agrees to a proposed program to train British in the US
• The Spartan Flying School
• Keeping the operation top secret in the early days
• A sudden influx of British men with funny accents gathering in Miami- what's going on?
• How a Route 66 community welcomes 2000 men with open arms
• British adjusting to American life while the war is raging back home
• The final count laid to rest: 15 Cadets and a local woman
• Kenneth Raisbeck: recreating the final flight of for the 70 year old son who he never met
• Annual Remembrance Ceremonies at GAR
• Origin of fatal accidents
• Col Gale Halverson
  • The Candy Bomber
• Frantie "Francis" Mae Hill
  • Mother of the boys buried in Oklahoma
• Why should we care for British soldiers laid to rest in the US?
• Honoring the British war dead in the states - justification and reasoning
• Everlasting relationships cadets formed with locals 
• Local museums honoring the RAF cadets
  • Dobson Museum
  • NE OK College, Oklahoma
• Other notables buried at GAR Cemetery
  • Richard Kelton
  • George Coleman
  • Elvin and Lovell Mantle
  • John Beaver
  • Atha Cardin
  • Charles Banks Wilson
  • William Campbell
  • Booger Red

LINKS

Website: GAR Cemetery, Miami, OK

Dobson Museum

Raisbeck Story and Flight  

THE CANDY BOMBER: Colonel Gail "Hal" Halvorsen

CHARLES BANKS WILSON: Documentary (Notable artist buried at GAR Cemetery)

From the Ozarks and Beyond" Part 1

From the Ozarks and Beyond" Part 2

From the Ozarks and Beyond" Part 3

From the Ozarks and Beyond" Part 4

THE STEM CLASS PODCAST

with Anthony Arno

Dr. Frances Carter, a real life Rosie the Riveter

• MidPoint Cafe, Adrian, TX - Featuring both their Ugly Crust Pie and one of the most popular photo ops along Route 66, located exactly halfway between Chicago and Santa Monica in Adrian, Texas.
• Gilligan's Route 66 Tours featuring tours of Route 66 in Ford Mustang convertibles, stays at historic Route 66 motels, and daily breakfast.

• Jon B - Rhode Island
• Mary Beth Busutil - Florida
• Jim Crabtree - California
• Mike Fort 
• Route 66 author and photographer - Shellee Graham and also my guest on Episode # 10 where she talks about her book, Tales from the Coral Court Motel.
• Kristin Haakenson - Washington 
• Rich Havlik - Minnesota
• Mary Nicholson - Pennsylvania
• Brian Sawyer - Indiana

United Kingdom

• Charli Beeton

The Netherlands

• Jim Rensen

Please consider supporting both The Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Program through Patreon.  Patreon members receive access to an additional 10 minutes of this episode, featuring the following content:

• Miami City takes over GAR Cemetery
• Miami Municipal Airport
• Bugles across America
• Additional fatalities at other Spartan Flying School locations
• Logistics for visiting the GAR Cemetery
• Personal Background for Nancy
• Child Remembrance Ceremony

Just before the birth of Route 66, the single worst incident of racial violence in American history took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Within 24 hours, more than 35 square blocks in the Greenwood section of Tulsa were burned, causing 10,000 residents in one of the wealthiest black communities in America to instantly become homeless.  Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Dr. Scott Ellsworth, a leading expert on the Tulsa Race Massacre. 

Topics include:

• Earliest knowledge of the Tulsa Race Massacre
• Urban legends and myths about the riots with stories about the 1921 riots
• Discovering a rare photograph that would spark an interest in further researching the riot
• A talk with a survivor who was 16 years at the time
• WD Williams provides a first hand account
• Origin of the Greenwood neighborhood
• Timeline of events beginning at the Drexel Building
• The Tulsa Tribune reports on the incident
• Lynch mob assembles outside the courthouse
• The one spark that caused the attack on Greenwood
• Race Riot or Race Massacre?
• Extreme lengths to cover up the events for years later
• The 3 remaining survivors today
• Search for mass graves
• Importance of President visiting Tulsa in 2021 to remember race riots
• Connecting with President Biden

UM Website: Scott Ellsworth

Article: How a Historian Helped Tulsa Confront the Horror of Its Past

Tulsa Memorial Park: Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation

Documentary: Blood on Black Wall Street (The Legacy of the Tulsa Race Massacre)

• MidPoint Cafe, Adrian, TX - Featuring both their Ugly Crust Pie and one of the most popular photo ops along Route 66, located exactly halfway between Chicago and Santa Monica in Adrian, Texas.
• Gilligan's Route 66 Tours featuring tours of Route 66 in Ford Mustang convertibles, stays at historic Route 66 motels, and daily breakfast.

• Jon B - Rhode Island
• Mary Beth Busutil - Florida
• Jim Crabtree - California
• Mike Fort 
• Route 66 author and photographer - Shellee Graham and also my guest on Episode # 10 where she talks about her book, Tales from the Coral Court Motel.
• Kristin Haakenson - Washington 
• Rich Havlik - Minnesota
• Mary Nicholson - Pennsylvania
• Brian Sawyer - Indiana

United Kingdom

• Charli Beeton

The Netherlands

• Jim Rensen

Please consider supporting both The Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Program through Patreon.  

