The Springfield (Ill.) Journal-Register reports that a Macoupin County group is hoping to promote Illinois Highway 4 as a tourism destination.

It’s sort of mentioned in passing, but Illinois 4 was a Route 66 alignment from Springfield to Staunton from 1926 to 1930.

In the article, Henry’s Rabbit Ranch in Staunton receives prominent mention, as well it should.

• The Land of Enchantment envisions a future Albuquerque that’s more walkable. Not that it’s bad in that regard; it considers Downtown, Nob Hill and Old Town the most walkable areas in the Duke City. I concur.
• Artist David Wilder displays his “High Desert Texaco” watercolor painting, which he says was inspired by many trips on the Mother Road.
• Ryan of Plan 9 from Syracuse stayed at the Historic Route 66 Motel in Seligman, Ariz., in the same room where Michael Wallis and Burl Ives once slept. He also shot gorgeous photos of the mountains and sunsets. Ryan, by the way, is running across the country. Here’s why.

The train station in Tucumcari, N.M., isn’t on Route 66, but it and the railroad are so strongly linked to the Mother Road that any news about it is noteworthy.

The Quay County Sun in Tucumcari reports that the historic train station is set for $400,000 worth of improvements to become a centerpiece of downtown’s revitalization.

Already the train station is earmarked to be the home of the Eastern New Mexico ArtSpace.

ArtSpace was originally started with a $5,000 grant from the TEDC, and they conducted a major fundraiser with “Great Eggpectations” in spring 2006, said David Buchen, an advisor for ArtSpace.

In the future, ArtSpace hopes to establish a gallery and artist incubator program, he said.

“The train station is envisioned as an anchor for downtown MainStreet development project from which other small business projects can move outward,” Buchen.

I always thought Tucumcari would be an ideal town for an artists’ colony. I’m glad to see someone else agrees.

It’s not even officially winter, and another major winter storm is hitting Route 66’s midsection.

On Tuesday night, the National Weather Service had issued winter storm warnings in the upper two-thirds of New Mexico and all of the Texas Panhandle. The Albuquerque Journal reported that Interstate 40 from the Duke City to Gallup was closed for nine hours.

Four to eight inches of snow fell in most areas in the Land of Enchantment, with a high of 16 inches in the Route 66 town of Grants.

For winter images from Albuquerque, check out the Duke City Fix photo pool.

In the Texas Panhandle, the Amarillo Globe-News reports that all of I-40 from Amarillo to the New Mexico border is closed Tuesday night until further notice. Most of the problem in the Panhandle is freezing rain and sleet.

UPDATE: I-40 from Amarillo to Tucumcari reopened about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, reported the Globe-News. Roads are still a mess, as these highway cams show.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that the storm was not as bad as anticipated. However, another big storm is expected by the weekend. The Duke City may not just dream of a white Christmas.

Don’t forget to check out the cool wintertime images at the Duke City Fix photo pool.

UPDATE2: The Gallup Independent has just posted a story about the storm.