The Route 66 Association of Missouri recently announced it will hold a ceremonial relighting of the Park Plaza Courts neon sign at 8 p.m. April 13. The relighting will occur at the Holiday Inn Southwest at 10709 Watson Road (aka Route 66) in St. Louis. The association has reserved a block of rooms at the … Continue reading Relighting of Park Plaza Courts neon set for the evening of April 13
Category: Motels
Quest to revive 4 Tucumcari businesses earns award from New Mexico Route 66 Association
Robert Moore Jr. and his brother William Cooke have been busy acquiring and cleaning up four long-abandoned businesses along Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Though reopening at least three of those businesses is a long way off, those efforts earned the annual Route 66 Heritage Award from the New Mexico Route 66 Association. The … Continue reading Quest to revive 4 Tucumcari businesses earns award from New Mexico Route 66 Association
Imperial Inn in Albuquerque erects restored neon sign, reopens to overnight travelers
The redeveloped Imperial Inn motel in Albuquerque showed off its restored neon sign shortly before it reopened to overnight travelers on Wednesday. Here's an image from the Route 66 motel's Instagram account of the sign, complete with its chasing lights: View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Imperial (@theimperialabq) Palindrome Communities, which … Continue reading Imperial Inn in Albuquerque erects restored neon sign, reopens to overnight travelers
Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari makes cover of current issue of New Mexico Magazine
The landmark Blue Swallow Motel of Tucumcari, New Mexico, landed the cover image of the current issue of New Mexico Magazine. Not only does the Route 66 motel that dates to 1939 appear in the magazine's lead article "The Magic of Route 66" and others in the issue, but so do Motel Safari and Roadrunner … Continue reading Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari makes cover of current issue of New Mexico Magazine
14 neon signs along Albuquerque’s Route 66 receive improvement grants
The City of Albuquerque announced it would award 14 grants totaling $432,000 to improve neon signs along the Route 66 corridor of Central Avenue. More than 25 grant applications were received. Listed below are the winners. A few will be familiar to veteran Route 66 travelers. 5501 Plaza, 5431 Central Ave. NW Americana Motel, 5908 … Continue reading 14 neon signs along Albuquerque’s Route 66 receive improvement grants
Couple acquires John’s Modern Cabins, Vernelle’s Motel in Missouri
A couple with close family ties to the shuttered Vernelle's Motel near Newburg, Missouri, also recently acquired the long-closed John's Modern Cabins property next door. They plan to convert the Vernelle's property into an RV park, using the now-abandoned Interstate 44 / Route 66 roadbed, and rename it Vernelle's Route 66 RV Park & Campground. … Continue reading Couple acquires John’s Modern Cabins, Vernelle’s Motel in Missouri
Future site of the Glancy Motel sign appears to be still uncertain
The fate of the distinctive sign for the now-demolished Glancy Motel in Clinton, Oklahoma, remains uncertain, though the city manager said its likely home still would be the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in town. According to a recent print edition of the Clinton Daily News, city manager Robert Johnston said he was hopeful the Glancy … Continue reading Future site of the Glancy Motel sign appears to be still uncertain
Imperial Inn in Albuquerque likely will reopen to overnight guests next month
The long-moribund Imperial Inn in east downtown Albuquerque probably will reopen to overnight travelers sometime next month after city officials hailed a $7 million redevelopment of the Route 66 motel. The Imperial, located at 701 Central Ave. (aka Route 66), now has 56 guest rooms, 16 residential suites and 4,400 square feet of commercial space … Continue reading Imperial Inn in Albuquerque likely will reopen to overnight guests next month
Herring Hotel in Amarillo designated to National Register of Historic Places
The nearly century-old but shuttered Herring Hotel in downtown Amarillo recently was designated to the National Register of Historic Places. The designation went into effect on Jan. 25, according to an email Friday from the National Park Service. The National Register nomination form can be read here. In 2022, several media outlets reported about a … Continue reading Herring Hotel in Amarillo designated to National Register of Historic Places
Boots Court motel in Carthage wins $120,000 grant to beautify its visitors center
The city council of Carthage, Missouri, approved a $120,000 grant to the foundation of the Boots Court motel to create green space and other improvements at its adjacent visitors center. The vote by the council was 8-1, with the only dissenting voter saying he supported the historic Route 66 motel but wanted more information about … Continue reading Boots Court motel in Carthage wins $120,000 grant to beautify its visitors center