Popularized by the famous song, Take It Easy, one of the most famous street corners along Route 66 features a line from a popular song that was written by Jackson Browne.  Today, Winslow, Arizona, contains a small park on a corner of Route 66 featuring both a mural and bronze statue.  Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with both of the artists who have made the Winslow corner one of the most popular stops along Route 66.

JOHN PUGH

• Early interest in art
• The art of Trompe-l'oeil (Trick the eye)
• Chico State Mural: Breaking through the
• Does an opitcal illusion always work
• Earliest memory of Route 66
• The Winslow mural contest
• Basis of mural design competition
• 2004 fire
• Importance of research prior to planning a mural
• Life expectancy of murals
• What happens when a mural just ins't working?
• Murals that have really played trick on people
• Hermosa Beach mural honoring The Biltmore Hotel Era
• Bucket list items
• Standin on the Corner hints

Website: Art of John Pugh

RON ADAMSON

• Earliest interest in art
• Working at Montana lumber mills
• Making a living as an artist
• The Charlie Russell Art show entry sells for $1K
• Creating art Quick Draw
• First Bronze work: Indian bust
• Winslow calls for a statue
• Parameters for Winslow statue
• The final decision to award Ron the project
• A last minute adjustment to the prototype in front of the committee
• Earlier photograph of grandfather holding a guitar along Route 66 some 60 years earlier
• Does the statue represent anyone in particular?
• Constructing a homemade foundry to create the statue
• Last ditch efforts getting the statue to fit the foundation in Winslow
• Last minute setup in Winslow the day of the dedication ceremony
• Being an unknown artist with a really famous statue along Route 66
• The day Don Henley showed up in Winslow
• Other work by Don Adamson
• Chain saw carving
• Earliest memories of Route 66

Historic Photo of Ron's Grandfather along Route 66 with Guitar

Website: Ron Adamson

YouTube: Home Footage of statue being created

Dan Rice operates one of the most famous Route 66 souvenir shops along Route 66, located on The Santa Monica Pier.  Dan is a past president of the California Route 66 Association and was instrumental in placing the famous End of the Trail sign on the Santa Monica Pier.   This is the final episode in a 3 part series featuring The Beginning, The Middle, and The End of Route 66.

Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Dan about:

• Earliest memory of Route 66
• Background in Family Therapy
• Surviving a traumatic brain injury
• Selling American made Route 66 t-shirts
• Origin of End of the Trail sign
• Convincing Santa Monica Pier to erect a historical Route 66 sign
• Does Route 66 officially end on the Santa Monica Pier?
• Transitioning from a shop on wheels to a permanent shop on the Pier
• Early history of the Santa Monica Pier
• The 1939 Battle for Santa Monica Bay with mobster Tony Cornero
• Suggested sights for travelers arriving into Santa Monica Pier
• The Georgian Hotel
• Where is the original mobile vendor cart that Dan started his business with?
• The day Bobby Troup's daughter Cindy stopped at the shop
• President of California Route 66 Association
• Traveling the road today
• Similarities between Route 66 and Dan's life

Website: 66 to Cali

Facebook: 66 to Cali

• MidPoint Cafe, Adrian, TX – Featuring both their Ugly Crust Pie and one of the most popular photo ops along Route 66, located exactly halfway between Chicago and Santa Monica in Adrian, Texas.
• Gilligan's Route 66 Tours featuring tours of Route 66 in Ford Mustang convertibles, stays at historic Route 66 motels, and daily breakfast.

• Jon B – Rhode Island
• Mary Beth Busutil – Florida
• Jim Crabtree – California
• Mike Fort 
• Route 66 author and photographer – Shellee Graham and also my guest on Episode # 10 where she talks about her book, Tales from the Coral Court Motel.
• Kristin Haakenson – Washington 
• Rich Havlik – Minnesota
• Mary Nicholson – Pennsylvania
• Brian Sawyer – Indiana

And from the United Kingdom

• Charli Beeton

Please consider supporting both The Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Program through Patreon.  This episodes Patreon supporters will have access to an additional 25 minutes of conversation with Dan, including Dan discussing:

• First road trip on Route 66
• Publishing End of the Trail, an autobiography featuring the recovery from a near fatal car crash
• Business lessons learned while driving around Los Angeles
• International News covers the placing of the famous Route 66 sign on the Pier
• Suggestions for famous Route 66 attractions in California
• Suggestion for nearby budget accommodations
• Original hints of Route 66 in Los Angeles and current resurgence taking place in LA
• Celebrity customers visiting the shop
• Memorable everyday people to visit the shop
• Potential business opportunities along Route 66
• Details about the progression of the California Route 66 Association
• Other popular stops along Route 66 in California

Congratulations to this months Patreon winner, Kristin Haackenson,  from Washington, who has won a bag of Route 66 brand Santa Monica flavored snack mix.

