Here's a photo taken at 10 a.m. today at John's Modern Cabins, off old Route 66 near Arlington, Mo. The area had been covered by a snowstorm the day before. (Photo courtesy of Shades of Grey Photography)
Category: Motels
Notes from the road
If you're traveling the Mother Road this week, you may have to make other plans for the midsection. As this map from the National Weather Service shows, the Route 66 corridor is under a winter storm warning all the way from about Springfield, Mo., to Gallup, N.M. -- much of it freezing rain. Authorities closed … Continue reading Notes from the road
Motel living
Here's a nice video of the sights and sounds of two Route 66 icons -- the Wigwam Motel of Holbrook, Ariz., and the Blue Swallow Motel of Tucumcari, N.M.
A closer look at the Wigwams
The Press-Enterprise newspaper in the Los Angeles region posted a story about the origins of the famed Wigwam Motel on Route 66 in on the San Bernardino and Rialto line. What got overlooked in the story is that the motel was a haven for prostitution and other shady activities for many years. The property was … Continue reading A closer look at the Wigwams
Historic Kingman hotel may close
The historic Hotel Brunswick in Kingman, Ariz., may close its doors as early as next week because of rising costs and a poor economy, reported the Kingman Daily Miner. Co-owner Debra Sixta estimated that the hotel is losing $4,000 to $5,000 a month amid rising utility costs and dropping income. The hotel opened in 1909, … Continue reading Historic Kingman hotel may close
“I have a dream”
(This was originally posted three years ago. It's appropriate to repost it for the holiday.) This is the full version of Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963. So what does King have to do with Route 66? Well, there's this passage: There are those who are asking the devotees … Continue reading “I have a dream”
Logan County sees huge jump in tourism dollars
Geoff Ladd, tourism director for Logan County, Ill., saw an unprecedented jump of 30 percent in tourism revenue in 2009, and Route 66 played a role in that, reported the Lincoln Courier. There were a number of reasons cited in the rise in motel tax revenue: the opening of a Hampton Inn and the reopening … Continue reading Logan County sees huge jump in tourism dollars
Notes from the road
The historic Riviera Restaurant on Route 66 in Gardner, Ill., reopened on New Year's Eve. Check out this story in the Batavia Sun about it. However, there is one potential snag that will be worth watching: The new owner is dealing with a request from the Gardner Fire Department to put in an expensive commercial … Continue reading Notes from the road
New artist takes inspiration from Mother Road
Joseph Squires is 72 years old, so it seems a bit incongruous to say he's new at anything. However, after his wife Carolyn died four years ago, Squires decided to paint scenes on Route 66 in Missouri, based on his memories of the historic road, according to the Cuba Mural blog. “My Rt. 66 series … Continue reading New artist takes inspiration from Mother Road
Wagon Wheel Motel’s restaurant reopens as gift shop
That didn't take long. Just a few months after the Wagon Wheel Motel building in Cuba, Mo., changed owners, the motel's long-closed restaurant building has been renovated and converted into a gift shop. According to the Viva Cuba blog: The opening followed months of restoration, where windows and doors were put back to their original … Continue reading Wagon Wheel Motel’s restaurant reopens as gift shop