This is the second part of a three part series, featuring the beginning, middle, and end of Route 66.  

Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno, as he talks with Brenda Bradley, owner of The Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, TX.  Cited as the midway point between Chicago and Santa Monica, The Midpoint Cafe sign outside is probably one of the most popular signs along the route that travelers will stop to take a picture of during their journey along Route 66.

Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Brenda about:

• Earliest memory of Route 66
• Working as a waitress at The Midpoint Cafe and later purchasing the cafe
• One thing that Brenda wishes she knew before purchasing The Midpoint Cafe
• Welcome to Adrian, TX and nearby towns along Route 66
• Early history of The Midpoint Cafe (Zellas' 1928)
• References in Cars movie (V-8 Cafe) and previous owners Fran Houser, Dan Purschwitz
• Origin of Ugly Crust Pies
• Annual output of updated Ugly Crust Pies (Midpoint Ugly Pie)
• Most popular flavors of pie that Route 66 customers want
• The Midpoint Cafe Gift Shop and popular souvenir items
• A typical day at the cafe at the height of tourism season
• Most memorable visitors and repeat customers
• The moment of panic: when a tour bus pulls into the parking lot
• Seasonal Hours
• Most popular gift shop items that Route 66 travelers are purchasing
• The most popular sign outside the cafe window
• The lure of Route 66
• Next on Brenda's Bucket list

Facebook: The Midpoint Cafe

BUSINESS LEVEL

• MidPoint Cafe, Adrian, TX – Featuring both their Ugly Crust Pie and one of the most popular photo ops along Route 66, located exactly halfway between Chicago and Santa Monica in Adrian, Texas.
• Gilligan's Route 66 Tours featuring tours of Route 66 in Ford Mustang convertibles, stays at historic Route 66 motels, and daily breakfast.
• Mary Beth Busutil – Florida
• Jim Crabtree – California
• Mike Fort 
• Route 66 author and photographer – Shellee Graham and also my guest on Episode # 10 where she talks about her book, Tales from the Coral Court Motel.
• Kristin Haakenson – Washington 
• Rich Havlik – Minnesota
• Mary Nicholson – Pennsylvania
• Brian Sawyer – Indiana

And from the United Kingdom

• Charli Beeton

Please consider supporting both The Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Program.

Congratulations to this months Patreon winner, Mary Nicholson,  from Pennsylvania, who has won a bag of Route 66 brand snack Sweet & Salty flavored snack mix.

David Clark , operates Windy City Road Warrior and offers walking tours of Chicago along Route 66.  The first in a 3 part series features everything you need to know about starting (or ending) a Route 66 tour in Chicago, IL.

Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Dave about:

• Earliest memory of Route 66
• Favorite spots along '66
• Importance of urban stretches along the road
• Early entry into tourism
• Where does the road begin in Chicago?  Tracking down the official beginning point
• Is there an end sign in Chicago?
• Must See Stops in Chicago
• Restaurants :
  • The Berghoff
  • Lou Mitchells
• The Castle Gas Station
• Buckingham Fountain
• Logistics of starting a Route 66 tour in Chicago
• Authentic Route 66 Hotels in Chicago
  • The W-Hotel (formerly The Midland Hotel)
  • The Club Quarters Hotel
  • JW Marriott (former bank building)
  • Hyatt Hotel (former Cook County Hospital building)
• Getting Chicagoans to embrace The Mother Road
• Traveling original alignments of 66 as you leave Chicago
• Alternate highways in Chicago
• Planning your first stops along Route 66 after departing Chicago
  • Wilmington (Gemini Giant)
  • Joliet
  • Dwight
  • Pontiac
  • Lincoln
  • Springfield
• Windy City Road Warrior Tours
  • Website
  • Monthly Zoom meetings
  • Walking tours
  • Published books
• Traveling by train along Route 66 in Illinois
• Value of repeat customers
• Importance of Route 66

WEBSITE: Windy City Road Warrior

Facebook: Windy City Road Warrior

BUSINESS LEVEL

• Mid Point Cafe, Adrian, TX – Featuring both their Ugly Crust Pie and one of the most popular photo ops along Route 66, located exactly halfway between Chicago and Santa Monica in Adrian, Texas.
• Gilligan's Route 66 Tours featuring tours of Route 66 in Ford Mustang convertibles, stays at historic Route 66 motels, and daily breakfast.
• Mary Beth Busutil – Florida
• Jim Crabtree – California
• Mike Fort 
• Route 66 author and photographer – Shellee Graham and also my guest on Episode # 10 where she talks about her book, Tales from the Coral Court Motel.
• Kristin Haakenson – Washington 
• Rich Havlik – Minnesota
• Mary Nicholson – Pennsylvania
• Brian Sawyer – Indiana

And from the United Kingdom

• Charli Beeton

Please consider supporting both The Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Program.  All supporters will receive an additional 15 minutes of conversation with David, where he talks about:

• Additional Chicago restaurants:
  • Millers Pub
  • Henry's Drive In
  • The best menu deals
• Additional Sites
  • Castle Gas Station (Car Wash)
  • Chicago Board of Trade Building
• Visiting non-Route 66 sites in Chicago
• Budget friendly Chicago Motels
  • Ohio House
  • Airport region hotels
• Early days of traveling and interest in Chicago
• Where are the vintage motels in Illinois?
• Past monthly Zoom Meetings featuring Route 66
• Published book featuring Abraham Lincoln sites in Illinois
• Most interesting travelers along Route 66

Congratulations to this months Patreon winner, Charli Beeton,  from the United Kingdom, who has won a copy of The Road Crews Songs from The Mother Road CD.   For next month, one lucky Patreon winner will win a bag of Route 66 Chicago Sweet & Salty flavored snack mix.

Bob Lile , otherwise known as "Croc" owns and operates Lile Art Gallery along 6th Avenue in historic Amarillo, Texas.  He's known for creating Cadilite jewelry using paint chips from the nearby Cadillac Ranch

Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Croc about:

• His earliest memory of Route 66
• Singing in the church choir (and Croc sings a verse for our listeners!)
• Lifelong scouting role
• Early interest in painting
• Life as a car salesman at the family Ford dealership
• Opening an art gallery later in life
• Discovering "Cadillte" art made from Cadillac Ranch paint chips
• Origin of "Croc" nickname
• Importance of Route 66

Lile Art Gallery, Amarillo

Facebook: Lile Art Gallery

Article: Cadillac Ranch 

Thank you to Route 66 Podcast & Scholarship supporters, including

BUSINESS LEVEL

• Mid Point Cafe, Adrian, TX – Featuring both their ugly crust pie and one of the most popular photo ops along Route 66, located exactly halfway between Chicago and Santa Monica in Adrian, Texas.
• Gilligan's Route 66 Tours featuring tours of Route 66 in Ford Mustang convertibles, stays at historic Route 66 motels, and daily breakfast.

• Mary Beth Busutil – Florida
• Jim Crabtree – California
• Mike Fort 
• Route 66 author and photographer – Shellee Graham and also my guest on Episode # 10 where she talks about her book, Tales from the Coral Court Motel.
• Kristin Haakenson – Washington 
• Rich Havlik – Minnesota
• (Maureen Holt – Arizona)
• Mary Nicholson – Pennsylvania
• Brian Sawyer – Indiana

And from the United Kingdom

• Charli Beeton

Please consider supporting both The Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Program.  All supporters will receive an additional 15 minutes of conversation with Croc, where he talks about:

• Additional childhood memories, WW II, and Route 66
• Experience as a college student
• Learning art from the earliest masters and traveling around the world studying technique
• Early days of selling Route 66 ads for a pubnlication and the first art gallery
• Some of the most prized possessions at Lile Art gallery
• The most memorable tourist he ever led along Route 66
• Other Amarillo attractions

Congratulations to this months Patreon winner, Brian Sawyer from Indiana, who has won a Route 66 wall calendar.  Congratulations Brian!  For next month, one lucky Patreon winner will win a copy of The Road Crews Songs from The Mother Road CD.  You can hear The Road Crew on Episode 14.

Roamin' Rich represents the latest generation of preservationists dedicated to promote and preserve Route 66.  He is the president of the Missouri Route 66 Association, a key member in the Painted Desert Trading Post cooperative, and the person behind most of the shields you see painted on the roadway.

Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Roamin' Rich about:

• His earliest memory of Route 66
• The popular nickname Roamin' Rich
• His first act as a preservationaist
• Painting Route 66 shields on the road
• His largest shield ever placed to honor Gary Turner
• The infamous Chevy hood with Route 66 signatures
• The Missouri Route 66 Assocition
• Roamin' Rich and his YouTube channel
• The unknown fact about Route 66
• Most cherished souvenier
• Painted Desert Trading Post, Gasconade Bridge, and other projects

This extended version of The Route 66 Podcast is only available to Patreon members and also includes Rich talking in depth about:

• How he tried to honor Gary Turner with one of the largest Route 66 shields he ever painted in Paris Springs and why the Missouri DOT requested it be removed.  Hear about the compromise they both agreed upon.
• Although it was "never his intention to become president," Rich talks about how the past president antagonized him one too many times and the final straw that caused him to run for president and overwhelmingly win the seat.  You may be surprised at the grade he gives himself as president.
• His thoughts on the closing of the Eat-Rite Diner in St. Louis amidst a worldwide pandemic.  What are some of the biggest challenges of operating a historic business along Route 66 in St. Louis?

Thank you again to everyone who has supported both the podcast and scholarship program through Patreon.  The 2020 - 2021 scholarship program is currently being rolled out and please encourage all students in grades K - college to apply.  The college award will be $500.

Congratulations to Patreon supporter Rich Havlik from Minnesota, who is the latest Patreon winner!  Rich has won a Route 66 wall calendar.

Roamin' Rich Links:

Website: Roamin' Rich

Website: Gary Turner (Gae Parita Service Station)

Website: Missouri Route 66 Association

FB Page: Painted Desert Trading Post

FB Page: John's Modern Cabins

FB Page: Eat-Rite Diner

At 92 years old, Peter MacDonald is just one of five surviving Navajo Code talkers who played a vital part in World War II during the Battle of Iwo Jima, where 25,000 lives were lost over a period of 6 weeks.  Upon his return home, he was sworn to a vow of secrecy for 23 years until the Marines declassified the mission while working as a Project Engineer on the Polaris Missile Project for Howard Hughes.  MacDonald has also served as a four time Chairman of The Navajo Indian Nation, a position similar to a governor of native American territory.

Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with local Route 66 realtor Jacque Kellogg who connects the Navajo Code talkers with a little known motel that sits on Route 66 in Flagstaff, AZ.

Despite being just a few miles from the end of the route, the Fair Oaks Pharmacy in South Pasadena, CA, is like walking into a time capsule.  This 1910 establishment is the only operational compounding pharmacy on Route 66,combining a working pharmacy with a soda fountain bar.

Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno as he talks with Brenden Shaniani, partner in the Fair Oaks Soda Fountain about life in a working pharmacy that tried to distant itself from the Walgreens and Rite-Aid type pharmacies.

Highlights from the show include:

• Fair Oaks Pharmacy as a time capsule
• Original 1915 proprietor,Gertrude Ozmun

• An unusual wedding proposal that Ozmun could not resist by a hopeful US Senator
• Various iterations of Fair Oaks Pharmacy
• Connection between a soda fountain and a pharmacy
• Soda fountain lingo
• Previous owner, Michael Miller, talks about his 1500 mile trek to Missourito relocate an authentic Route 66 soda fountain shop 
• Parents purchase of Fair Oaks after immigrating from Iran
• Running a pharmacy as a family business
• A walk through the pharmacy gift shop and the most popular items
• Fair Oaks Pharmacy in pop culture
• Most popular visitors to Fair Oaks Pharmacy
• Proudest moments at the pharmacy
• Celebrating 110th anniversary of Fair Oaks Pharmacy
• Other area attractions in South Pasadena

Thank you to Route 66 Podcast & Scholarship supporters, including

• Rob and Cheryl Cochran - Maryland
• Reed Coles - Nebraska
• Jim Crabtree – California
• Todd Farrell - Nebraska
• Rich Havlik – Minnesota
• Mary Nicholson – Pennsylvania
• Mark Wilson - Texas

And from the United Kingdom

• Charli Beeton

   

Route 66 Tours led by Route 66 Podcast host, Anthony Arno

Please consider supporting both The Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Program through Patreon.

The Route 66 Podcast Scholarship winners have been announced, and they are featured on the current episode of The Route 66 Podcast.

The program invited students in grades K - 12 to submit original work that promotes and preserves our beloved highway, Route 66.   The program this past year included a total of $175 in awards, and applicants were invited to submit almost any medium that would express their interest in Route 66, including: 

• Art Work
• Photographs
• Crafts
•   Interviews
•  Theatrical Performance
•  Music
•  Videos
•  PowerPoint, Prezi, Canva, Google Slides,
•  Multimedia Presentation

You can see the winning entries on our website at Route 66 Podcast.com.

In addition, the show introduces the Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Patreon program, where you can support efforts to promote and preserve Route 66.  Patreon supporters can sign up to receive a washable Route 66 face mask, early release of podcasts including extended episodes, promotional materials related to Route 66, and the opportunity to vote in the 2021 Scholarship program.

For more than three decades Jim Hinckley has been telling people where to go and sharing the adventure.  His passion for Route 66, the back roads of America and the automobiles he has shared through books, feature articles, blog posts, video, Facebook live programs, and presentations.

Published work includes nineteen books on topics as diverse as The Illustrated History of the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company,  Ghost Towns of Route 66, Travel Route 66, The Big Book of Car Culture, and The Route 66 Encyclopedia, and most recently Murder and Mayhem on Route 66. 

Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Jim about his extensive book writing career featuring Route 66, and Jim gives personal feedback from some of his most favorite places along Route, his work in his home community of Kingman, AZ, and his early encounter with Jay Leno.

The life sized Blue Whale in Catoosa, OK, is one of the most recognized structures to be found along Route 66.  Hugh Davis built The Blue Whale as an anniversary gift to his wife Zelta back in the 1970's.  At its peak The Blue Whale was. a popular swimming. spot, drawing well over 100 locals on a hot summer day.

Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno, as he talks with Blaine Davis (78 years old)  about his fathers life long work as the director of the Tulsa Zoo, growing up with parents who appreciated the outdoors, and what prompted Hugh to construct The Blue Whale upon retirement despite not having any welding experience or working with cement.

In addition, Linda Hobbs, The Blue Whale gift shop manager and author of a children's book featuring this Oklahoma icon also joins the conversation as she talks about the importance of The Blue Whale, what it was like working with Hugh, and why Route 66 is so important for the younger generation of children who visit this popular Mother Road destination.

Perhaps one of the most popular motels along Route 66, The Blue Swallow Motel has been in operation since 1941 and still provides patrons with private garages for their vehicles.  Originally received as a wedding gift from her fiance, Lillian Redman ran the motel for over 40 years before stepping back from the hospitality business in her late 80's.  Since that time, there have been other owners, but Kevin and Nancy Mueller have maintained the true character of The Blue Swallow since 2011 that would have made Lillian proud.

Named by Smithsonian Magazine as "the last, best and friendliest of the old-time motels", The Blue Swallow Motel has caught the attention of everyone from Pixar films to Bob Dylan.   Featured in the classic movie Cars, The Blue Swallow's neon is a wink in the movie to The Cozy Cone Motel, which displays in neon, "100% Refrigerated Air" slogan.

Join The Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno as he talks with Kevin Mueller about maintaining and operating one of the most popular destinations along the Road.  The episode features talks about:

• Kevin and his wife looking for a semi-retirmement career along Route 66
• What the Mueller's didn't know about Route 66 and The Blue Swallow Motel
• Truly understanding the appeal of The Blue Swallow 
• Transitioning from a corporate executive to managing an iconic Route 66 establishment
• Behind the scenes renovations at The Blue Swallow
• What the Mueller's wish they knew before taking over The Blue Swallow
• A typical day at the motel
• The life of Lillian Redman, early proprieor of The Blue Swallow (1958)

Long before the glory days of Route 66, the Route 66 town of Dwight, IL,  was the center of the world thanks to a Civil War surgeon who established the world's first treatment center for alcohol and drug addiction.  Dr. Keeley's method involved having patients ingest flecks of gold dust, which was very secretive at the time. 

Join Dr. Timothy Hickman, from Lancaster University (United Kingdom) as he talks with Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno all about a little known treatment center that continued to exist well into the glory days of Route 66.

By the 1900, Dr. Keeley was perhaps the most famous physician in the world that people loved to hate because of his methodology.  Many thought that he was a real "quack," but he was certainly a pioneer in treating addictions with over 200 treatment centers around the world by the beginning of the 20th Century.

Don't miss one of those episodes about Route 66 that truly contains a bizarre but true story about life along The Mother Road.

The El Vado, a 1937 Route 66 Motel,  was recently purchased by Chadd Rennaker and not only restored the motel to its original charm,  but he also converted select rooms into a gathering space for area merchants.  The result is a Route 66 destination that allows travelers not only a place to stay, but also a place to sample the local food and crafts from the regions.   Join Route 66 host Anthony Arno as he talks with Chadd about restoring the El Vado Motel in Albuquerque, NM.

Tom Peters is the Dean of Library Services at Missouri State University, and an oral historian.  Join Route 66 host Anthony Arno as he talks with Tom about his series of interview with twenty two individuals directly associated with the trucking industry along Route 66.

Tom talks about the the importance of trucking

The final in a three part series featuring The Fred Harvey Company.  This episode features a talk with three women who worked for The Fred Harvey Company during the final days of the company, 1958.  In addition, episode features a talk with Katy Miller, great, great, great granddaughter of Fred Harvey.

Arizona based entrepreneur Allan Affeldt has successfully proven more than once that he can purchase old, abandoned railroad buildings along Route 66 that has had the Fred Harvey footprint and converted them into historically beautiful hotels in the southwest.

Join Route 66 host Anthony Arno, as he talks with Allan Affeldt, who has dedicated his life to restoring Route 66 buildings successfully proven to grow the local economy beyond what anyone had ever imagined.  Allan begins talking about various social causes he promoted as a college student that gained international attention to stumbling upon a dilapidated 1929 hotel in Arizona that was once a Fred Harvey station.

In addition, Allan also talks about his restoration of historic hotels in Las Vegas, NM, including his latest project restoring the 1898 Fred Harvey hotel, La Castanada.  

There are many Route 66 museums, but probably one of the most comprehensive and largest museums is the Route 66 Oklahoma Museum.  Route 66 Podcast talks with Pat Smith, curator of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum.  The displays are all professionally laid out and are part of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Pat Smith about the following:

• Introducing the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum
  • Where is Clinton, OK?
• The Oklahoma Historical Society
• Comparason to other Route 66 museums
• Pat Smith - Curator
  • Earliest memory of Route 66
• The 1995 opening of the museum
• Staff and Volunteers
• Annual visitors

• Origin of artifacts for Route 66 Museum
  • Authentic Valentine Diner
  • Typical donation inquiries
• Layout of Museum
  • Classic car collection
  • The museum decade by decade
• The Gift Shop
• Past museum milestones
• Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame
• Centennial celebration planning
• Pat's favorite gallery
• Famous (and not so famous) museum visitors
• Planning your visit to the museum

Thank you to Route 66 Podcast & Scholarship supporters, including

• Rob and Cheryl Cochran - Maryland
• Reed Coles - Nebraska
• Jim Crabtree – California
• Todd Farrell - Nebraska
• Rich Havlik – Minnesota
• Mary Nicholson – Pennsylvania
• Mark Wilson - Texas

And from the United Kingdom

• Charli Beeton

   

Route 66 Tours led by Route 66 Podcast host, Anthony Arno

Please consider supporting both The Route 66 Podcast and Scholarship Program through Patreon.

Stephen Fried, author of Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the American West, talks all about the life of Fred Harvey and how Route 66 would later emerge once the railroad was being replaced by the automobile.

A three part series, highlighting the life and work of 19th Century entrepreneur Fred Harvey.  Episodes include talks with the author of the most comprehensive Fred Harvey book ever researched, a businessman who has successfully restored former Harvey House buildings into destination hotels, surviving Fred Harvey employees who were there during the mid-20th Century just prior to the closing of Fred Harvey restaurants, and the great, great, great granddaughter of Fred Harvey- Katy Miller.

The proprietor of The Rock Cafe, Dawn Welch, is a Route 66 icon and was the inspiration for the character Sally Carrera in the CARS movie.  The Rock Cafe was constructed in 1936 from leftover sandstone rock that was used to construct Route 66.

Dawn talks all about her oriiginal plans to open a cafe in South America and literally rollerblading into The Rock Cafe after expressing an interest in purchasing the fixtures.  From famous patrons visiting the cafe, to rebuilding the cafe after a devastating fire, Dawn tells all about her life since The Rock Cafe.

The original Launching Pad Restaurant opened in 1960 by John Korelc under a different name, and while attending the National Restaurant Convention, Korelc paid $3500 for a fiberglass Muffler Man to draw attention to his restaurant. Korelc had his newly purchased fiberglass giant updated to keep in line with the 1960's space race as an astronaut with helmet and rocket, and renamed the restaurant, as the "Launching Pad". There was a naming contest and the fiberglass giant soon became known as The Gemini Giant which has always been a popular photo opp for many traveling through Wilmington, just 60 miles out of Chicago.

In 2007, the Launching Pad was purchased from Jerry and Sharon Gatties, the owners at the time, by Morey Szczecin, but, after a struggle, the landmark closed again in 2010. In October 2017, it was purchased by Holly Barker and Tully Garrett, who announced plans to restore it "to what it was in its glory days," with the Gemini Giant remaining as a recognized Route 66 landmark.

Both the Launching Pad and the Gemini Giant were inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame in 2000.

Today, we'll be visiting one of the most popular stops along Route 66, known for its wild burros, beautiful mountains and of course Route 66. I'll be talking with Jackie Roland Murray, who wrote a book highlighting the history of Oatman and more.

The Jack Rabbit Trading post is a famous Route 66 curio shop located in Joseph City, Arizona.  The trading post is known for its large fiberglass jackrabbit that visitors are often photographed riding out front.  In addition, The Jack Rabbit Trading Post popularized the store by placing large HERE IT IS billboards all along Route 66.  The Classic CARS film depicts the Jack Rabbit with a Model T Ford in place of a jackrabbit and Lizzie is the store's owner.

The Jack Rabbit Trading post is a famous Route 66 curio shop located in Joseph City, Arizona.  The trading post is known for its large fiberglass jackrabbit that visitors are often photographed riding out front.  In addition, The Jack Rabbit Trading Post popularized the store by placing large HERE IT IS billboards all along Route 66.  The Classic CARS film depicts the Jack Rabbit with a Model T Ford in place of a jackrabbit and Lizzie is the store's owner.

The story of Times Beach is not a celebratory one that showcases Route 66.  Instead, the story of Times Beach is one that not may people are familiar with, even 35 years later.

Times Beach was a beach community along the Meramec River that hired the services of a local waste hauler, Russel Bliss, to spread used machinery oil over the dirt roads to keep the dust to a minimum.  It would later be discovered that the recycled oil would contain one of the deadliest compounds known to man, dioxin.

Listen in as host Anthony Arno talks with the final mayor of Times Beach, Marilyn Leistner, as she talks about her role of supervising the complete distruction of a community of 2000 residents and all personal property.

The Wagon Wheel Motel is the longest continously operated motel along Route 66.  

A talk with Mark Linder, who is bicycling Route 66 in honor of his son who passed away at the age of 6.  

A talk with Dora XXX, and the upcoming Shamrock Festival in Texas, where 3,000 attendees are expected.

Decades before Route 66 the Mojave Desert Road took travelers miles across the Mojave Desert.  Dennis Casebier talks about his original intention of creating a 130 mile hiking trail across the Mojave Desert along one of America's first highway, but realizing that a 4 wheel drive trail would be more practical.

Guest Dennis Casebier founded the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association, and he tells the story about converting an old school house into an area museum to promote the rich history of the Mojave area.

• When you think of Route 66 in the Mohave desert, most people think of Amboy and probably one of the most photographed sites in the mojave.
• But dennis settled in Goffs, a town about 50 miles NE of Amboy
• Where he bought and restored an old school house and eventually turned it into a museum to promote a better understaning of areas natural and historical history.
• Now, I might be a bit parital along with many of my listeners about Route 66, but dennis is a pioneer when it comes to that other road…. The Mojave Road which predates Route 66.
• Dennis has written many books about the region, documenting every mile of the Mojave Road and there are people out there who will drive the original road in specially equipped vehicles.
• I'd like to play for you a clip where dennis is talking about his passion for the Mohave Trail Road and how he wanted to preserve and document the road, which was a dirt road that crossed the Mohave way before Route 66 and still exists today in it's original form- all 130 miles of it.
• Then, we're going to jump to where dennis talks about how the area was used as a very important training site for General Patton in preparation for the African invasion during world war 2

Meramec Caverns is one of the most famous sights along Route 66 and consists of almost 5 miles of a cavern system outside St. Louis, Missouri. Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with the grandson of the founder of the caverns, Les Turulli.

Les talks about how his grandfather came up with the idea of painting the sides of barns along Route 66 to promote the caverns to travelers, far and wide. In addition, as a young boy, Les tells about how he helped his grandfather affix promotional tags onto the bumpers of cars, which eventually gave birth to the bumper sticker.

On March 4, 1928, 199 men lined up in Los Angeles, California, to participate in a 3,400-mile transcontinental footrace to New York City. The Bunion Derby, as the press dubbed the event, was the brainchild of sports promoter Charles C. Pyle. He promised a $25,000 grand prize and claimed the competition would immortalize U.S. Highway Route 66, a 2,400-mile road, mostly unpaved, that subjected the runners to mountains, deserts, mud, and sandstorms, from Los Angeles to Chicago.

THE ARISTON CAFE

The Ariston Cafe located in Litchfield, IL, is the longest continously operated family restaraunt along Route 66.  Established by Pete Adam, a Greek immigrant who arrived here in America in 1905 at the age of 15.

Hear the whole history of The Ariston Cafe by the founders son, Nick Adam.  At 85 years old, Nick tells about how his father arrived here in America with no clear vision and worked in a wide variety of occupations from managing a Boston shoe shining parlor to working in a Colorado mine.  

Even before considering the restaraunt business, Pete returned back home to Greece in 1919 to help fight the Greco-Turkish War.  After the war, Pete returns back to America and his life would change forever when a complete stranger offers Pete $1000 to open up a Greek diner.

Highlights from the show include:

• The arrival of 15 year old Pete Adam to America

• Decision to return back to Greece to join the war effort

• Pete tries to make it again in America a second time

• The Candy Kitchen Days

• A total stranger gives Pete an ultimatum
• 1924 Ariston opens up
  • Past guest, Phil Gordon, recalls two Ariston locations
• Growing up at The Ariston
• The dream of law school
• Earliest memory of The Ariston
• Most popular dishes
• Life with Demi Adam
• Most memorable patrons at The Ariston
• Walking away from the Ariston
• Life after The Ariston (The Litchfield Route 66 Museum)
•  is The Ariston important to Route 66?
• Local appreciation of The Ariston
• 100 years of advice to any Route 66 business owner
• 100th anniversary celebration of Ariston 

Route 66 is sometimes referred to as The Will Rogers Memorial Highway, but not many people know who Will Rogers was. Rogers, Oklahoma's favorite son,  was a stage and motion picture actor, vaudeville performer, cowboy, humorist, newspaper columnist, and social commentator who was born and raised along Route 66.

Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno, as he talks with Tad Jones, Director of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum all about the life of one of the most beloved personalities of his generation that starred in over 71 movies and was the highest paid entertainer of his time.

The Road Crew – America's Route 66 Band takes the Mother Road to their audiences throughout the world.  "We spread the history and stories of Route 66 to every generation through our 'Songs From The Mother Road.'  We encourage our audiences to discover America's Main Street for themselves." The band received the first time ever 'Bobby Troup Artistic Recognition Award' from the International Route 66 Association in 2011. The Road Crew – The official musical ambassadors for The Mother Road!

Fort Reno in Oklahoma was once the home to 1300 German Prisoners of War (POW's) during World War II.  Originally established in 1874 to protect the Darlington Indian Reservation.  Fort Reno was used as a horse training camp for WW I and WW II, and the site was later used to house German soldiers who were captured in Northern Africa during WW II.

Carolyn Barker shares some of the most fascinating (and unknown) stories about the Fort Reno POW camp.  While nothing but a water tower remains from the POW camp, there is a cemetery with 62 soldiers who were laid to rest.  These solndiers died from war injuries, illnesses, accidents, and even a murder where five POW's were charged and eventually hung.

Carolyn tells a number of very touching stories, including the reaction from German soldiers who honestly believed that New York was entirely leveled during the war and wondered how the city could have been built back so quickly; the loyalty of German soldiers to the local community who assisted local farmers during the war effort, and the repatriation of soldiers who were buried in Oklahoma and later relocated back to their motherland after family members discovered they were laid to rest in Oklahoma.